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Former West Virginia governor and senator Jay Rockefeller dies at 89

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 12 outlets across the spectrum.

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

Older man in glasses and tan suit gestures while speaking at a wood committee dais with nameplate.
Image via Roll CallHow images are chosenReport this image

Former West Virginia governor and US senator Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat from the wealthy Rockefeller family, has died at age 89, according to the Associated Press, Roll Call, The New York Times and the Washington Examiner. The New York Post and the Washington Examiner say he died at his home in Washington, and the Washington Examiner reports that his family did not provide a cause of death. Rockefeller served about 30 years in the Senate, retiring after the 2014 elections. He helped write landmark children’s health insurance legislation while serving on the Senate Finance Committee, according to Roll Call.

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. Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat and former West Virginia governor and US senator, died at age 89.

    Across the spectrumReported byFar Left2Left3Center3Right3Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Boston Globe, MS NOW
    Left
    ABC News, CBS News, The New York Times
    Center
    PBS NewsHour, Straight Arrow News, Roll Call
    Right
    The Washington Times, New York Post, Washington Examiner
    Far Right
    Fox News

  2. Rockefeller died at his home in Washington, according to reports.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    New York Post, Washington Examiner

  3. His family did not provide a cause of death, the Washington Examiner reports.

    One outletWashington Examiner· Right

  4. Rockefeller served about 30 years in the Senate.

    One outletThe New York Times· Left

  5. Rockefeller retired after the 2014 elections.

    One outletRoll Call· Center

  6. Rockefeller helped write and bring health insurance to low-income children, including landmark children’s health insurance legislation.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The New York Times
    Center
    Roll Call

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that Jay Rockefeller, a Democratic former West Virginia governor and senator, died at 89. Left and center outlets focus on his Senate record and children’s health insurance work, while right-leaning outlets stress the family’s wealth and where he died.

  • the left

    5 outlets

    Left headlines state the death with his governor and Senate posts, while the Boston Globe and MS NOW stress the political dynasty; the New York Times headline is the plainest.

    John D. Rockefeller IV, West Virginia Governor and Senator, Dies at 89
    The New York TimesLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    3 outlets

    Center headlines state the death with his governor and Senate posts, and Roll Call and Straight Arrow News stress his Senate career and full name rather than the family dynasty.

    Longtime West Virginia Sen. Rockefeller dies
    Roll CallCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    4 outlets

    Right headlines state the death with his governor and Senate posts, while the New York Post and Washington Times stress the family’s wealth and heritage.

    Former West Virginia governor and senator Jay Rockefeller dies at 89
    Washington ExaminerRightAll 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.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right1

    excoriated

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    excoriatedMore neutral: criticized

    The verb “excoriated” adds a harsher judgement than the facts require; the article reports what Rockefeller said about the war.

    …during three decades in the US Senate, sought expanded healthcare for the poor and excoriated President George W.

    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

5 outlets

Leads with

  • Rockefeller family dynasty
  • Senate career
  • Children’s health insurance work
See the 5 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

3 outlets

Leads with

  • Senate Finance Committee work
  • Children’s health insurance legislation
  • Retirement after 2014 elections
See the 3 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

4 outlets

Leads with

  • Family wealth and oil fortune
  • Death at his Washington home
  • Healthcare advocacy
See the 4 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

    2 hr 50 min later

    Its first report, Nov 6, 8:20 AM EST

  • Center

    First to report

    Roll Call, Nov 6, 5:30 AM EST

  • Right

    2 hr 54 min later

    Its first report, Nov 6, 8:24 AM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Roll CallCenterNov 6, 5:30 AM EST
  2. The New York TimesLeftNov 6, 8:20 AM EST
  3. Fox NewsFar RightNov 6, 8:24 AM EST
  4. Washington ExaminerRightNov 6, 8:27 AM EST
  5. New York PostRightNov 6, 9:22 AM EST
  6. Straight Arrow NewsCenterNov 6, 9:26 AM EST
  7. ABC NewsLeftNov 6, 9:36 AM EST
  8. The Boston GlobeFar LeftNov 6, 9:59 AM EST
  9. The Washington TimesRightNov 6, 10:03 AM EST
  10. CBS NewsLeftNov 6, 10:04 AM EST
  11. MS NOWFar LeftNov 6, 10:12 AM EST
  12. PBS NewsHourCenterNov 6, 10:37 AM EST

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

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