Repetition

Restating a claim often enough that familiarity substitutes for support.

What we have recorded

Instances recorded390
Articles containing it354
Share of all recorded techniques0.8%
Average manipulation score where present58.0 (corpus average 45.9)

Outlets where we have recorded it most

Counts reflect the articles we have analyzed, which are not a representative sample of any outlet's output.

Recent examples

theintercept.com
"It relies heavily on New York Post reporting because the New York Post is exactly what Weiss wants CBS News to look like in the near future: lurid incitement mixed with shoddy sourcing and anti-Palestinian racism."

Repeats the phrase 'New York Post' and its characterization verbatim from earlier in the article, reinforcing the negative association through repetition to strengthen the persuasive impact.

Bari Weiss’s “60 Minutes” Hires Producer Who Downplayed Gaza Starvation, Justified Killing Journalists
english.news.cn
"offered a systematic review of the SCO's pioneering achievements and historic accomplishments over the past 25 years since its founding, an in-depth analysis of the broad opportunities for cooperation within the organization in the current international situation, and a comprehensive presentation of…"

The same sentence is repeated nearly verbatim three times across the article, reinforcing the message about the SCO’s importance and achievements through sheer repetition, which amplifies its perceived validity without adding new information.

SCO sees new opportunities in evolving global landscape: Xinhua think tank report
english.news.cn
"China is increasingly making innovation a global public good rather than an exclusive privilege."

The phrase 'rather than' is used repeatedly throughout the article (e.g., 'rather than deepen inequality,' 'rather than confrontation') to contrast China’s alleged virtues with implied negative alternatives. This structural repetition reinforces a favorable image of China through contrast, making the framing seem more natural and accepted over time.

Xinhua Commentary: China's rising global favorability reflects the appeal of cooperation and openness
kyivindependent.com
"long-range sanctions"

The phrase 'long-range sanctions' is repeated multiple times—first introduced by Zelensky and then reiterated by the article in descriptions of the strike campaign. This repetition reinforces the framing of military actions as economic measures, increasing familiarity and acceptance of the term despite its deviation from conventional usage. The repetition serves a persuasive function by normalizing a non-standard descriptor.

Ukraine hits one of Russia's largest Lukoil-owned oil refineries, General Staff confirms
breitbart.com
"illegal alien"

The term 'illegal alien' is repeated throughout the article—applied uniformly even when 'non-citizen,' 'undocumented migrant,' or 'foreign national' would suffice—reinforcing the legal and moral transgression of the individuals involved. This repetition conditions the reader to associate the individuals with criminality and illegitimacy.

EXCLUSIVE: Biden-Released Mexican Homicide Fugitive Deported by ICE to Mexico, 2nd Murder Fugitive Also
globaltimes.cn
"China Opportunity 2.0"

Repeats the phrase 'China Opportunity 2.0' multiple times throughout the article to reinforce a positive framing and increase its perceived credibility through frequency.

‘China Shock 2.0’ is a misleading narrative; ‘China Opportunity 2.0’ represents consensus: People’s Daily
foxnews.com
"UFO WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS BILLIONS IN SECRET SPENDING HIDDEN FROM CONGRESS"

The headline and the subsequent repetition of claims about 'billions' in secret spending and 'slush funds' serve to reinforce a narrative of government concealment and financial impropriety. The repetition of these financial allegations, even while noting Pentagon denial, increases their perceived validity through rhetorical emphasis.

Long-hidden UFO information at center of Trump push to free former officials
jpost.com
"The Mossad and the Shin Bet said that negligence by various officials in the chain of terror has time after time helped them and international partners to uncover Iran’s fingerprints in the network, despite Tehran’s efforts to distance itself."

The phrase 'time after time' emphasizes recurrence without quantification or evidence of frequency, serving to reinforce the idea of persistent Iranian involvement through repetition of the narrative of exposure. This technique makes the claim feel more established and credible through iterative suggestion, even if each instance is not independently detailed.

Mossad foils Iranian plot to infiltrate terror cell into Israel, target senior officials

Other Manipulative Wording techniques

Check an article for repetition and 22 other techniques.

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