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Berkeley engineer releases video of coworker pouring substance into her water bottle

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 5 outlets, mostly right-leaning (80%).

8 articles in total, 2 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Blurry video still of a man in glasses and dark sweater bent over a desk with monitors.
Image via CBS NewsHow images are chosenReport this image

Fox News and The Epoch Times report that Rong Yuan, an engineer at a Berkeley, California, company, released hidden-camera video that appears to show her coworker David Xu pouring a substance into her water bottle. Hot Air and RedState discuss the case. Yuan alleges that Xu poisoned her for months, and CBS News reports the same allegation. According to The Epoch Times, Xu was convicted of felony poisoning and given probation, and on October 12 an Alameda County judge granted his petition to dismiss the conviction over Yuan’s objection.

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. Engineer Rong Yuan released hidden-camera video that appears to show coworker David Xu pouring a substance into her water bottle at their Berkeley workplace.

    Reported byLeft1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    CBS News
    Far Right
    Fox News, The Epoch Times

  2. Yuan alleges that Xu poisoned her over several months.

    Reported byLeft1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    CBS News
    Far Right
    The Epoch Times

  3. Xu was convicted of felony poisoning and received probation instead of prison.

    One outletThe Epoch Times· Far Right

  4. On October 12 an Alameda County judge granted Xu’s petition to dismiss the conviction, according to Yuan, who opposed it.

    One outletThe Epoch Times· Far Right

  5. Yuan’s parents reportedly fell ill after drinking the water, and her father later died.

    One outletThe Epoch Times· Far Right

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • Xu’s felony conviction should be dismissed.

    According to The Epoch Times, a judge granted Xu’s petition; Yuan opposed it and said there is no justice in the current legal system; Hot Air asks how Xu got no jail time.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides present report that a Berkeley engineer released hidden-camera video of coworker David Xu pouring a substance into her water bottle. Right-leaning outlets focus on Xu’s felony conviction being dismissed after probation, while CBS presents the video as her allegation of months of poisoning.

  • the left

    1 outlet

    CBS News’s single report, the only left-side coverage here, presents the video as the engineer’s allegation of months of poisoning and does not mention the conviction or its dismissal.

    Engineer releases video showing coworker adding substance into her drink, alleges she was poisoned
    CBS NewsLeftAll 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

    4 outlets · 2 opinion

    Right-side headlines state the poisoning as fact and focus on the dismissed felony conviction, while the opinion pieces frame the outcome as an outrage over leniency.

    Woman poisoned by coworker at Berkeley lab releases hidden-camera video as he seeks felony dismissal
    Fox NewsFar RightAll 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

    spy camera footage

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right4

    if he’s even an American citizenthousands of terroristsCoworker From Hellcould probably only happen in Berkeley

In the outlets’ own words

  • Delegitimizing label

    if he’s even an American citizen

    The question implies the defendant is a foreigner because of his origin, with no evidence about his citizenship.

    …let this man who tried to kill this woman go free‼️ You have to wonder if he’s even an American citizen since the DEMOCRATS have let in thousands of terrorists.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Dehumanizing label

    thousands of terroristsMore neutral: claims that the Democrats let in too many immigrants

    The phrase labels a large group of immigrants as terrorists without any cited evidence.

    …to wonder if he’s even an American citizen since the DEMOCRATS have let in thousands of terrorists.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    Coworker From HellMore neutral: former coworker convicted of poisoning

    The label dramatizes a workplace poisoning case as a personal grievance rather than describing the conviction and the request in plain terms.

    Ultimate 'Coworker From Hell' Seeks to Have Felony Conviction Overturned After Poisoning Colleague

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    could probably only happen in BerkeleyMore neutral: a case from Berkeley, California

    The phrase uses the city as a label that pre-judges the local justice system before the case is discussed.

    This is one of those stories that could probably only happen in Berkeley, California.

    Used byHot Air (Far Right)

Show 1 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    spy camera footageMore neutral: hidden-camera footage

    Spy suggests covert surveillance of a person, where hidden-camera is the plainer term other outlets use.

    An engineer in Berkley, California, released spy camera footage of her coworker adding a substance to her drink.

    Used byCBS News (Left)

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

  • released spy camera footage
  • engineer’s allegation of months of poisoning

Leaves out

  • felony conviction and probation
  • dismissal of the conviction

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

See the headline 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

4 outlets · 2 opinion

Leads with

  • hidden-camera video
  • felony conviction dismissed
  • probation instead of prison
  • Yuan’s long illness
See the 6 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Epoch TimesFar Right

    She Secretly Filmed Her Coworker Poisoning Her. Years Later, His Conviction Is Dismissed

    After repeated illnesses, a California engineer caught her coworker poisoning her drinking water. Her parents also fell ill, and her father later died.

    Read at The Epoch Times (opens in a new tab)
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    Woman poisoned by coworker at Berkeley lab releases hidden-camera video as he seeks felony dismissal

    Rong Yuan released hidden camera video appearing to show David Xu pouring a substance into her water bottle as he seeks to dismiss his felony conviction.

    Read at Fox News (opens in a new tab)
  • Daily MailRight

    Berkeley engineer is caught on camera poisoning female colleague's drink before blaming her illnesses on mold in the office

    A Berkeley engineer was caught on hidden camera poisoning his female colleague's water bottle with toxic cadmium after she suffered nearly two years of mysterious illnesses.

    Read at Daily Mail (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRight

    Berkeley engineer caught on video poisoning coworker before she suffered horrific health problems

    A California chemical engineer who pleaded no contest to poisoning a colleague was putting cadmium in her water bottle, new video shows.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)
  • Hot AirFar RightOpinion

    How Did This Guy Get No Jail Time?

    This is one of those stories that Loaded modifier“could probably only happen in Berkeley”The phrase uses the city as a label that pre-judges the local justice system before the case is discussed.More neutral: a case from Berkeley, CaliforniaDisagree with this highlight?, California. A woman named Rong Yuan worked at a Berkeley engineering company and in 2017 she found herself getting suddenly and inexplicably ill. …

    Read at Hot Air (opens in a new tab)
  • RedStateFar RightOpinion

    Ultimate 'Sensational language“Coworker From Hell”The label dramatizes a workplace poisoning case as a personal grievance rather than describing the conviction and the request in plain terms.More neutral: former coworker convicted of poisoningDisagree with this highlight?' Seeks to Have Felony Conviction Overturned After Poisoning Colleague

    We all have one: that one person we will always remember as the most horrible coworker we have ever had to endure. When my most awful went on vacation in Italy for three weeks, it was the most pleasant time I spent in the seven years I stayed at that job. …

    Read at RedState (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 days later

    Its first report, Oct 13, 1:24 PM EDT

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    First to report

    New York Post, Oct 11, 12:45 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. New York PostRightOct 11, 12:45 PM EDT
  2. Daily MailRightOct 11, 7:26 PM EDT
  3. Fox NewsFar RightOct 12, 6:30 PM EDT
  4. The Epoch TimesFar RightOct 12, 11:29 PM EDT
  5. CBS NewsLeftOct 13, 1:24 PM EDT

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

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