The reporting verbs and bias in the press

Abstract

This article describes one way in which news reports, apparently neutral, subtly show the personal preferences of journalists. It shows 1he way different people are reported using different reporting verbs, thus prejudicing readers' opinions in favour of or against them. It matters considerably whether the reporting verb is "professed" or "claimed", which have negative connotations, or "explained", "announced" or "pointed out", which have a more positive sound to them. Depending on the context, others, such as "asserted", "stated", "concluded", "argued", "promised and "maintained", are more neutral. In general, those reported favourably respond to a profile of Western, official, elite, establishment speakers.