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Many feared trapped after a multistorey building collapses in Nairobi

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets across the spectrum.

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

Rescue workers in helmets and masks clear rubble from a collapsed multi-storey building.
Image via Al Jazeera EnglishHow images are chosenReport this image

A multistorey building under construction collapsed on Friday at about 1 p.m. local time on a busy commercial street in Nairobi's Eastleigh area, leaving a large mound of concrete and many people feared trapped, according to reports from Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, ABC News and the New York Post. Police chief Issa Mohamud said more than 10 upper floors were under construction. Officials told Al Jazeera the building had no occupation certificate, though its ground floor was in use. Rescue work was complicated when police fired tear gas to disperse people looting nearby shops, the New York Post and Deutsche Welle report.

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. A multistorey building collapsed in Nairobi, Kenya, and many people were feared trapped beneath the rubble.

    Reported byLeft2Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    ABC News, Al Jazeera English
    Center
    Deutsche Welle
    Right
    New York Post

  2. The building was under construction when it collapsed on Friday at about 1 p.m. local time on a busy commercial street in Eastleigh.

    Reported byLeft1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Right
    New York Post

  3. Police chief Issa Mohamud said more than 10 upper floors were under construction.

    Reported byLeft1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Right
    New York Post

  4. Officials said the building had no occupation certificate, though its ground floor was in use.

    One outletAl Jazeera English· Left

  5. Police fired tear gas at people looting neighbouring shops, complicating rescue operations.

    Reported byCenter1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    Deutsche Welle
    Right
    New York Post

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that a building collapsed in Nairobi with many people feared trapped. The main difference is emphasis: left coverage highlights the missing occupancy certificate, while the right-side AP report stresses the collapse's scale and police tear gas against looters.

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Left-side headlines report the collapse and the feared trapped in plain wording, and Al Jazeera's own piece puts the missing occupancy certificate first; the ABC News headline is an AP report it published.

    Many feared trapped after multistorey building collapses in Kenya
    Al Jazeera EnglishLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The center headline, from Deutsche Welle, gives a plain account of an unfinished building feared to have trapped people, and its description adds the rescue complications.

    Many feared trapped under collapsed building in Nairobi
    Deutsche WelleCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    The right-side coverage is an AP report published by the New York Post, whose headline repeats the wire wording and whose description adds the image of floors stacked like pancakes.

    Multi-story building collapses in Kenya, leaving many feared trapped under the rubble
    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.

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 all 5 articles in context. 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

  • people feared trapped
  • no occupation certificate
  • building under construction
  • Kenya's capital

Leaves out

  • police tear gas against looters

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

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • unfinished building under construction
  • people feared trapped
  • rescue complicated by looting

Leaves out

  • occupancy certificate status

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

See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • Deutsche WelleCenter

    Many feared trapped under collapsed building in Nairobi

    People are feared to be trapped after a large, unfinished building in Nairobi collapsed during construction. Rescue operations have proven complicated as police fired tear gas to disperse looters.

    Read at Deutsche Welle (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • scale of the collapse
  • floors stacked like pancakes
  • police tear gas against looters

Leaves out

  • officials statement on the missing occupancy certificate

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

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • New York PostRightAssociated Press report

    Multi-story building collapses in Kenya, leaving many feared trapped under the rubble

    Many people were feared trapped as a tall building collapsed in Kenya, leaving a huge mound of concrete and more than a dozen floors stacked like pancakes, with little space between them.

    Read at New York Post (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

    ABC News, Oct 23, 9:49 AM EDT

  • Center

    20 min later

    Its first report, Oct 23, 10:09 AM EDT

  • Right

    4 hr 53 min later

    Its first report, Oct 23, 2:42 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. ABC NewsLeftOct 23, 9:49 AM EDT
  2. Deutsche WelleCenterOct 23, 10:09 AM EDT
  3. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 23, 1:01 PM EDT
  4. New York PostRightOct 23, 2:42 PM EDT

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

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