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South Africa: Body of 11th woman found near Johannesburg amid string of killings

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 5 outlets across the spectrum.

7 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

South African police said an 11th woman’s body was discovered in an open field in the Ekurhuleni municipality, east of Johannesburg, adding to a series of deaths of women in the area since mid-July. Police have not confirmed that the killings are linked or that a single perpetrator is responsible. Separately, police reported the shooting death of 23-year-old Boitumelo Gift Mashita, whom they suspect was killed by her estranged husband, later found dead in his vehicle; police say this case is not linked to the other discoveries. President Cyril Ramaphosa called the killings a “stain on our national conscience.” South Africa recorded 569 women killed between April and June, according to the South African Human Rights Commission.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. The body of an 11th woman was found in an open field in the Ekurhuleni municipality east of Johannesburg.

    Reported byLeftRight

  2. Police have not found conclusive evidence linking all the deaths to a single perpetrator.

    Reported byLeftCenter

  3. A 23-year-old woman, Boitumelo Gift Mashita, was shot and killed separately on her way to work; police suspect her estranged husband, who was later found dead in his vehicle.

    Reported byCenter

  4. President Cyril Ramaphosa described the killings as a “stain on our national conscience.”

    Reported byCenter

  5. The South African Human Rights Commission reported 569 women were killed nationwide between April and June this year.

    Reported byCenter

  6. Police offered a reward of $25,000 for information leading to an arrest.

    Reported byCenter

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • Whether the killings of the women found near Ekurhuleni are the work of a single perpetrator.

    Some earlier coverage raised fears of a serial killer, but police, as cited across outlets, say they have not found conclusive evidence linking all the cases, and BBC reports police explicitly ruled out a link between the Mashita killing and the other discoveries.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Al Jazeera’s headline simply updates the body count to 11 without added interpretation, mirroring its earlier coverage of the case.

    South African police discover body of 11th woman near Johannesburg
    Al Jazeera EnglishLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    2 outlets

    BBC’s headline moves to a higher total of twelve and frames the story as an ongoing explainer, while incorporating a separate, seemingly unrelated killing to illustrate broader violence against women.

    Twelve women have been killed in one part of South Africa since July. Here's what we know so far
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    The Washington Times republishes an Associated Press wire report with a factual, unembellished headline focused solely on the body count.

    11th woman's body in South Africa as authorities investigate recent spate of killings
    The Washington TimesRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

Words quoted from someone else (1)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    stain on our national conscienceMore neutral: a serious national problem

    A dramatic characterization of the killings that goes beyond a factual description, though it is attributed to the president.

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says the murders are a "stain on our national conscience".

    Quoted byBBC News (Center)

    Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

2 outlets

Leads with

  • running tally of bodies found
  • South Africa’s high femicide rate
  • police investigation details

Leaves out

  • Ramaphosa’s comments
  • the separate Mashita case
  • national femicide statistics

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

2 outlets

Leads with

  • national statistics on femicide
  • presidential response
  • distinguishing linked and unlinked cases
See the 2 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • basic facts of the discovery
  • location and total number of victims

Leaves out

  • Ramaphosa’s comments
  • national femicide statistics
  • the Mashita case

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Washington TimesRightAssociated Press report

    11th woman's body in South Africa as authorities investigate recent spate of killings

    South African police said Monday that another body of a woman was discovered in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, bringing the total number of female victims recently found in the area to 11.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    CBS News, Sep 26, 12:36 PM EDT

  • Center

    1 hr 53 min later

    Its first report, Sep 26, 2:30 PM EDT

  • Right

    1 day 19 hr later

    Its first report, Sep 28, 8:24 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. CBS NewsLeftSep 26, 12:36 PM EDT
  2. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftSep 26, 2:08 PM EDT
  3. BBC NewsCenterSep 26, 2:30 PM EDT
  4. France 24CenterSep 27, 9:51 AM EDT
  5. The Washington TimesRightSep 28, 8:24 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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