The Dangers of the Passive Voice in True
Crime Reporting
Can the passive voice be dangerous? Some argue that using passive voice in
reporting can dangerously alter the way we think about victims and
perpetrators, the way we frame the innocent and guilty, and who we hold
accountable.
The passive voice moves the focus (and with it, the responsibility) from the
perpetrator to the victim. How many times have you read a sentence like:
● “Around midnight, a young woman was killed in the park by three men.”
● “The unarmed man was shot by police as he ran away from the scene.”
SLIDESMANIA.COM
Crime Reporting
Can the passive voice be dangerous? Some argue that using passive voice in
reporting can dangerously alter the way we think about victims and
perpetrators, the way we frame the innocent and guilty, and who we hold
accountable.
The passive voice moves the focus (and with it, the responsibility) from the
perpetrator to the victim. How many times have you read a sentence like:
● “Around midnight, a young woman was killed in the park by three men.”
● “The unarmed man was shot by police as he ran away from the scene.”
SLIDESMANIA.COM
