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Justice Alito Discusses New Book, Retirement Plans and Criticism of the Court

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 14 outlets across the spectrum.

25 articles in total, 4 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito gave a series of interviews this week tied to the release of his first book, “So Ordered,” a collection of past speeches. Alito told Bloomberg and CNBC he intends to remain on the court through the current term even if Democrats win control of the Senate in the midterms. He told CBS News and the Associated Press that criticism of the court from political leaders, including rhetoric from the Trump administration, can be “quite damaging” and that he is “not pleased” with it, while saying the court has little ability to stem a rise in emergency appeals. In a Wall Street Journal interview he also criticized justices for “speechifying” during oral arguments. The book includes a 2018 speech in which Alito called the court’s same-sex marriage ruling a “decisive” turn against religious liberty.

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. Alito's first book, "So Ordered: An Originalist's View of the Constitution, the Court, and Our Country," a collection of past speeches, was published this week

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  2. Alito said he intends to remain on the Supreme Court through the current term even if Democrats win the Senate majority in the midterms

    Reported byLeftCenter

  3. Alito told CBS News and the Associated Press that criticism of the court from political leaders, including the Trump administration's rhetoric, can be "quite damaging" and he is "not pleased" by it

    Reported byLeftCenter

  4. Alito said the court has little ability to stem a sharp rise in emergency appeals, which now rivals the number of fully argued cases

    Reported byCenter

  5. Alito's book includes a 2018 speech calling the court's same-sex marriage ruling "perhaps the decisive point in our nation's turn against religious liberty"

    Reported byLeft

Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. In a Wall Street Journal interview, Alito criticized colleagues for "speechifying" during oral arguments instead of asking focused questions

    Reported byRight

  2. Alito previously said in a Fox News Sunday interview that he has an "opinion" on who leaked the draft Dobbs decision in 2022

    Reported byCenter

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • Whether Alito's criticism of political rhetoric about the court was aimed specifically at the Trump administration

    The Associated Press/PBS report frames his comments as directed at Trump's rhetoric specifically, quoting him as "not pleased" with it, while CBS News frames the same remarks more broadly as criticism of "political leaders" generally.

  • Whether retirement speculation about Alito was significant news

    Bloomberg and CNBC report his decision to stay through the term as newsworthy confirmation of his plans, while Reason argues that retirement speculation, including a Politico headline, was overstated given Alito had long ruled out an early exit.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    8 outlets · 1 opinion

    Left-leaning outlets mix straight reporting on Alito's interviews with more skeptical commentary, as Salon editorializes about his influence and the political stakes of his staying on the bench, while CBS, Bloomberg and ABC report his statements more directly.

    Justice Alito says he won’t retire during lame-duck session of Congress
    The Washington PostLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    3 outlets

    Center outlets report Alito's comments and book release in a straightforward manner, centering on his retirement plans, his unease with political rhetoric about the court, and the surge in emergency appeals.

    Alito plans to stay on Supreme Court, even if Democrats regain Senate: Report
    CNBCCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    3 outlets · 3 opinion

    Right-leaning coverage ranges from admiring treatment of Alito's book and judicial philosophy to a critical report on his complaint about courtroom "speechifying," with one outlet downplaying retirement speculation as overblown.

    Justice Alito Loaded verb“Slams”Describes a measured critique as an aggressive attack.More neutral: CriticizesDisagree with this highlight? Colleagues Over ‘Speechifying’ In The Court
    The Daily WireFar 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.

  • Left9

    slamsrelentless attacksfreak outlavishes him with praise

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right5

    slamsadmits he weighedpressure and intimidate the Courtfighting for America

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    slamsMore neutral: criticizes

    Characterizes Alito's measured remarks as an aggressive attack rather than neutral commentary.

    Alito slams criticism of Supreme Court from political leaders, says it can be "quite damaging"

    Used byCBS News (Left)The Daily Wire (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    relentless attacksMore neutral: repeated criticism

    Characterizes Trump’s criticisms with an intensifying, judgmental adjective instead of a neutral description.

    Donald Trump’s relentless attacks on Supreme Court justices are starting to freak out even the Trumpiest member of…

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    freak outMore neutral: concern

    Dramatizes Alito’s concern as panic rather than a measured statement of worry.

