‘Mi Rahtid’, Jamaican grandma turns social media star serving up recipes. 

Detected Manipulations & Suggested Changes

Appeal to emotion

Using emotionally warm or sentimental framing to create a positive emotional response rather than just conveying facts.

The piece repeatedly highlights family love and intergenerational bonds in a way that is clearly meant to be heartwarming, for example: - “A Florida family’s efforts to preserve their Jamaican matriarch’s recipes, passed down through generations, have transformed the 96-year-old woman into a social media sensation.” - “It’s the love I have for my grandmother, for my elder, for the people that raised me and showed me how to cook and take care of myself.” This is normal for a lifestyle feature, but it does lean on emotional appeal to engage readers.

3 suggestions

Clarify the genre at the top (e.g., label as ‘Lifestyle’ or ‘Human-interest feature’) so readers understand the emotional tone is intentional and not hard news.

Balance emotional quotes with a few neutral, factual details about follower counts, posting frequency, or demographics of the audience to ground the story.

Avoid framing that implies transformation as extraordinary without context; for example, change “have transformed the 96-year-old woman into a social media sensation” to “have led to a significant following on social media platforms, where her videos regularly attract [approximate views/followers].”

Unsubstantiated claims

Presenting claims as fact without providing evidence or clear sourcing.

Several phrases make strong positive claims without data: - “has been taking TikTok, Instagram and YouTube by storm with her viral dishes and popular catchphrase, ‘mi rahtid’.” - “She has amassed a large online following…” - “Grandma’s Oxtail are the softest and most flavorful you will ever taste…” (from the embedded social caption) These are promotional or hyperbolic without specific metrics or comparative evidence.

3 suggestions

Replace vague or hyperbolic phrases with specific metrics, e.g., “Her videos have collectively received over [X] million views across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.”

Qualify subjective claims as opinions, e.g., change “Grandma’s Oxtail are the softest and most flavorful you will ever taste” to “The family describes Grandma’s oxtail as ‘the softest and most flavorful you will ever taste’.”

Avoid absolute superlatives unless backed by some form of external recognition (awards, rankings, etc.).

Sensationalism / Promotional tone

Using exaggerated or marketing-like language to make the subject seem more extraordinary than the evidence supports.

The article occasionally uses language that resembles promotional copy: - “taking TikTok, Instagram and YouTube by storm” suggests an exceptional level of fame without comparative context. - “social media sensation” is a strong label without numbers or external validation. - Embedded captions like “Grandma’s Oxtail are the softest and most flavorful you will ever taste, here’s how you can make it” are clearly promotional in tone. While common in lifestyle coverage, this slightly reduces strict objectivity.

3 suggestions

Tone down superlatives: change “taking TikTok, Instagram and YouTube by storm” to “gaining popularity on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.”

Change “social media sensation” to a more neutral phrase such as “popular social media figure” or “widely followed home cook on social media.”

Explicitly attribute promotional language to the family or to the channel, e.g., “In one video caption, the family describes her oxtail as ‘the softest and most flavorful you will ever taste’.”

Biased language (positive bias)

Using value-laden, flattering language that implicitly endorses the subject.

The article consistently frames Aileen and her family in a positive light, with no critical or neutral counterbalance: - “viral dishes and popular catchphrase” - “She’s like a celebrity because right now, taking her to the supermarket, people recognise her.” This is expected in a celebratory profile, but it is still a form of positive bias.

3 suggestions

Clarify that such descriptions are based on the family’s perception or anecdotal experiences, e.g., “Her daughter says, ‘She’s like a celebrity…’” (which is already partly done, but could be emphasized as subjective).

Add neutral context such as approximate follower counts or typical engagement to let readers judge the scale of her popularity themselves.

Avoid stacking multiple flattering descriptors in the reporter’s own voice; keep praise mostly within direct quotes from family members.