2026 Iran-Gulf Crisis Tracker
CC

Propaganda & information warfare

How headlines shape blame

A headline is a piece of editorial machinery designed to fit a story into seven words. The seven-word version always loses something — and what it loses is usually consistent across an outlet.

The subject of the verb

"Strike kills 20" obscures the actor. "Country X strikes country Y, killing 20" names them. "Country Y suffers strike, 20 dead" rotates the subject. The same event, three different framings, three different inferred blame patterns.

Passive voice

"Twenty killed in strike" is passive. It avoids naming the actor. Persistent passive voice across a body of coverage is a strong framing signal.

Modifier discipline

"Alleged", "reported", "confirmed" do different work. An outlet that uses "alleged" for one side's claims and "confirmed" for the other side's — without a difference in evidence — is making an editorial choice, not a factual one.

Related glossary terms

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