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Six killed, including four Americans, after building explosion in Athens' Plaka district

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 14 outlets across the spectrum.

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

An explosion destroyed a two-story residential building in the historic Plaka district of Athens, near the Acropolis, on Friday. Six people were killed, including four American tourists; officials also identified a British man and his Greek wife, according to some reports, while other reports describe the remaining two victims as an elderly couple who lived in the building. Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said a gas leak was the suspected cause, though a full investigation was ongoing. Two women in a neighboring building were reported injured. Emergency crews worked for more than 24 hours to recover the bodies from the rubble. U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle posted a tribute to the American victims.

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. Six people were killed, including four American tourists.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  2. Officials believe the blast was caused by a gas leak, pending further investigation.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  3. The explosion occurred in Athens' historic Plaka district, near the Acropolis.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  4. The four Americans were reportedly two couples who had planned to fly out of Athens at 3 p.m. the day of the blast.

    Reported byLeftRight

  5. The remaining two victims' identities are described differently across outlets: a British man and his Greek wife, or an elderly couple who lived in the building.

    Reported byLeftRight

Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. Two women in a neighboring building were reported injured.

    Reported byLeftRight

  2. U.S. Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle posted a statement mourning the American victims.

    Reported byLeftRight

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • The identity of the two non-American victims.

    The Washington Times reports they were a British man and his Greek wife, while The Daily Beast reports they were an elderly couple who lived in the building.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    5 outlets

    Left-side headlines focus on the death toll and the collapse of the building, with some outlets emphasizing uncertainty over the cause and calls for answers.

    Six Killed After Explosion Collapses Building in Athens
    The Daily BeastFar LeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    3 outlets

    Center headlines report the death toll and nationalities of victims in a straightforward manner, with one outlet quoting the mayor's description of the event as a disaster.

    British national among six dead in building explosion close to Acropolis in Athens
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    6 outlets

    Right-side headlines emphasize the American victims and the scale of destruction, with some outlets using more dramatic descriptions of the blast.

    Four Americans on vacation in Athens are killed in Sensational language“massive explosion”The word 'massive' adds dramatic emphasis rather than a neutral description of the blast's size.More neutral: large explosionDisagree with this highlight? as bodies are pulled from the rubble
    Daily MailRightAll 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.

  • Left3

    massive explosionhuge blastWipes Out Building

  • Center1

    rips through

  • Right2

    massive explosiondevastating explosion

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    massive explosionMore neutral: large explosion

    The word 'massive' adds dramatic emphasis rather than a neutral description of the blast's size.

    Four Americans on vacation in Athens are killed in massive explosion as bodies are pulled from the rubble

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)The Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    huge blastMore neutral: large blast

    "Huge" is a subjective intensifier describing the blast's size rather than a verified measure.

    The huge blast near the historic Greek landmark occurred in the tourist district of Plaka in the…

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    Wipes Out BuildingMore neutral: Destroys Building

    "Wipes out" dramatizes the destruction beyond a neutral description of a building's collapse.

    2 Injured as Explosion Near Historic Landmark Wipes Out Building

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    rips throughMore neutral: damages

    "Rips through" adds dramatic, violent connotation beyond a neutral verb describing the blast's effect.

    Deadly blast rips through Athens building, near Acropolis

    Used byDeutsche Welle (Center)

Show 1 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    devastating explosionMore neutral: explosion

    Adds dramatic emphasis beyond the factual description of the blast

    Four American tourists were among six people killed in Greece when a devastating explosion leveled a residential building near Athens’ famed Acropolis, according to…

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

Words quoted from someone else (2)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    incredible disasterMore neutral: major disaster

    This is a dramatic characterization, though it is the mayor's own quoted assessment rather than the outlet's independent framing.

    …in Athens' tourist area of Plaka, with the city's mayor calling it an "incredible disaster."

    Quoted byDeutsche Welle (Center)

    Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    horrific incidentMore neutral: incident

    Adds a dramatic characterization though it appears within a quoted statement

    …are with the families and loved ones of those killed and injured in this horrific incident.

    Quoted byWashington Examiner (Right)

    Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.

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

5 outlets

Leads with

  • death toll and American victims
  • building collapse details
  • gas leak as likely but unconfirmed cause

Leaves out

  • identity of the non-American victims as a British man and his Greek wife

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

See the 5 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

3 outlets

Leads with

  • confirmed death toll and nationalities
  • gas leak as suspected cause
  • building collapse and evacuation of neighboring structures
See the 3 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • PBS NewsHourCenterAssociated Press report

    Bodies of 6 people, including 4 Americans, recovered from collapsed building in Athens

    The blast on Friday was believed to have been caused by a major gas leak, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said. Neighboring buildings were damaged and evacuated.

