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FAA grounds all US flights nationwide, citing a communications outage

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Covered by 44 outlets across the spectrum.

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

Person from behind watching large airport departure boards with many delayed and cancelled flights.
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The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday halted departing flights at US airports nationwide, citing “extraordinary circumstances” and “reasons of safety.” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the stop followed a communication issue affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers, and the FAA later described a temporary telecommunications outage. HuffPost reports that FlightAware counted more than 6,500 halted flights. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters the cause was a telecommunication outage, and NBC reports he also said it was some form of attack or hack. The FAA said international flights would be handled case by case, and departing traffic was to stay grounded until further notice.

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. The FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop on Friday afternoon, halting departing flights at US airports.

    Across the spectrumReported byFar Left1Left3Center4Right2Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost
    Left
    Bloomberg, NBC News, CBS News
    Center
    The Hill, PBS NewsHour, The Christian Science Monitor, Newsweek
    Right
    The Center Square, The Washington Times
    Far Right
    The Epoch Times, Just the News

  2. The FAA cited “extraordinary circumstances” and “reasons of safety” for the stop.

    Reported byFar Left1Left2Center1Right1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost
    Left
    Bloomberg, CBS News
    Center
    PBS NewsHour
    Right
    The Washington Times
    Far Right
    The Epoch Times, Just the News

  3. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the stop followed a communication issue affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers.

    Reported byFar Left1Center1Right1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost
    Center
    The Christian Science Monitor
    Right
    The Center Square
    Far Right
    Just the News

  4. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the outage was a telecommunication problem.

    One outletNBC News· Left

  5. Mullin also said the issue was some form of attack or hack, according to NBC’s report of his remarks.

    One outletNBC News· Left

Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. FlightAware reported more than 6,500 flights halted.

    One outletHuffPost· Far Left

  2. The stop disrupted travel plans for college football teams, including Big 12 and Big Ten schools.

    One outletThe Hill· Center

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides report that the FAA halted departing flights nationwide on Friday. Left and center coverage puts the scale of the halt and its travel effects first, while right coverage stresses the communications cause and the FAA’s stated reasons.

  • the left

    18 outlets

    Left-side headlines lead with the halt itself or the FAA’s stated reason, NBC leads with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s cause claim, and HuffPost centers the FAA’s “extraordinary circumstances” wording.

    Flights Grounded Across US Over Air Traffic Control Problems
    BloombergLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    10 outlets

    Center headlines present the stop as a rare nationwide action caused by a communications failure, and Newsweek frames it as the biggest travel disruption since 9/11.

    FAA issues rare nationwide ground stop due to 'extraordinary circumstances'
    PBS NewsHourCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    16 outlets

    Right headlines lead with a communications or telecommunications cause, and The Center Square notes it was the second such stop since 9/11, while the Far Right Epoch Times adds an “emergency” label.

    FAA issues nationwide groundstop, cites communcation issue
    The Center SquareRightAll 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.

  • Left5

    cancelledShockleft outangry backlash

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right7

    Emergency Ground StopRadio OutageChaos is brewingchaos

In the outlets’ own words

  • Partisan shorthand

    cancelledMore neutral: was fired or lost a contract

    Frames consequences as persecution; state what happened.

    Around 7,000 flights have been either delayed or cancelled due to the stop, according to FlightAware.

    Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

  • Sensational language

    Emergency Ground StopMore neutral: nationwide ground stop

    The FAA’s advisory describes a ground stop without the word emergency, which adds drama the notice does not state.

    FAA Issues Emergency Ground Stop for All US Flights for ‘Extraordinary Circumstances’

    Used byThe Epoch Times (Far Right)

  • Absolutist framing

    Radio OutageMore neutral: Communication Issue

    The headline states a radio outage as the cause, while the description says it is only reportedly the cause and the transportation secretary described a communication issue.

    NEW: FAA Orders Flight Ground Stop Nationwide Over Radio Outage {UPDATE)

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    ShockMore neutral: Reactions to

    The headline opens with a reaction word that presents an emotional response as the story’s frame.

    Shock as national plane grounding comes after union left out of safety tests

    Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

Show 8 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded verb

    left outMore neutral: did not weigh in on

    The headline states in its own voice that the union was excluded, a contested point that implies fault.

    Shock as national plane grounding comes after union left out of safety tests

    Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    Chaos is brewingMore neutral: Delays are building

    The phrase adds drama beyond the reported fact that planes were backed up at one airport.

    Chaos is brewing at Los Angeles International Airport as a nationwide ground stop left the…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Sensational language

    chaosMore neutral: backlog

    The word adds drama beyond the reported fact of a runway backlog.

    Traffic chaos chokes LAX runways as FAA issues nationwide ground stop over ‘extraordinary…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Sensational language

    chaoticMore neutral: nationwide

    “Chaotic” adds a judgement of disorder that the reported facts, planes held on the ground, do not establish.

    More than 30 planes were grounded at San Francisco International Airport as part of a chaotic nationwide ground stop of all passenger aircraft.

