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Justice Department brings politically sensitive cases weeks before midterm elections

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 5 outlets, mostly left-leaning (60%).

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

Reporting on the Justice Department’s recent actions before the midterm elections says the department searched the home of Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, charged two former FBI officials with lying about their roles in the Hunter Biden investigation, and indicted a Virginia state senator on drug and bribery offenses. Critics, including former department officials and defense lawyers, say the timing breaks long-standing practice. A department spokesperson rejected that criticism. The New York Times reports that federal prosecutors have also sued states over election administration just before the midterms.

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. The Justice Department searched the home of Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar.

    Reported byLeft2Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    ABC News, CBS News
    Center
    PBS NewsHour
    Right
    The Washington Times

  2. The Justice Department charged two former FBI officials with lying about their roles in the Hunter Biden investigation.

    Reported byLeft2Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    ABC News, CBS News
    Center
    PBS NewsHour
    Right
    The Washington Times

  3. The Justice Department indicted a Virginia state senator on drug and bribery offenses.

    One outletCBS News· Left

  4. The Justice Department revealed a fresh attempt to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    ABC News
    Center
    PBS NewsHour
    Right
    The Washington Times

  5. Former Justice Department officials say the timing of the cases breaks long-standing practice.

    Reported byLeft2Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    ABC News, CBS News
    Center
    PBS NewsHour
    Right
    The Washington Times
Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. A Justice Department spokesperson rejected criticism of the timing of the cases.

    One outletCBS News· Left

  2. Federal prosecutors have sued states over election administration just before the midterms.

    One outletThe New York Times· Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • The timing of the Justice Department’s cases breaks long-standing practice and is no coincidence.

    Former department officials, defense lawyers and Democrats say the timing breaks long-standing practice and reflects politics; a Justice Department spokesperson rejected the criticism of the timing.

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side present reports the Justice Department’s politically sensitive cases near the midterms, including the search of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home and charges against two former FBI officials. Left-side coverage stresses timing and norms, citing critics; center and right outlets run the same AP report under similar headlines.

  • the left

    3 outlets

    Left headlines frame the moves around timing and norms, attributing criticism to former officials and defense lawyers, though one headline uses dramatic terms such as makes a splash and blitz.

    DOJ vets say Loaded modifier“politically charged”The word attaches a sense of partisan heat to the moves before any finding of intent.More neutral: politically sensitiveDisagree with this highlight? moves close to election violate norms
    CBS NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    Only coverage is one AP report, run under a headline saying the department pushes a spate of politically sensitive cases as midterms near, so the text is the AP’s.

  • the right

    1 outlet

    Only coverage is one AP report, run under a headline saying the department pushes a spate of politically sensitive cases as midterms near, so the text is the AP’s.

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.

  • Left7

    some critics sayscramblingblitzraid

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Vague attribution

    some critics sayMore neutral: defense lawyers and Democrats say

    The critics are not named, so the claim cannot be checked against who made it.

    …the midterm election with a blitz of headline-making actions and cases that some critics say reeks of politics

    Used byABC News (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    scramblingMore neutral: has been acting

    The word suggests disorder and haste rather than describing the department’s activity.

    …arrives next week, and President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has been scrambling with a blitz of headline-making actions and cases that defense lawyers, Democrats…

    Used byABC News (Left)

  • Sensational language

    blitzMore neutral: series of actions

    The word presents a series of actions as a sudden assault rather than a set of actions.

    …next week, and President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has been scrambling with a blitz of headline-making actions and cases that defense lawyers, Democrats and other critics…

    Used byABC News (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    raidMore neutral: search

    A raid suggests a forced entry, while other coverage describes a search of the home.

    Washington — The raid of Democratic Rep.

    Used byCBS News (Left)

Show 3 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Absolutist framing

    unheard ofMore neutral: unusual

    The phrase makes a comparative historical claim without naming the specific cases compared.

    …on these three criminal cases just weeks before the midterm elections were once unheard of under past administrations, Democratic or Republican.

    Used byCBS News (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    politically chargedMore neutral: politically sensitive

    The word attaches a sense of partisan heat to the moves before any finding of intent.

    DOJ vets say politically charged moves close to election violate norms

    Used byCBS News (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    targetedMore neutral: brought cases against

    The word states as fact that the prosecutions were aimed at opponents for political reasons.

    Federal prosecutors have targeted President Trump’s political opponents and sued states over election administration…

    Used byThe New York Times (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.

  • Absolutist framing

    Quoted

    is no coincidenceMore neutral: critics say the timing is political

    The phrase presents a contested motive as settled, although it is attributed to critics.

    …actions and cases that defense lawyers, Democrats and other critics say is no coincidence and reeks of politics — in both the timing and the targets.

    Quoted byABC News (Left)

    These are defense lawyers, Democrats and other critics’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Loaded verb

    Quoted

    reeks of politicsMore neutral: is seen by critics as political

    The phrase is an accusation of partisan motive, although it is attributed to critics.

    …that defense lawyers, Democrats and other critics say is no coincidence and reeks of politics — in both the timing and the targets.

    Quoted byABC News (Left)

    These are defense lawyers, Democrats and other critics’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

3 outlets

Leads with

  • timing before the midterms
  • critics and former officials
  • targets who are Trump critics
See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • The New York TimesLeft

    The Justice Department’s Unusual Election-Year Activity

    Federal prosecutors have targeted President Trump’s political opponents and sued states over election administration just before the midterms. …

    Read at The New York Times (opens in a new tab)
  • CBS NewsLeft

    DOJ vets say Loaded modifier“politically charged”The word attaches a sense of partisan heat to the moves before any finding of intent.More neutral: politically sensitiveDisagree with this highlight? moves close to election violate norms

    Former DOJ officials say Attorney General Todd Blanche's Justice Department has entered uncharted waters in ways that could influence politics.

    Read at CBS News (opens in a new tab)
  • ABC NewsLeftAssociated Press report

    Justice Department makes a splash with politically sensitive cases and actions during midterm Sensational language“blitz”The word presents a series of actions as a sudden assault rather than a set of actions.More neutral: series of actionsDisagree with this highlight?

    President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has been scrambling before the midterm election with a blitz of headline-making actions and cases that Vague attribution“some critics say”The critics are not named, so the claim cannot be checked against who made it.More neutral: defense lawyers and Democrats sayDisagree with this highlight? reeks of politics

    Read at ABC News (opens in a new tab)

    Also published by PBS NewsHour and The Washington Times. It counts once.

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • sensitive cases as midterms near
  • the department’s push
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • the department’s push
  • sensitive cases as midterms near
See the headline 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

    First to report

    ABC News, Oct 28, 6:47 PM EDT

  • Center

    19 hr 16 min later

    Its first report, Oct 29, 2:03 PM EDT

  • Right

    16 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 29, 10:50 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. ABC NewsLeftOct 28, 6:47 PM EDT
  2. The Washington TimesRightOct 29, 10:50 AM EDT
  3. PBS NewsHourCenterOct 29, 2:03 PM EDT
  4. CBS NewsLeftOct 29, 3:40 PM EDT
  5. The New York TimesLeftOct 30, 10:03 AM EDT

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

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