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Coast Guard searches for 11 missing after boat capsizes off Baja California

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 9 outlets. No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered it yet.

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

U.S. Coast Guard orange-and-white helicopter on tarmac with uniformed officer standing nearby
Image via The Washington TimesHow images are chosenReport this image

A boat capsized on Friday about 140 miles west of Ensenada, Mexico, outside US waters, according to the US Coast Guard. Sixteen people were rescued and 11 remain missing. Survivors told officials that 27 people were aboard. The Coast Guard said several rescued people had injuries consistent with shark bites and received first aid while being taken to San Diego. US and Mexican forces were searching the area on Saturday with additional aircraft. Coverage differs on how the survivors’ injuries should be described and on whether the search is still active, since one outlet reports it has been suspended.

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 boat capsized off Baja California on Friday; 16 people were rescued and 11 remain missing.

    Across the spectrumReported byFar Left1Left3Right3Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Left
    The New York Times, Al Jazeera English, ABC News
    Right
    The Washington Times, New York Post, Daily Mail
    Far Right
    The Epoch Times

  2. The US Coast Guard said several rescued people had injuries consistent with shark bites.

    Across the spectrumReported byFar Left1Left2Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Left
    Al Jazeera English, The New York Times
    Right
    New York Post, Daily Mail

  3. Survivors told officials there were 27 people on board.

    Across the spectrumReported byFar Left1Left2Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Left
    The New York Times, Al Jazeera English
    Right
    New York Post

  4. The Coast Guard said the capsizing happened about 140 miles west of Ensenada, outside US waters.

    Reported byFar Left1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Right
    New York Post

  5. The Coast Guard said the area is frequented by smugglers, and suggested the vessel may have been involved in smuggling.

    Reported byFar Left1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Right
    New York Post
Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. A Coast Guard spokesperson said the agency launched its assets because it was able to help.

    One outletNew York Post· Right

  2. Daily Mail reported that the Coast Guard had suspended its search for the 11 missing people.

    One outletDaily Mail· Right

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • Survivors were attacked by sharks.

    The Coast Guard described injuries consistent with shark bites, and NY Post and Daily Beast headlines say survivors were attacked by sharks. The Daily Mail says the missing are feared to have been eaten by sharks, which other supplied coverage does not state.

  • The Coast Guard has suspended its search for the 11 missing people.

    The Daily Mail reports the search was suspended. Al Jazeera, the New York Times and the NY Post report that the search continued, though on different days.

  • The boat was involved in smuggling.

    The Coast Guard said the area is frequented by smugglers and suggested the vessel may have been involved in a smuggling operation, as reported by the NY Post and the Daily Beast. Al Jazeera’s supplied coverage does not mention smuggling.

How each side tells it

Compare views

Outlets on both sides report that a boat capsized off Baja California, 16 people were rescued, 11 remain missing, and several survivors had injuries consistent with shark bites. Left headlines centre the search and the missing, while right headlines centre the sharks and the smuggling link.

  • the left

    4 outlets

    Left headlines lead with the ongoing search and the 11 people still missing, while the Daily Beast headline puts the shark attacks first.

    Search Continues for 11 Passengers From Capsized Boat Off Mexico Coast
    The New York TimesLeftAll 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

    5 outlets

    Right headlines lead with shark bites and the migrant smuggling link, and the Daily Mail headline says the missing are feared to have been eaten by sharks.

    Sensational language“Gruesome shark attack details”The word Gruesome adds emotional drama beyond the reported injuries.More neutral: Shark bite injuries reportedDisagree with this highlight? emerge after failed migrant smuggling attempt in California Coast
    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.

  • Left1

    Attacked by Sharks

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right8

    franticplungesurvivors attacked by sharkshorrific injuries

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    franticMore neutral: urgent

    Frantic describes the mood of the rescue effort, which the sources do not describe beyond a search-and-rescue operation.

    The Coast Guard launched a frantic search-and-rescue mission after more than two dozen people linked to a suspected…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)RedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    plungeMore neutral: fall into

    Plunge dramatizes how the people entered the water when the facts only say they ended up there.

    27 people in suspected human smuggling attempt plunge into ocean off California, sparking Coast Guard rescue

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Sensational language

    survivors attacked by sharksMore neutral: survivors with suspected shark bite injuries

    The Coast Guard described injuries consistent with suspected shark bites, and the headline states as fact that survivors were attacked.

    Search continues after boat capsizes off Baja California coast —survivors attacked by sharks

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    Attacked by SharksMore neutral: Survivors of Boat Capsize Treated for Suspected Shark Bites

    The headline states as established fact an attack that the Coast Guard describes only as suspected shark bites.

    Survivors of Boat Capsize Attacked by Sharks

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

Show 5 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    horrific injuriesMore neutral: injuries

    The adjective adds drama beyond the reported fact that survivors had injuries consistent with shark bites.

    …sparking fears for their fate after survivors were reportedly found with horrific injuries consistent with shark bites.

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Sensational language

    eaten by sharksMore neutral: feared dead after the capsize

    The headline presents the fate of the missing as close to established, though the article itself says no official has confirmed that sharks killed anyone.

    …still missing after boat capsized off coast of Mexico now feared to have been eaten by sharks

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Sensational language

    ended in terrorMore neutral: ended with survivors in the water

    The phrase adds an emotional verdict on the event that the reported facts do not state.

    …were revealed after a failed migrant smuggling attempt off the California coast ended in terror.

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Sensational language

    fought off sharksMore neutral: were in the water with sharks nearby

    The phrase describes a fight with sharks in the outlet’s own voice, while officials reported only injuries consistent with shark bites.

    …rescued after a boat capsized off the California coast early Friday morning fought off sharks in open waters and many were bitten.

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Sensational language

    Gruesome shark attack detailsMore neutral: Shark bite injuries reported

    The word Gruesome adds emotional drama beyond the reported injuries.

    Gruesome shark attack details emerge after failed migrant smuggling attempt in California Coast

    Used byNew York Post (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

4 outlets

Leads with

  • the ongoing search
  • 11 people still missing
  • 16 people rescued
See the 4 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

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

5 outlets

Leads with

  • shark bites
  • migrant smuggling
  • missing feared dead
See the 6 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

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 21 min later

    Its first report, Oct 16, 1:21 PM EDT

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    First to report

    New York Post, Oct 16, 11:00 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. New York PostRightOct 16, 11:00 AM EDT
  2. RedStateFar RightOct 16, 12:55 PM EDT
  3. The New York TimesLeftOct 16, 1:21 PM EDT
  4. The Washington TimesRightOct 16, 5:09 PM EDT
  5. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 16, 9:33 PM EDT
  6. The Epoch TimesFar RightOct 16, 11:54 PM EDT
  7. ABC NewsLeftOct 17, 5:38 PM EDT
  8. The Daily BeastFar LeftOct 19, 6:02 AM EDT
  9. Daily MailRightOct 19, 6:52 PM EDT

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

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