U.S. NewsFeature13 hr ago

Alligator wanders into North Carolina bagel shop, frightening employees

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets, mostly right-leaning (67%).

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

A 3-foot alligator entered the Bagel Dock Express shop in Southport, North Carolina, through a back door last Thursday, according to surveillance footage the business shared. The video shows the reptile moving through a storeroom and kitchen into the front dining area, where it waited near the display fridges. Owner Jesse Driscoll spotted it and jumped back in fright, and employees were startled. Driscoll told WWAY News the shop was closed at the time, so no customers were present. Southport police and Animal Protective Services removed the alligator. The owner posted the video online, and the police department joked about the visit on social media.

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

New to Mantle? It shows who is covering each story across the political spectrum, and highlights loaded words. How to read a storyHide the guide

The coverage spectrum counts the outlets covering a story at each of five points. A short or missing segment means that part of the spectrum is mostly quiet.

Governor Loaded verb“slams”It adds drama to what was said. The governor criticized the lawmakers; “slams” makes it sound like a fight.More neutral: criticizes lawmakers over budget delay

Highlights mark words that carry a judgement. Tap one to see why, and what a neutral writer would say. Here it is “criticizes”.

The 5-point spectrum

Far Left
Voices that strongly advocate for progressive policies and systemic change.
Left
Mainstream liberal perspectives focusing on social equality and regulation.
Center
Sources that prioritize neutral reporting and balanced viewpoints.
Right
Mainstream conservative perspectives focusing on market freedom and tradition.
Far Right
Voices that strongly advocate for conservative values and limited government.

How we measure bias

What happened

Key points

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

An alligator entered Bagel Dock Express, a bagel shop in Southport, North Carolina, through its back area and walked into the front dining room.
Reported byLeft1Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
Left
The Guardian
Right
Daily Mail, New York Post
The alligator was about 3 feet long.
One side only: the rightReported byRight2See the outletsHide the outlets
Right
Daily Mail, New York Post
According to owner Jesse Driscoll, the shop was closed at the time, so no customers were present.
One outletDaily Mail· Right
Employees were frightened, and Driscoll jumped back when he saw the alligator.
Reported byLeft1Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
Left
The Guardian
Right
Daily Mail, New York Post
Southport police and Animal Protective Services removed the alligator.
One side only: the rightReported byRight2See the outletsHide the outlets
Right
Daily Mail, New York Post
Surveillance video of the alligator’s route through the shop was shared by the business.
Reported byLeft1Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
Left
The Guardian
Right
Daily Mail, New York Post

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three outlets report that an alligator entered a North Carolina bagel shop last week. The right-side outlets lead with the employees’ fright and dramatic wording, while the Guardian’s headline describes the animal’s movement in plain terms.

the left
1 outlet
The Guardian’s headline describes the alligator’s movement in plain, descriptive terms and does not dwell on the employees’ reaction.
Alligator strolls into bagel shop in North Carolina – video
The GuardianLeftAll left-leaning headlines
the center
No coverage yet
No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
the right
2 outlets
Both right-side headlines lead with the employees’ fright, using “scream with fright” and “terrorizing employees” to make the reaction the story.
Alligator casually strolls into bagel shop, Sensational language“terrorizing employees”Terrorizing overstates a startled reaction to an animal that was not aggressive in the reported footage.More neutral: frightening employeesDisagree with this highlight?: ‘Never in a million years’
New York PostRightAll 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.
Center
Has not covered this story.
Right4
into a hysteriabagel store invasionterrorizing employeespredatory visitor

In the outlets’ own words

Sensational language
into a hysteriaMore neutral: alarmed
Hysteria describes an extreme emotional state that the reporting does not establish.
…into a North Carolina bagel shop last week — sending its panicked employees into a hysteria.
Used byNew York Post (Right)
Sensational language
bagel store invasionMore neutral: visit
Invasion frames an animal wandering into a shop as a military-style attack.
Surveillance footage captured the petite alligator’s entire bagel store invasion — from making its way through the back stock room and into the kitchen before…
Used byNew York Post (Right)
Sensational language
terrorizing employeesMore neutral: frightening employees
Terrorizing overstates a startled reaction to an animal that was not aggressive in the reported footage.
Alligator casually strolls into bagel shop, terrorizing employees: ‘Never in a million years’
Used byNew York Post (Right)
Sensational language
predatory visitorMore neutral: alligator
Calling the alligator a predatory visitor adds menace to an animal that walked through a shop, which the facts do not require.
The predatory visitor entered the shop from the back door and made its way through the kitchen and…
Used byDaily Mail (Right)

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

1 outlet

Leads with

the alligator’s movement through the shop
the surveillance video
employees being scared

Leaves out

the shop was closed with no customers present
removal by police and Animal Protective Services

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

See the headline from the leftHide the headlines

The GuardianLeft
‘Never in a million years’: alligator strolls into North Carolina bagel shop
3ft-long reptile was looking for a meal before animal protective services safely removed it from establishment Surveillance cameras installed in a North Carolina bagel shop caught a small alligator purposefully strolling though the back door, through the stockroom and to the …
1 hr agoRead at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)
1 more from The Guardian
- Alligator strolls into bagel shop in North Carolina – video

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

2 outlets

Leads with

employees’ fright and panic
the alligator’s route through the shop
the owner’s reaction

See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

Daily MailRight
Bagel shop employees scream with fright as alligator struts through a door
The Sensational language“predatory visitor”Calling the alligator a predatory visitor adds menace to an animal that walked through a shop, which the facts do not require.More neutral: alligatorDisagree with this highlight? entered the shop from the back door and made its way through the kitchen and then entered an empty dining area.
1 hr agoRead at Daily Mail (opens in a new tab)
New York PostRight
Alligator casually strolls into bagel shop, Sensational language“terrorizing employees”Terrorizing overstates a startled reaction to an animal that was not aggressive in the reported footage.More neutral: frightening employeesDisagree with this highlight?: ‘Never in a million years’
Bagel Dock Express joked on social media that “Apparently, word of our fresh bagels has made its way into the swamp!”
13 hr agoRead at New York Post (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, 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
11 hr later
Its first report, Nov 4, 10:41 AM EST
Center
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
Right
First to report
New York Post, Nov 3, 11:41 PM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order

New York PostRightNov 3, 11:41 PM EST
The GuardianLeftNov 4, 10:41 AM EST
Daily MailRightNov 4, 11:20 AM EST

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

Alligator wanders into North Carolina bagel shop, frightening employees

Coverage spectrum

Key points

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

‘Never in a million years’: alligator strolls into North Carolina bagel shop

From the center

From the right

Bagel shop employees scream with fright as alligator struts through a door

Alligator casually strolls into bagel shop, Sensational language“terrorizing employees”Terrorizing overstates a startled reaction to an animal that was not aggressive in the reported footage.More neutral: frightening employeesDisagree with this highlight?: ‘Never in a million years’

How the coverage built up

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