As Brown shooting manhunt continues, FBI offers reward for info leading to conviction. 

Detected Manipulations & Suggested Changes

Appeal to emotion

Using emotionally charged language to influence readers’ feelings rather than just presenting neutral facts.

The phrase from Brown University President Christina H. Paxson: "the shooting amounted to 'devastating gun violence.'" This wording emphasizes emotional impact and aligns with a broader political framing of gun violence, going slightly beyond a purely descriptive account of the incident.

3 suggestions

Replace the emotionally charged quote with a more neutral paraphrase, e.g., "Brown University President Christina H. Paxson described the shooting as a tragic event for the campus community."

If the quote is retained, add context to separate fact from opinion, e.g., "In a statement expressing her personal reaction, Brown University President Christina H. Paxson called the shooting 'devastating gun violence.'"

Balance the emotional framing by including additional factual details (time, location, confirmed casualty numbers, investigation status) immediately around the quote so it does not dominate the narrative.

Omission of key information

Leaving out relevant contextual information that could help readers fully understand the situation.

The article does not provide any information about possible motive, relationship between suspect and victims, or whether there is an ongoing threat to the wider public. While this may be due to an active investigation, the absence of explicit clarification can leave readers uncertain about risk and context.

3 suggestions

Add a clarifying sentence about what is and is not yet known, e.g., "Authorities have not yet released information about a possible motive or any relationship between the suspect and the victims."

Include any available official statements about public safety, e.g., whether police believe this was a targeted incident or if there is concern about further attacks.

Explicitly note investigative limits, e.g., "Police said they are withholding certain details to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation."

Unbalanced reporting

Presenting one side’s perspective more fully than others, even if not overtly biased in tone.

The article heavily features law enforcement and official institutional voices (FBI Director, Governor, university president, police) and does not include any direct perspectives from students, faculty, victims’ families, or independent experts. This is common in breaking news but still creates a structural imbalance in whose voices are heard.

3 suggestions

Include at least one brief, factual comment from a student, faculty member, or campus community representative about the impact of the event, clearly labeled as their perspective.

Add a short statement from an independent public safety or criminology expert to contextualize the use of FBI resources and rewards in such cases.

Clarify that the article is based on official statements only, e.g., "As of Tuesday, information about the incident has come primarily from law enforcement and university officials."