Passive voice weakens journalism by obscuring who did what. When officials say "mistakes were made" instead of "we made mistakes," they're deliberately hiding accountability. In journalism, where clarity matters, passive voice often serves to obscure rather than illuminate. Default to active voice to create direct, accountable prose.
How to Identify Passive Voice: The "By Zombies" Test
Add "by zombies" after the verb. If it makes grammatical sense, the sentence is passive:
Testing for Passive Voice
| Sentence | By Zombies Test | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| "The decision was made" | "The decision was made by zombies" ✓ | PASSIVE |
| "The mayor decided" | "The mayor decided by zombies" ✗ | ACTIVE |
| "Protesters were arrested" | "Protesters were arrested by zombies" ✓ | PASSIVE |
| "Police arrested protesters" | "Police arrested protesters by zombies" ✗ | ACTIVE |
| "Mistakes were made" | "Mistakes were made by zombies" ✓ | PASSIVE (and evasive) |
Why Passive Voice Weakens Journalism
Passive Voice Problems
| Problem | Passive Example | Active Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Hides accountability | "Mistakes were made in handling" | "Agency officials made mistakes" |
| Creates distance | "It was determined that violations occurred" | "Inspectors found violations" |
| Wastes words | "The proposal was rejected by the committee" (7 words) | "The committee rejected the proposal" (5 words) |
| Sounds bureaucratic | "Funding will be allocated" | "The council will allocate funding" |
How to Revise Passive to Active
3-step process:
- Find the hidden actor (who performed the action?)
- Make the actor the subject
- Use a strong action verb
Before/After Examples
| ❌ Passive | ✅ Active |
|---|---|
| "The budget was approved by council" | "Council approved the budget" |
| "Taxes will be raised to fund infrastructure" | "The council will raise taxes to fund infrastructure" |
| "The investigation was conducted over three months" | "Investigators spent three months examining records" |
| "The documents were leaked to media" | "Unknown sources leaked documents to media" (if actor unknown) |
When Passive Voice IS Appropriate
5 legitimate uses:
- Actor is unknown: "The store was robbed last night" (you don't know who yet)
- Actor is irrelevant: "The building was constructed in 1847" (builder's identity doesn't matter)
- Emphasizing recipient: "The senator was arrested today" (focus on senator, not agents)
- Maintaining sentence flow: "The bill proposes regulations. Violators would be fined." (keeps subject consistent)
- Quoting sources: If official says "Mistakes were made," you can quote it—but note the evasion
Technical Pattern to Spot
Passive = "to be" verb + past participle
- "To be" verbs: is, are, was, were, been, being, will be
- Past participles: usually end in -ed (approved, rejected, arrested) or irregular (made, found, seen)
- Example pattern: "was approved," "were arrested," "will be implemented"
Frequently Asked Questions About Passive Voice in News
What percentage of sentences should be active?
80-90% active is a good target. Reserve passive for the legitimate uses above. If you find yourself using passive voice frequently, you're probably obscuring actors who should be named.
How do I handle sources who speak in passive voice?
Quote accurately, but note evasion when relevant. If an official says "Mistakes were made," you can write: 'Mistakes were made,' the commissioner said, declining to specify who was responsible. The evasion itself can be newsworthy.
Is passive voice ever better than active?
Sometimes, for emphasis. "The president was shot" emphasizes what happened to the president. "An assassin shot the president" shifts focus to the shooter. Choose based on what matters most to the story.
Can AI help identify passive voice?
Yes, AI tools like River's Journalism Editor highlight passive constructions. It flags every passive sentence, suggests active alternatives, and notes when passive might be appropriate for legitimate reasons.
Passive voice obscures accountability—the opposite of what journalism should do. Use River's Journalism Editor to identify and fix weak constructions before publication.