    Read at PBS NewsHour (opens in a new tab)
  • BBC NewsCenter

    British national among six dead in building explosion close to Acropolis in Athens

    Four Americans and a Greek national are among those killed in a suspected gas explosion, officials said.

    Read at BBC News (opens in a new tab)
  • Deutsche WelleCenter

    Deadly blast Loaded verb“rips through”"Rips through" adds dramatic, violent connotation beyond a neutral verb describing the blast's effect.More neutral: damagesDisagree with this highlight? Athens building, near Acropolis

    Several foreign tourists remain missing after an explosion brought down a building in Athens' tourist area of Plaka, with the city's mayor calling it an "Sensational language“incredible disaster”This is a dramatic characterization, though it is the mayor's own quoted assessment rather than the outlet's independent framing.More neutral: major disasterThis appears inside a quotation. The outlet is reporting someone else’s words.Disagree with this highlight?."

    Read at Deutsche Welle (opens in a new tab)

From the right

6 outlets

Leads with

  • American victims and their travel plans
  • scale of the explosion
  • ambassador's statement of condolence

Leaves out

  • mayor's characterization of the event as an 'incredible disaster'

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

See the 6 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • Daily MailRight

    Four Americans on vacation in Athens are killed in Sensational language“massive explosion”The word 'massive' adds dramatic emphasis rather than a neutral description of the blast's size.More neutral: large explosionDisagree with this highlight? as bodies are pulled from the rubble

    Four Americans on vacation in Athens were reported as those among the six people killed in a deadly explosion in Greece that collapsed a residential building.

    Read at Daily Mail (opens in a new tab)
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    Four American tourists among 6 killed after explosion levels building near Athens’ Acropolis

    A suspected gas leak caused an explosions that leveled a residential building in Athens' Plaka district near the Acropolis, killing four American tourists and two residents.

    Read at Fox News (opens in a new tab)
    1 more from Fox News
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    Four Americans dead after building collapses near the Acropolis in Athens

    Four American tourists died on Friday after a building collapsed due to a gas explosion in Athens, Greece, in a neighborhood near the Acropolis. “I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of four American citizens in yesterday’s explosion in central Athens,” U.S. …

    Read at Washington Examiner (opens in a new tab)
  • Just the NewsFar Right

    Explosion near Athens kills four American tourists

    The four Americans — two men and two women who were believed to be traveling as two couples — were staying in the two-story building in the historic Plaka neighborhood when the blast occurred Friday.

    Read at Just the News (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington TimesRight

    Explosion in Athens kills six, including four American tourists, and injures three others

    A building explosion in Athens killed four Americans, a British man and his Greek wife. Following an initial investigation, Greek authorities believe a natural gas leak caused the blast.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)
  • Breitbart NewsFar Right

    Four American Tourists Among Six Killed in Athens Building Blast

    Four American tourists visiting Greece were among six people confirmed dead Saturday after a blast brought down the small Athens residential building they had been staying in near the Acropolis, officials said.

    Read at Breitbart News (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

    The Daily Beast, Sep 25, 11:45 AM EDT

  • Center

    17 hr 26 min later

    Its first report, Sep 26, 5:12 AM EDT

  • Right

    21 hr later

    Its first report, Sep 26, 8:49 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The Daily BeastFar LeftSep 25, 11:45 AM EDT
  2. Deutsche WelleCenterSep 26, 5:12 AM EDT
  3. BBC NewsCenterSep 26, 8:47 AM EDT
  4. Breitbart NewsFar RightSep 26, 8:49 AM EDT
  5. The New York TimesLeftSep 26, 10:58 AM EDT
  6. The GuardianLeftSep 26, 12:54 PM EDT
  7. PBS NewsHourCenterSep 26, 2:02 PM EDT
  8. CBS NewsLeftSep 26, 3:15 PM EDT
  9. The Washington TimesRightSep 26, 6:02 PM EDT
  10. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftSep 26, 7:26 PM EDT
  11. Washington ExaminerRightSep 26, 8:05 PM EDT
  12. Fox NewsFar RightSep 27, 8:32 AM EDT
  13. Daily MailRightSep 27, 10:25 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out. Just the News gave only a date, so it is not placed.

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