Skip to content

WorldDeveloping

Dozens of flights across Europe hit by bomb threats this week

By

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets across the spectrum.

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

Map of Europe marking airplane icons over countries, showing flight locations and scale bar
Image via Business InsiderHow images are chosenReport this image

Dozens of flights across Europe were targeted by bomb threats this week. Business Insider said it confirmed 35 threatened airplanes, and CNBC counted more than two dozen threats. Authorities have described the threats as malicious hoaxes. The first came Monday, when a Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Budapest. Planes were searched, and some were diverted, landed early or were escorted by military aircraft. No suspicious items were found and no one was injured, according to the Associated Press. It is not known whether the threats are linked or who sent them.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. Editors read every story. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Dozens of flights across Europe were targeted by bomb threats this week, which authorities have described as hoaxes.

    Reported byFar Left1Left1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Boston Globe
    Left
    Business Insider
    Center
    CNBC

  2. Business Insider said it confirmed 35 threatened airplanes, and the true number may be higher.

    One outletBusiness Insider· Left

  3. No suspicious items were found and no one was injured, according to the Associated Press.

    One outletThe Boston Globe· Far Left

  4. CNBC reports that no actual attacks have been carried out.

    One outletCNBC· Center

  5. It is not known whether the threats are linked or who sent them.

    One side only: the leftReported byFar Left1Left1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Boston Globe
    Left
    Business Insider

  6. A Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Budapest on Monday after a bomb threat.

    One outletBusiness Insider· Left

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side present reports dozens of flights targeted by bomb threats this week, described as hoaxes, with no devices found and the senders unknown. The left headlines stress scale and chaos, while the center headline stresses how hard the threats are to contain.

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Left headlines frame the threats as scale and disruption: Business Insider’s map headline stresses flight chaos, while the Boston Globe’s explainer headline, on an AP report, is neutral.

    MAPPED: How dozens of bomb threats caused Sensational language“flight chaos”The phrase adds drama beyond the reported disruption to flights.More neutral: flight disruptionDisagree with this highlight? in Europe this week
    Business InsiderLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    CNBC’s headline frames the threats as a wave that aviation authorities find hard to contain, focusing on the system’s response rather than on the hoax claim.

    Why a wave of bomb threats is proving so difficult for Europe's aviation authorities to contain
    CNBCCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    Mantle’s analysis has no note on this side yet. One of its headlines is shown.

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

    flight chaos

  • Center1

    stoking fear

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    stoking fearMore neutral: causing concern

    The verb asserts an emotional effect on passengers that the article does not document.

    …emergency landings and military escorts across European airspace this week, stoking fear among passengers and heaping pressure on airlines.

    Used byCNBC (Center)

  • Sensational language

    flight chaosMore neutral: flight disruption

    The phrase adds drama beyond the reported disruption to flights.

    MAPPED: How dozens of bomb threats caused flight chaos in Europe this week

    Used byBusiness Insider (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

2 outlets

Leads with

  • scale of threats across Europe
  • flight chaos and disruption
  • unknown origin and motive
See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • difficulty of containing the threats
  • pressure on airlines and schedules
  • a security expert’s view of a systematic campaign
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • CNBCCenter

    Why a wave of bomb threats is proving so difficult for Europe's aviation authorities to contain

    The "weakest point of aviation is targeting it in-flight," analysts say — but any change to procedures will be a lengthy process.

    Read at CNBC (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet
See the headline from the rightHide the headlines

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, 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

    5 hr 20 min later

    Its first report, Nov 7, 6:20 AM EST

  • Center

    First to report

    CNBC, Nov 7, 1:00 AM EST

  • Right

    10 hr later

    Its first report, Nov 7, 11:00 AM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. CNBCCenterNov 7, 1:00 AM EST
  2. The Boston GlobeFar LeftNov 7, 6:20 AM EST
  3. Business InsiderLeftNov 7, 6:38 AM EST
  4. The Washington TimesRightNov 7, 11:00 AM EST

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

Read next

Help someone else find the truth beneath the surface

Most people see one side of a story. Share this one, so they can see how every side is telling it and decide for themselves.

Email it
Embed

Show this story’s coverage card on your own site, blog or class page. It has the headline, who is covering it and a link back here, and it tracks nobody. See the card

Seen a mistake? Tell us what is wrong with this page