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Australian MP Helen Haines has both legs amputated after car struck her outside office

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 8 outlets across the spectrum.

10 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Floral tributes outside Helen Haines MP office storefront, with campaign poster and Australian flag.
Image via Al Jazeera EnglishHow images are chosenReport this image

Australian independent MP Helen Haines has had both legs amputated after a car struck her outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, Victoria. A man was arrested, and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said authorities allege a deliberate attack and are investigating the motive. Burke said the driver reversed and struck Haines again, and right-leaning outlets report she was pinned between the two vehicles. Her husband said on Wednesday that she was alive and stable. The Guardian reports that federal politicians have raised concerns about rising threats, and security agencies will review safety for MPs’ homes and offices.

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. Independent MP Helen Haines has had both legs amputated after a car struck her outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, Victoria.

    Reported byLeft2Center1Right2Far Right3See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    CBS News, Al Jazeera English
    Center
    BBC News
    Right
    The Washington Times, Washington Examiner
    Far Right
    Townhall, Hot Air, TheBlaze

  2. Police allege the attack was deliberate and are investigating the motive.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    CBS News
    Center
    BBC News
    Far Right
    TheBlaze

  3. Haines was reportedly struck twice, pinned between her vehicle and the other car.

    One side only: the rightReported byFar Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Right
    Townhall, TheBlaze

  4. A man was arrested after the car struck Haines.

    One outletTheBlaze· Far Right

  5. Her husband said she was alive and stable on Wednesday, after earlier reports described her as in critical condition.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight2Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    The Washington Times, Washington Examiner
    Far Right
    TheBlaze

  6. Federal politicians have told police and ASIO they are worried about widening threats, and security agencies will review safety for MPs’ homes and offices.

    One outletThe Guardian· Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • The driver was a left-wing activist who attacked Haines for political reasons.

    Townhall describes the driver as a left-wing activist who attacked Haines. TheBlaze reports that police are investigating motivation and says the deliberate nature of the attack is alleged, with no motive stated.

  • Haines’s condition on Wednesday.

    The Washington Times and Washington Examiner report she remained in critical condition. TheBlaze reports her husband saying she is alive and stable, with both her heart and mind in good shape.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides report that independent MP Helen Haines had both legs amputated after a car struck her outside her office. Left and center coverage stresses the deliberate nature of the attack and wider threats to politicians, while right coverage focuses on her injuries and, at far-right outlets, on how they describe the driver’s politics.

  • the left

    3 outlets

    Leads with the deliberate nature of the attack and the wider rise in threats against politicians; CBS headlines it as intentional while the Guardian focuses on MPs’ security.

    Politician who was intentionally hit by car loses both her legs
    CBS NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    BBC headline uses the word targeted and centers on the grief of the town rather than the driver or the motive.

    'Targeted' attack on much-loved MP leaves Australian town heartbroken
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    4 outlets · 1 opinion

    Leads with the amputations and the violence; far-right Townhall calls the driver a left-wing activist, which the supplied police statements do not say.

    Australian lawmaker's legs amputated after 'intentional' attack — police investigate motivation
    TheBlazeFar RightAll 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

    soared

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right3

    left-wing activiststrikingly attractive older ladygunned the SUV backward

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    soaredMore neutral: risen

    The headline uses a dramatic verb for a rise that the coverage describes in plainer terms as a steady increase.

    Attack on Australian MP Haines: How threats against legislators have soared

    Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    left-wing activistMore neutral: 43-year-old man

    The label attaches a political identity to the driver before the facts of his motive are established.

    …Haines, the Australian MP who was the victim of a targeted attack that saw a left-wing activist ram his car into her twice, has lost her other leg.

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    strikingly attractive older ladyMore neutral: Australian MP Helen Haines, 65

    Describes the MP by appearance in a report of a violent attack, which has no bearing on what happened.

    A strikingly attractive older lady, an Australian member of Parliament (MP), was standing at the back of her…

    Used byHot Air (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    gunned the SUV backwardMore neutral: reversed the SUV

    Adds drama to a description of how the vehicle moved.

    …driver slammed on the brakes, threw the vehicle into reverse, and then gunned the SUV backward into the unsuspecting Mrs.

    Used byHot Air (Far 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

3 outlets

Leads with

  • intentional nature of the attack
  • rising threats to politicians
  • MPs’ security upgrades
See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • targeted attack
  • impact on the local community
  • Haines as a kind local figure
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • BBC NewsCenter

    'Targeted' attack on much-loved MP leaves Australian town heartbroken

    Locals describe the MP, who had to have both legs amputated, as a genuinely kind person who fought for the community.

    Read at BBC News (opens in a new tab)

From the right

4 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • both legs amputated
  • violent, intentional attack
  • driver described as left-wing activist
See the 5 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • TheBlazeFar Right

    Australian lawmaker's legs amputated after 'intentional' attack — police investigate motivation

    A man was arrested after he allegedly rammed his car into Australian Member of Parliament Helen Haines, an independent lawmaker. Haines was getting something from her car outside her Wangaratta office in the state of Victoria when the man drove his Toyota Land Cruiser into her, …

    Read at TheBlaze (opens in a new tab)
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    Australian politician struck by car in violent attack loses both legs

    Australian lawmaker Helen Haines had both legs amputated after a driver allegedly struck her with an SUV twice in what authorities are investigating as a serious act of violence against a federal official. …

    Read at Washington Examiner (opens in a new tab)
  • TownhallFar Right

    The Husband of That Australian MP Who Was Attacked by a Loaded modifier“Left-Wing Activist”The label attaches a political identity to the driver in the headline before the facts of his motive are established.More neutral: man (43) charged over car attackDisagree with this highlight? Provided an Update

    Helen Haines, the Australian MP who was the victim of a targeted attack that saw a Loaded modifier“left-wing activist”The label attaches a political identity to the driver before the facts of his motive are established.More neutral: 43-year-old manDisagree with this highlight? ram his car into her twice, has lost her other leg. …

    Read at Townhall (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington TimesRight

    Australian politician who was hit by car has lost both legs

    Doctors have amputated both of Australian federal lawmaker Helen Haines' legs as she remains in critical condition after being repeatedly hit by a car in an apparent act of political violence, her husband said Wednesday.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)
  • Hot AirFar RightOpinion

    An Australian MP Has Had Both Legs Amputated After Being Intentionally Rammed Outside Her Office

    A Loaded modifier“strikingly attractive older lady”Describes the MP by appearance in a report of a violent attack, which has no bearing on what happened.More neutral: Australian MP Helen Haines, 65Disagree with this highlight?, an Australian member of Parliament (MP), was standing at the back of her RAV4 on Monday afternoon. The vehicle was parked outside her electorate office, as it's called down under, and Helen Haines was concentrating on unloading it. …

    Read at Hot Air (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 21, 5:24 AM EDT

  • Center

    8 hr 46 min later

    Its first report, Oct 21, 2:10 PM EDT

  • Right

    24 min later

    Its first report, Oct 21, 5:48 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 21, 5:24 AM EDT
  2. The Washington TimesRightOct 21, 5:48 AM EDT
  3. CBS NewsLeftOct 21, 8:10 AM EDT
  4. TownhallFar RightOct 21, 8:30 AM EDT
  5. Washington ExaminerRightOct 21, 9:25 AM EDT
  6. The GuardianLeftOct 21, 10:00 AM EDT
  7. BBC NewsCenterOct 21, 2:10 PM EDT
  8. TheBlazeFar RightOct 21, 5:55 PM EDT

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

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