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Chick-fil-A CEO discusses company's LGBTQ stance in NBC's Today interview

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Coverage spectrum

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

6 articles in total, 3 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Chick-fil-A restaurant exterior with cow logo sign and drive-thru signage
Image via The Washington TimesHow images are chosenReport this image

Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy was interviewed on NBC's Today about the company's stance on LGBTQ rights, and host Craig Melvin asked him about the chain's past support for traditional marriage, according to the Western Journal. The Washington Times reports that Cathy repeatedly declined to say where the company stands, while the New York Post reports that he said the company is focused on hospitality, great-tasting food and great service. The Washington Times says celebrities including Katie Couric and Valerie Bertinelli criticized his remarks, and HuffPost reports backlash from LGBTQ+ rights advocates as well. Accounts differ on whether his answers were evasive.

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. Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy was interviewed on NBC's Today about the company's stance on LGBTQ rights.

    Reported byFar Left1Right2Far Right3See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost
    Right
    The Washington Times, New York Post
    Far Right
    The Western Journal, The Federalist, Townhall

  2. Cathy said the company is focused on hospitality, great-tasting food and great service.

    One outletNew York Post· Right

  3. Cathy repeatedly declined to say where the company stands on LGBTQ rights, one account reports.

    One outletThe Washington Times· Right

  4. Host Craig Melvin asked Cathy about the company's past support for traditional marriage.

    One side only: the rightReported byFar Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Right
    The Western Journal, Townhall

  5. Celebrities including Katie Couric and Valerie Bertinelli criticized Cathy's remarks.

    Reported byFar Left1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost
    Right
    The Washington Times

  6. LGBTQ+ rights advocates also criticized the remarks, one left-side report says.

    One outletHuffPost· Far Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • Cathy's answers on the company's LGBTQ stance were evasive or a refusal to say where the company stands.

    The Washington Times says he repeatedly declined to say where the company stands, and HuffPost calls his take evasive. The New York Post reports that he affirmed the company is focused on hospitality, great-tasting food and great service.

  • NBC's questioning of Cathy amounted to harassment or bullying.

    Townhall says NBC harassed the company over its marriage stance, and the Western Journal says the host tried to bully him. The Washington Times instead describes the interview as a case of celebrities piling on criticism of the CEO's answers.

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that Cathy was interviewed on NBC's Today about the company's LGBTQ stance and drew celebrity criticism. Several right-side headlines cast the host's questions as harassment or bullying and the CEO as steadfast; the left's one report calls his answers evasive.

  • the left

    1 outlet

    HuffPost frames the interview as a backlash over the CEO's evasive take on the company's LGBTQ+ stance; the left's coverage in this input is that single report.

    Chick-Fil-A CEO Hit With Backlash Over Evasive Take On Company’s LGBTQ+ Rights Stance
    HuffPostFar LeftAll 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 · 3 opinion

    Several right-side headlines cast the host's questions as harassment or bullying and the CEO as steadfast; the far-right outlets go furthest, while the Washington Times and New York Post report the exchange more neutrally.

    Chick-fil-A CEO Loaded verb“sidesteps”The verb suggests deliberate evasion, which the reported facts do not establish.More neutral: does not directly answerDisagree with this highlight? LGBTQ rights question on 'Today' as celebrities pile on
    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.

  • Left2

    unfortunate throwbackcorporate platitudes

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right8

    sidestepsTries to Bully Himsurgical neo-vaginasstormed out

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    sidestepsMore neutral: does not directly answer

    The verb suggests deliberate evasion, which the reported facts do not establish.

    Chick-fil-A CEO sidesteps LGBTQ rights question on 'Today' as celebrities pile on

    Used byThe Washington Times (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    Tries to Bully HimMore neutral: presses him with questions about

    Calling the host's questions bullying is a judgement about his conduct rather than a description of the exchange.

    Watch: Chick-Fil-A CEO Doesn't Fold When NBC Interviewer Tries to Bully Him Into Renouncing Christian Convictions

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    unfortunate throwbackMore neutral: a response that echoes past controversies

    The phrase passes judgement on the CEO's remarks and the company's past without stating a fact.

    In what can only be described as an unfortunate throwback, Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy drew criticism this week after responding to a…

    Used byHuffPost (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    corporate platitudesMore neutral: general statements

    The term dismisses the CEO's answer as empty before the reader sees it.

    …responding to a question about his company’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights with corporate platitudes.

    Used byHuffPost (Far Left)

Show 6 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    surgical neo-vaginasMore neutral: gender-affirming surgery

    A graphic phrase used to ridicule a contested medical treatment for minors rather than to describe it.

    …but the Burger King cashier wouldn’t affirm her commitment to providing surgical neo-vaginas to adolescents with public funding, so I stormed out in a rage.

    Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    stormed outMore neutral: left or walked out

    Attributes anger.

    …to providing surgical neo-vaginas to adolescents with public funding, so I stormed out in a rage.

    Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

  • Delegitimizing label

    CommissarsMore neutral: Today Show hosts

    Compares the interviewer to officials of a totalitarian state, which is a judgement rather than a description of the interview.

    Today Show Commissars Interrogate Chicken Sandwich Boss About Gay And Trans Stuff

    Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    InterrogateMore neutral: question

    Describes a routine television interview as an interrogation, adding hostility the facts do not state.

    Today Show Commissars Interrogate Chicken Sandwich Boss About Gay And Trans Stuff

    Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    irritatedMore neutral: pressed the company again over

    The word asserts NBC's mood without any evidence in the text.

    NBC seemed irritated again that Chick-fil-A still maintains its view on traditional marriage.

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    HarassesMore neutral: questions

    The verb asserts a motive and conduct for NBC that the headline does not support with the interview's content.

    NBC Harasses Chick-Fil-A Over Marriage Stance

    Used byTownhall (Far 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 CEO's evasive answers
  • backlash from celebrities and advocates
  • the company's LGBTQ+ stance

Leaves out

  • the CEO's remark that the company is focused on hospitality
  • the host's questions about the chain's past marriage stance

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

See the headline from the leftHide the headlines
  • HuffPostFar Left

    Chick-Fil-A CEO Hit With Backlash Over Evasive Take On Company’s LGBTQ+ Rights Stance

    Andrew Cathy’s recent remarks drew a flurry of backlash from celebrities and LGBTQ+ rights advocates.

    Read at HuffPost (opens in a new tab)

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 · 3 opinion

Leads with

  • the host's repeated questions on traditional marriage
  • the CEO holding to the chain's traditional marriage views
  • celebrity criticism

Leaves out

  • LGBTQ+ advocates' backlash, reported by HuffPost

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

See the 5 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • New York PostRightFox Business report

    Chick-fil-A CEO pressed on LGBTQ stance, affirms fast-food chain is focused on ‘hospitality’ for all customers

    "We're focused on hospitality, serving great-tasting food and great service," Andrew Cathy said.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington TimesRight

    Chick-fil-A CEO Loaded verb“sidesteps”The verb suggests deliberate evasion, which the reported facts do not establish.More neutral: does not directly answerDisagree with this highlight? LGBTQ rights question on 'Today' as celebrities pile on

    Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy repeatedly declined to say where the company stands on LGBTQ rights during a Wednesday interview on NBC's "Today," drawing criticism from celebrities including Katie Couric and Valerie Bertinelli.

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

    NBC Loaded verb“Harasses”The verb asserts a motive and conduct for NBC that the headline does not support with the interview's content.More neutral: questionsDisagree with this highlight? Chick-Fil-A Over Marriage Stance

    Did I step into a time machine here? NBC seemed Loaded verb“irritated”The word asserts NBC's mood without any evidence in the text.More neutral: pressed the company again overDisagree with this highlight? again that Chick-fil-A still maintains its view on traditional marriage. It’s a faith-based business; closed on Sundays. That’s the Cathy family way. This isn’t new. …

    Read at Townhall (opens in a new tab)
  • The FederalistFar RightOpinion

    Today Show Delegitimizing label“Commissars”Compares the interviewer to officials of a totalitarian state, which is a judgement rather than a description of the interview.More neutral: Today Show hostsDisagree with this highlight? Loaded verb“Interrogate”Describes a routine television interview as an interrogation, adding hostility the facts do not state.More neutral: questionDisagree with this highlight? Chicken Sandwich Boss About Gay And Trans Stuff

    How does a bag of sandwiches 'stand with' lesbians, say for example?

    Read at The Federalist (opens in a new tab)
  • The Western JournalFar RightOpinion

    Watch: Chick-Fil-A CEO Doesn't Fold When NBC Interviewer Loaded verb“Tries to Bully Him”Calling the host's questions bullying is a judgement about his conduct rather than a description of the exchange.More neutral: presses him with questions aboutDisagree with this highlight? Into Renouncing Christian Convictions

    NBC “Today” host Craig Melvin took three passes at getting Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy to recant the company’s past support for traditional marriage, but the business leader didn’t take the

    Read at The Western Journal (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

    2 hr 18 min later

    Its first report, Oct 14, 6:22 PM EDT

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    First to report

    The Washington Times, Oct 14, 4:04 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The Washington TimesRightOct 14, 4:04 PM EDT
  2. HuffPostFar LeftOct 14, 6:22 PM EDT
  3. New York PostRightOct 15, 5:40 AM EDT

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

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