Hedging in journalism

Article excerpt · target grammar marked

Phrases like sources suggest, it is believed that, reports indicate, and officials are said to have are not evasions. They are epistemic flags — signals to a careful reader that the claim being made rests on incomplete evidence.

Grammar Reference · Hedging in journalism

Epistemic hedge

Signals uncertain sourcing. The minister is believed to have resigned overnight. — claim rests on incomplete evidence

Reporting verb

Distances the writer from the claim. Sources suggest the algorithm penalises slower posts. — claim attributed, not asserted

Modal probability

Marks degree of certainty. The correction may well have reached fewer readers. — probable but unconfirmed

Common error

It is reported that the CEO will resign tomorrow. ✓ vs It is reported the CEO resigned tomorrow. ✗ — tense must fit timeline

01Exercise 1 — Form · Write the Correct Form

Hedging in journalism

1.The minister to have misled parliament about the data.

2. indicate that the algorithm favours emotionally charged headlines.

3.The platform well have suppressed the original post.

4.It is that the broadcaster knew about the error before publishing.

5.The whistleblower said to have contacted three newsrooms simultaneously.

6. suggest that corrections rarely reach the same audience as the original story.

02Exercise 2 — Transform

rewrite with the new structure

1.The network broadcast the story without checking it.

2.The government deleted the tweet within minutes.

3.The algorithm amplified the false claim deliberately.

4.The journalist knew the source was unreliable.

5.Three cable channels repeated the original error.

6.The correction reached only 12 per cent of the original audience.

7.The CEO misrepresented the company's position on data privacy.

8.The verification team was overruled by senior management.

03Exercise 3 — About You

in your notebook

Personalise: complete five sentences about yourself using the target grammar.

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