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Haze from Indonesian land fires prompts calls for legal action and student protests

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets across the spectrum.

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

Dense haze shrouds a city skyline with a tall tower in the centre.
Image via Al Jazeera EnglishHow images are chosenReport this image

Al Jazeera English, the Financial Times and the New York Post, the last citing an Associated Press report, describe toxic haze from Indonesian land and forest fires covering Malaysia, Singapore and other Southeast Asian cities. Al Jazeera reports growing demands for legal action against companies and individuals responsible for the fires, and says experts note that the ASEAN haze treaty lacks enforcement mechanisms and that evidence collection is difficult. The Financial Times reports that Singapore is threatening groups behind the land burning in Indonesia. The Associated Press reports that thousands of students have protested across Indonesia over the government’s response, and that this year’s fires are the worst on record. Al Jazeera describes the fires as the worst in a decade.

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. Toxic haze from Indonesian land and forest fires has spread to Malaysia, Singapore and other Southeast Asian cities.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Center
    Financial Times
    Right
    New York Post

  2. Al Jazeera reports growing demands for legal accountability for polluters, while experts say the ASEAN treaty lacks enforcement mechanisms.

    One outletAl Jazeera English· Left

  3. The Financial Times reports that Singapore is threatening groups behind land burning in Indonesia.

    One outletFinancial Times· Center

  4. Thousands of students have protested across Indonesia over the government’s response to the haze.

    One outletNew York Post· Right

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • The Indonesian fires are the worst in the region’s recent history.

    Al Jazeera English says they are the worst in a decade. The Associated Press, carried by the New York Post, says they are the worst on record.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three outlets report toxic haze from Indonesian fires reaching Malaysia and Singapore. The left-leaning outlet centers legal action against polluters, the center outlet Singapore’s threats against companies, and the right-leaning outlet student protests in Indonesia.

  • the left

    1 outlet

    Frames the haze as a question of accountability, leading with calls for legal action against polluters and the limits of regional law.

    Southeast Asia’s toxic haze spurs calls for legal action against Partisan shorthand“polluters”Villain label; name who emitted what.More neutral: name the companies and the emissionsDisagree with this highlight?
    Al Jazeera EnglishLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    Frames the haze around Singapore’s government moving against companies linked to the land burning in Indonesia.

    Singapore goes after companies over toxic haze
    Financial TimesCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    This side’s only coverage is an Associated Press report, published under the New York Post’s own headline, which leads with student protests and a protest slogan.

    Toxic haze covering Southeast Asian cities sparks student protests in Indonesia: ‘If we burn, you burn with us!’
    New York PostRightAll 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

    polluters

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Partisan shorthand

    pollutersMore neutral: name the companies and the emissions

    Villain label; name who emitted what.

    …and international laws makes it possible for Southeast Asian governments to hold polluters responsible for cross-border haze, most of which has been blamed on land clearing by…

    Used byAl Jazeera English (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

  • Legal action against polluters
  • Lack of ASEAN enforcement
  • Cross-border haze from palm oil clearing
See the headline from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Singapore threatening companies
  • Land burning in Indonesia
  • Smog in the city-state
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Student protests in Indonesia
  • Public backlash across ASEAN
  • Health concerns from the haze

Leaves out

  • Calls for legal action against polluters
  • Singapore’s threats against companies

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

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • New York PostRightAssociated Press report

    Toxic haze covering Southeast Asian cities sparks student protests in Indonesia: ‘If we burn, you burn with us!’

    The haze has triggered health concerns and ignited public backlash from Singapore, Malaysia and others in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

    Read at New York Post (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

    Al Jazeera English, Oct 22, 7:19 AM EDT

  • Center

    9 hr 40 min later

    Its first report, Oct 22, 5:00 PM EDT

  • Right

    1 day 4 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 23, 11:25 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 22, 7:19 AM EDT
  2. Financial TimesCenterOct 22, 5:00 PM EDT
  3. New York PostRightOct 23, 11:25 AM EDT

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

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