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Vague attribution

    concern is growingMore neutral: some teams and athletic officials expressed concern

    Asserts a broad mood across college athletics without naming who holds the concern.

    But concern is growing across college athletics for teams that have yet to depart for Saturday’s games.

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    immediate chaosMore neutral: immediate disruption

    Describes the travel situation as chaos, a dramatic term beyond the reported delays and confusion.

    The halt triggered immediate chaos and confusion for travelers, with departure boards at many airports showing…

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Sensational language

    angry backlashMore neutral: criticism

    Adds an emotional judgement about the reaction that the reported criticism does not need.

    Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin sparked an angry backlash Friday after interrupting a reporter to correct the use of the term “artificial…

    Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    sparks furyMore neutral: draws criticism

    Describes the reaction as fury, a stronger word than the criticism the excerpt reports.

    ‘Are you serious?’ Trump official sparks fury with remark during national emergency

    Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

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

    chaosMore neutral: significant disruption

    The word is a CNN commentator’s prediction of disruption, quoted without the facts to support it.

    “It means chaos,” CNN’s Richard Quest said, warning of widespread disruptions for passengers already…

    Quoted byRaw Story (Far Left)

    These are Richard Quest’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Loaded verb

    Quoted

    assuredMore neutral: said

    “Assured” presents an official’s statement about the cause as confirmed rather than as his own claim.

    He also assured that the issue was the result of some for of attack or hack.

    Quoted byNBC News (Left)

    These are Markwayne Mullin’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

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

18 outlets

Leads with

  • scale of the halt across US airports
  • the FAA’s stated safety reasons
  • Mullin’s attack or hack claim
See the 19 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

10 outlets

Leads with

  • rarity of a nationwide ground stop
  • communications failure at control centers
  • disruption to college football travel
See the 11 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

16 outlets

Leads with

  • communications or telecom cause
  • second nationwide stop since 9/11
  • the FAA’s “extraordinary circumstances” wording
See the 16 headlines 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 43 min later

    Its first report, Nov 13, 4:08 PM EST

  • Center

    5 hr 38 min later

    Its first report, Nov 13, 4:03 PM EST

  • Right

    First to report

    The Daily Wire, Nov 13, 10:25 AM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The Daily WireFar RightNov 13, 10:25 AM EST
  2. CNBCCenterNov 13, 4:03 PM EST
  3. CNNLeftNov 13, 4:08 PM EST
  4. NBC NewsLeftNov 13, 4:09 PM EST
  5. TownhallFar RightNov 13, 4:10 PM EST
  6. ABC NewsLeftNov 13, 4:13 PM EST
  7. NewsNationCenterNov 13, 4:13 PM EST
  8. The Washington TimesRightNov 13, 4:13 PM EST
  9. Deutsche WelleCenterNov 13, 4:16 PM EST
  10. Business InsiderLeftNov 13, 4:17 PM EST
  11. Financial TimesCenterNov 13, 4:18 PM EST
  12. The Daily BeastFar LeftNov 13, 4:18 PM EST
  13. NewsweekCenterNov 13, 4:21 PM EST
  14. New York PostRightNov 13, 4:21 PM EST
  15. The HillCenterNov 13, 4:23 PM EST
  16. United Press InternationalCenterNov 13, 4:24 PM EST
  17. Raw StoryFar LeftNov 13, 4:25 PM EST
  18. The Boston GlobeFar LeftNov 13, 4:26 PM EST
  19. The New York TimesLeftNov 13, 4:26 PM EST
  20. Los Angeles TimesLeftNov 13, 4:27 PM EST
  21. The Center SquareRightNov 13, 4:31 PM EST
  22. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftNov 13, 4:32 PM EST
  23. The Epoch TimesFar RightNov 13, 4:32 PM EST
  24. MS NOWFar LeftNov 13, 4:35 PM EST
  25. RedStateFar RightNov 13, 4:37 PM EST
  26. TheGrioLeftNov 13, 4:37 PM EST
  27. TheBlazeFar RightNov 13, 4:40 PM EST
  28. PJ MediaFar RightNov 13, 4:41 PM EST
  29. CBS NewsLeftNov 13, 4:41 PM EST
  30. PBS NewsHourCenterNov 13, 4:41 PM EST
  31. The Daily CallerFar RightNov 13, 4:41 PM EST
  32. The GuardianLeftNov 13, 4:44 PM EST
  33. Breitbart NewsFar RightNov 13, 4:46 PM EST
  34. The Western JournalFar RightNov 13, 4:47 PM EST
  35. The Washington PostLeftNov 13, 4:52 PM EST
  36. HuffPostFar LeftNov 13, 4:52 PM EST
  37. CBN NewsFar RightNov 13, 4:54 PM EST
  38. NPRLeftNov 13, 4:55 PM EST
  39. BloombergLeftNov 13, 5:04 PM EST
  40. MarketWatchCenterNov 13, 5:10 PM EST
  41. Fox NewsFar RightNov 13, 5:51 PM EST
  42. The Christian Science MonitorCenterNov 13, 5:57 PM EST
  43. Daily MailRightNov 13, 6:02 PM EST

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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