“…In reporting of negative events, the use of active rather than passive voice makes an agent mentioned in the story more likely to be regarded as deserving blame for causing that event (Fannes & Claeys, 2022; Knobloch-Westerwick & Taylor, 2008). Previous research focusing specifically on the language of judgement and blame suggests that distinct strategies can be identified on the basis of how negative evaluation is expressed linguistically (Hansson et al, 2022). It has highlighted two key aspects of interest: where blame is directed, whether it focuses on a person’s character, actions, or the outcomes of their actions, and why blame is assigned, whether it is due to perceived incompetence or a breach of integrity.…”