    Donald Trump’s relentless attacks on Supreme Court justices are starting to freak out even the Trumpiest member of the nation’s top court.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    lavishes him with praiseMore neutral: praises him

    Adds a dramatic, judgmental flourish to the simple fact that Trump has praised Alito.

    …News on Sunday that he mostly ignores Trump when the 80-year-old president lavishes him with praise and attacks other members of the court.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

Show 9 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded modifier

    Trumpy JusticeMore neutral: Conservative Justice

    Labels Alito with a partisan nickname that prejudges his ideological alignment rather than describing his record neutrally.

    Trumpy Justice Sends Pointed Message After President’s SCOTUS Freakout

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    SCOTUS FreakoutMore neutral: SCOTUS Criticism

    Exaggerates the president’s criticism as panic rather than describing it factually.

    Trumpy Justice Sends Pointed Message After President’s SCOTUS Freakout

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    admits he weighedMore neutral: says he weighed

    ‘Admits’ implies Alito was confessing something improper rather than simply stating a fact he volunteered.

    Samuel Alito, 76, admits he weighed quitting Supreme Court this year amid conservative pleas to retire

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Sensational language

    pressure and intimidate the CourtMore neutral: pressure the Court

    Characterizes unspecified efforts to criticize or reform the court as intimidation, a loaded characterization rather than a neutral description.

    …Court, and Our Country." With Bream, Alito discussed the campaign to pressure and intimidate the Court, calls by Democrats and others to reshape the institution, the leak of…

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Vague attribution

    raising questionsMore neutral: state the question and who is asking

    The writer is raising the question while pretending someone else did.

    Alito’s remarks come as Republicans control the White House and Senate, raising questions about who could eventually replace him.

    Used byTheGrio (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    dismissing speculationMore neutral: saying he does not plan to retire

    Frames Alito's statement as waving off others' views rather than simply stating his plans.

    …Supreme Court even if Democrats capture the Senate in next month’s midterms, dismissing speculation that he might quickly retire to ensure Donald Trump can get a successor…

    Used byBloomberg (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    dissented sharplyMore neutral: dissented

    The intensifier adds drama to a factual description of a dissenting opinion.

    …the decisive point in our nation's turn against religious liberty." Alito, who dissented sharply in the 2015 case, made the claim at Catholic University of America three years…

    Used byABC News (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    fighting for AmericaMore neutral: serving on the Supreme Court

    Presents a subjective, favorable characterization of Alito's tenure as settled fact.

    Justice Alito has spent the past 20 years fighting for America at the Supreme Court.

    Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    most consequential juristsMore neutral: a prominent jurist

    Asserts a subjective superlative judgment about Alito's importance as settled fact.

    …a sustained encounter with the mind of one of the Supreme Court’s most consequential jurists.

    Used byThe Daily Signal (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

8 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • Alito's pushback against political criticism of the court
  • the political stakes of his staying on the bench for Senate control of future nominations
  • his remarks linking same-sex marriage to threats against religious liberty
  • his outsized influence over the court's conservative majority

Leaves out

  • his comments on the rise in emergency appeals
  • his critique of colleagues' courtroom "speechifying"

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

See the 9 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

3 outlets

Leads with

  • Alito's plan to remain on the court regardless of midterm outcomes
  • his statements on rising emergency appeals and criticism of the court
  • the publication of his book as a news event

Leaves out

  • his remarks on same-sex marriage and religious liberty
  • his critique of colleagues' courtroom "speechifying"

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

See the 3 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • CNBCCenter

    Alito plans to stay on Supreme Court, even if Democrats regain Senate: Report

    Samuel Alito is one of six conservative justices on the Supreme Court, three of whom were nominated by President Donald Trump.

    Read at CNBC (opens in a new tab)
  • PBS NewsHourCenterAssociated Press report

    Alito says Supreme Court can't stem rise of emergency appeals, 'not pleased' with Trump's rhetoric

    The justice told The Associated Press in a rare interview that the rhetoric about the court from Trump and his administration doesn't sit well with him.

