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Brazil’s Amazon deforestation falls to lowest level since records began in 1988

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 5 outlets, mostly center (60%).

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

Aerial view of cleared land beside dense rainforest, with a red-and-white helicopter flying overhead.
Image via Al Jazeera EnglishHow images are chosenReport this image

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell to 3,335 square kilometres in the 12 months to July, the lowest level since records began in 1988, according to figures from Brazil’s space research agency, Inpe. The official figures show clearing about 42 percent below the year before, and the previous record low was 4,571 square kilometres in 2011-12. Deforestation had expanded under former president Jair Bolsonaro. The data were released days before a presidential run-off on 25 October between two candidates, and the drop is widely seen as a boost for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

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. Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell to 3,335 square kilometres in the 12 months to July, the lowest since records began in 1988, according to Inpe.

    Across the spectrumReported byLeft2Center2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian, Al Jazeera English
    Center
    Deutsche Welle, BBC News

  2. Clearing fell about 42 percent from the previous year, according to official figures.

    One outletAl Jazeera English· Left

  3. The previous record low was 4,571 square kilometres in 2011-12.

    One outletAl Jazeera English· Left

  4. Deforestation had expanded under former president Jair Bolsonaro before the drop.

    One outletBBC News· Center

  5. The figures came days before a presidential run-off on 25 October between two candidates.

    One side only: the leftReported byLeft2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian, Al Jazeera English

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that Amazon deforestation in the year to July fell to 3,335 square kilometres, the lowest since records began in 1988. Left-side coverage links the drop to Lula’s run-off campaign, while center outlets stress the record and the earlier expansion under Bolsonaro.

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Left headlines state the record low plainly, and the Guardian ties it to the looming vote, a link Al Jazeera makes in its description rather than its headline.

    Brazil’s Amazon deforestation hits lowest level on record
    Al Jazeera EnglishLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    3 outlets

    Center headlines lead with the record fall and the 1988 baseline, and the BBC pairs the drop with the coming election and the Bolsonaro-era expansion.

    Brazil sees record fall in Amazon deforestation as key election looms
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    No coverage yet

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

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.

Mantle found no loaded language in this coverage. Every headline and opening was checked against Mantle’s published word list, and Mantle’s AI read 4 of the 5 articles in context when it wrote the analysis. Straight reporting often has none.

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

  • record low since 1988
  • boost for Lula before the run-off
  • 42 percent drop in clearing
See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • Al Jazeera EnglishLeft

    Brazil’s Amazon deforestation hits lowest level on record

    Data show a 42 percent drop in forest clearance from a year earlier, giving Lula a boost before the election run-off.

    Read at Al Jazeera English (opens in a new tab)
  • The GuardianLeft

    Brazilian Amazon deforestation falls to lowest on record as pivotal vote looms

    Forest clearance lowest since records began in 1988 in success for Lula ahead of presidential run-off Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has fallen its lowest level since records began, new government data shows. …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)

From the center

3 outlets

Leads with

  • record fall in clearing
  • timing of the election
  • expansion under Bolsonaro
See the 3 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • France 24Center

    Brazil: Amazon deforestation at 40-year low

    In Brazil, deforestation in the Amazon has reached its lowest level in 40 years. President Lula is bolstering his environmental record just over a week before the second round of the presidential election, in which he faces Flávio Bolsonaro.

    Read at France 24 (opens in a new tab)
  • BBC NewsCenter

    Brazil sees record fall in Amazon deforestation as key election looms

    The Amazon rainforest is a crucial buffer against climate change - but deforestation had expanded under former president Jair Bolsonaro.

    Read at BBC News (opens in a new tab)
  • Deutsche WelleCenter

    Brazil: Amazon deforestation lowest in nearly 40 years

    The latest figures show that 3,335 square kilometers of the Amazon rainforest were cleared in the year ending in July, the lowest level since 1988. The drop has been described as an "historic achievement."

    Read at Deutsche Welle (opens in a new tab)

From the right

0 outlets

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

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

    The Guardian, Oct 16, 2:56 PM EDT

  • Center

    3 hr 33 min later

    Its first report, Oct 16, 6:30 PM EDT

  • Right

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The GuardianLeftOct 16, 2:56 PM EDT
  2. Deutsche WelleCenterOct 16, 6:30 PM EDT
  3. BBC NewsCenterOct 16, 10:33 PM EDT
  4. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 16, 10:49 PM EDT
  5. France 24CenterOct 17, 12:07 PM EDT

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

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