Scare Tactic

If you suppose that terrorizing your opponent is giving him a reason for believing that you are correct, you are using a scare tactic and reasoning fallaciously.

Example:

David: My father owns the department store that gives your newspaper fifteen percent of all its advertising revenue, so I'm sure you won't want to publish any story of my arrest for spray painting the college.

Newspaper editor: Yes, David, I see your point. The story really isn't newsworthy.

David has given the editor a financial reason not to publish, but he has not given a relevant reason why the story is not newsworthy. David's tactics are scaring the editor, but it's the editor who commits the scare tactic fallacy, not David. David has merely used a scare tactic. This fallacy's name emphasizes the cause of the fallacy rather than the error itself. See also the related fallacy of appeal to emotions.