    Read at PBS NewsHour (opens in a new tab)
  • The HillCenter

    Alito's first book pushes conservative justice into spotlight

    Two decades after joining the Supreme Court, Justice Samuel Alito joins the ranks of justices as authors. Alito's first book, “So Ordered,” set for release Tuesday, is an adapted collection of speeches he’s given over the years commenting on abortion, originalism, threats to the …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)
    1 more from The Hill

From the right

3 outlets · 3 opinion

Leads with

  • Alito's judicial philosophy and originalism
  • his critique of justices' courtroom conduct
  • skepticism toward media retirement speculation
  • praise for his influence on the conservative legal movement

Leaves out

  • his remarks on same-sex marriage and religious liberty
  • his comments on Trump administration rhetoric toward the court

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

See the 6 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Daily WireFar Right

    Justice Alito Loaded verb“Slams”Describes a measured critique as an aggressive attack.More neutral: CriticizesDisagree with this highlight? Colleagues Over ‘Speechifying’ In The Court

    Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has spent an unusual amount of time in the public eye ahead of the Court’s new term, sitting for a series of interviews about his judicial philosophy, his future on the bench, and the increasingly public disagreements surrounding the nation’s …

    Read at The Daily Wire (opens in a new tab)
  • TownhallFar Right

    Justice Samuel Alito Just Gave a Couple of Rare Interviews. Here’s What He Had to Say.

    Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, the author of the Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade and one of its most consistently conservative members, sat down Sunday for two rare televised interviews: one with Shannon Bream on Fox News Sunday and another with Mark Levin on Life, …

    Read at Townhall (opens in a new tab)
  • Daily MailRight

    Samuel Alito, 76, Loaded verb“admits he weighed”‘Admits’ implies Alito was confessing something improper rather than simply stating a fact he volunteered.More neutral: says he weighedDisagree with this highlight? quitting Supreme Court this year amid conservative pleas to retire

    The thought among some had been that Alito's retirement would give Trump room to nominate another justice to the Supreme Court.

    Read at Daily Mail (opens in a new tab)
  • The Daily SignalFar RightOpinion

    So Ordered: An Originalist’s View of the Constitution, the Court, and Our Country

    Justice Samuel A. Alito’s new book, “So Ordered: An Originalist’s View of the Constitution, the Court, and Our Country,” is not a conventional judicial memoir—and that is precisely its strength. …

    Read at The Daily Signal (opens in a new tab)
  • ReasonRightOpinion

    Alito Talks Retirement

    Plus: The Supreme Court weighs a local government’s lawsuit against oil companies over global climate change.

    Read at Reason (opens in a new tab)
  • The FederalistFar RightOpinion

    In So Ordered, Justice Alito Challenges Americans To Be Courageous Citizens

    Justice Alito has spent the past 20 years Loaded verb“fighting for America”Presents a subjective, favorable characterization of Alito's tenure as settled fact.More neutral: serving on the Supreme CourtDisagree with this highlight? at the Supreme Court. Now, it's time for the rest of the nation to do the same.

    Read at The Federalist (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 Independent, Oct 4, 3:47 PM EDT

  • Center

    18 hr 31 min later

    Its first report, Oct 5, 10:18 AM EDT

  • Right

    19 hr 55 min later

    Its first report, Oct 5, 11:42 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The IndependentLeftOct 4, 3:47 PM EDT
  2. The Daily BeastFar LeftOct 5, 7:00 AM EDT
  3. CBS NewsLeftOct 5, 9:02 AM EDT
  4. The HillCenterOct 5, 10:18 AM EDT
  5. Daily MailRightOct 5, 11:42 AM EDT
  6. TownhallFar RightOct 5, 12:30 PM EDT
  7. TheGrioLeftOct 5, 1:43 PM EDT
  8. BloombergLeftOct 6, 12:01 AM EDT
  9. ABC NewsLeftOct 6, 5:08 AM EDT
  10. The AtlanticLeftOct 6, 7:00 AM EDT
  11. PBS NewsHourCenterOct 6, 10:25 AM EDT
  12. The Daily WireFar RightOct 6, 10:41 AM EDT
  13. CNBCCenterOct 6, 12:56 PM EDT
  14. The Washington PostLeftOct 6, 1:29 PM EDT

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

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