{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.027992277992277992, 'fraction_numerical': 0.006274131274131274, 'mean_word_length': 5.437888198757764, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Media transparency and evidence‐based framing: reply to Kusmanoff

We appreciate the thoughtful perspective shared by Kusmanoff (2020) and are glad that our article is stimulating further discussion on the important topic of framing. We agree with the overarching points that Kusmanoff raises in his letter, although we differ in how they specifically relate to The Guardian’s choices to update their style guide. Although we recognized, like Kusmanoff, that The Guardian should be applauded for their (in our words) “admirable intention to cultivate awareness and action” on important environmental issues, we also highlighted an incongruence between their style updates and stated reasoning—namely to be “scientifically precise” and to “more accurately describe the environmental crises” (Carrington 2019). Therein lies our main criticism. The new terminology is no more scientifically precise, factual, or accurate than phrases used previously. Consequently, we suggested that the shift was more likely motivated by a desire to frame the topic so as to, as Kusmanoff wrote, “increase the salience...among their readers” and “heighten awareness and promote the urgent need to take action.” Rather than criticize the practice of strategic framing, we expressed our opinion that The Guardian should have been explicit in this regard and used empirical evidence to inform their word choices. At a time when both science and journalism are politicized, scrutinized, and criticized for being biased and agenda-driven, transparency and clarity are more important than ever. Public trust in media, in particular, has been declining over the past 3 decades (Schriffrin 2019). Digital platforms, user-generated content, and fake news have further strained perceptions of journalistic accuracy and integrity by blurring lines between professional journalists and alternative news and by increasing reporting error rates. Transparency is a bedrock of the trust that media outlets try to cultivate and maintain. Fortunately, in a time of shrinking human and fiscal resources, trans-