Man denied bail in WhatsApp malicious communication case. 

Detected Manipulations & Suggested Changes

Unbalanced reporting

Giving more detail or emphasis to one side’s claims or evidence than to the other side’s position or context.

The article provides detailed, graphic quotations of the alleged WhatsApp threats and explains the Crown’s reasoning for opposing bail (fear of interference, complainants still living in fear). The defence side is limited to a brief mention that the accused has been in custody for eight months, cares for his 72-year-old mother, and that measures could be put in place to protect complainants. There is no detail on whether the defence contests authorship of the messages, the strength of the evidence, or any other legal arguments beyond relocation. This creates a subtle tilt toward the prosecution narrative, even though the tone remains largely neutral.

4 suggestions

Add more detail on the defence’s legal arguments, if any were made, beyond relocation and personal circumstances. For example: ‘The defence also questioned [or did not question] the authenticity of the messages and argued that…’

Clarify whether the accused disputes sending the messages or accepts that he sent them, if that was stated in court. For example: ‘Hosang has denied sending the messages’ or ‘Hosang did not dispute that the messages were sent from his phone.’

Include any comments from the defence regarding the risk of interference with complainants, if presented, to parallel the Crown’s stated concerns.

Explicitly note that the case is ongoing and that the allegations have not yet been proven in court, to reinforce the presumption of innocence.

Appeal to emotion

Using emotionally charged content or vivid detail that can strongly influence readers’ feelings, potentially overshadowing neutral assessment.

The article reproduces highly graphic and disturbing alleged messages: ‘Just be prepared for your daughter to be slaughtered, I swear.’; ‘Your daughter will be murdered and you f****** deserve it.’; ‘I am enjoying knowing your kid is gonna get killed and you’re just waiting in fear.’ These are central to the case and newsworthy, but their repetition without any balancing reminder that they are allegations can strongly prime readers emotionally against the accused.

3 suggestions

Precede or follow the quoted messages with a clear reminder that they are alleged communications forming part of the prosecution’s case, e.g. ‘According to the Crown, the following messages were allegedly sent by Hosang…’

Limit the number of direct quotes to those strictly necessary to convey the nature of the charge, summarising the rest in neutral language (e.g. ‘The Crown alleged that several other messages contained explicit death threats against the complainants’ daughter.’).

Add a brief line reinforcing the legal status of the case, such as: ‘Hosang has not yet been tried and is presumed innocent of the charges.’

Framing effect

Presenting information in a way that influences interpretation by emphasizing certain aspects over others.

The headline and lead focus on ‘Man denied bail in WhatsApp malicious communication case’ and immediately highlight that the accused ‘allegedly sent threats that he had put a “hit” on his landlord’s daughter.’ The frame is centred on the severity of the threats and the denial of bail, with less framing around legal standards for bail, presumption of innocence, or the broader context of malicious communication cases.

3 suggestions

Slightly reframe the headline to emphasise the procedural nature, e.g. ‘Court denies bail to man accused in WhatsApp malicious communication case’ (adding ‘accused’ to keep the presumption of innocence salient).

Include one sentence explaining that bail decisions weigh risk of interference and public safety against the right to liberty, to provide legal context rather than only the shocking content of the messages.

Add a closing line noting that the matter is set for further mention on March 26 and that no trial date has yet been set, reinforcing that this is an interim procedural step.