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Justice Department sues Penn State over in-state tuition for undocumented students

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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

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The US Justice Department sued Pennsylvania State University and its trustees on Thursday, November 5, over a policy that lets undocumented students qualify for in-state tuition rates. The department says the policy violates federal law, which bars preferential treatment for undocumented immigrants in higher education unless the same benefits are available to all US citizens, and argues that it discriminates against citizens. Under Penn State’s residency standards, undocumented students can qualify for in-state tuition, according to the university’s admissions guidance as described in the reports.

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. The Justice Department sued Penn State and its trustees on Thursday, November 5.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Center
    The Hill
    Far Right
    PJ Media

  2. Penn State’s residency standards let undocumented students qualify for in-state tuition, according to its admissions guidance.

    Reported byLeft1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Far Right
    PJ Media

  3. The Justice Department says federal law bars in-state tuition benefits for undocumented immigrants unless the same benefits are available to all US citizens.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Center
    The Hill

  4. The Justice Department argues the policy discriminates against US citizens.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Center
    The Hill
    Far Right
    PJ Media

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three sides report the Justice Department’s suit against Penn State over in-state tuition for undocumented students, arguing it discriminates against citizens. The difference is tone: PJ Media’s headline uses illegals and stresses American families paying more, while Al Jazeera and The Hill use undocumented and state the lawsuit plainly.

  • the left

    1 outlet

    Al Jazeera’s headline names the Justice Department and the lawsuit over undocumented students’ tuition, using the neutral term undocumented and adding no judgement.

    US Justice Department sues Penn State over undocumented students’ tuition
    Al Jazeera EnglishLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The Hill’s headline states the lawsuit plainly and uses the term undocumented, with no added judgement.

    DOJ sues Penn State over in-state tuition for undocumented students
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    PJ Media, rated Far Right, frames the suit as a fairness issue for American families, its headline calling the students illegals and contrasting them with out-of-state Americans.

    DOJ Sues Penn State Over Tuition Breaks for Dehumanizing label“Illegals”Calling the students illegals reduces them to a criminal status label, while the suit concerns a tuition policy rather than individual conduct.More neutral: undocumented studentsDisagree with this highlight? Denied to Out-Of-State Americans
    PJ MediaFar 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.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right1

    illegals

In the outlets’ own words

  • Dehumanizing label

    illegalsMore neutral: undocumented students

    Calling the students illegals reduces them to a criminal status label, while the suit concerns a tuition policy rather than individual conduct.

    …now wants the university to explain why its published guidance offers qualifying illegals access to the lower resident rate.

    Used byPJ Media (Far Right)

Words quoted from someone else (1)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.

  • Dehumanizing label

    Quoted

    illegal aliensMore neutral: undocumented immigrants

    The term reduces the students to a criminal legal status, although it is the wording of the federal law and the department’s statement.

    …that states and their public institutions may not grant tuition benefits to illegal aliens unless those same benefits are made to all U.S....

    Quoted byThe Hill (Center)

    These are the Justice Department’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

1 outlet

Leads with

  • the lawsuit’s claim of discrimination against citizens
  • the federal law barring preferential treatment
See the headline from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • the Justice Department’s claim that Congress barred such benefits
  • discrimination against US citizens
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    DOJ sues Penn State over in-state tuition for undocumented students

    The Justice Department filed a lawsuit Thursday against Pennsylvania State University for allegedly allowing in-state tuition for undocumented students, saying the move discriminates against U.S. citizens. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • breaks for illegals denied to out-of-state Americans
  • American families paying higher bills
  • a Pennsylvania residence benefit not open to other Americans
See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • PJ MediaFar Right

    DOJ Sues Penn State Over Tuition Breaks for Dehumanizing label“Illegals”Calling the students illegals reduces them to a criminal status label, while the suit concerns a tuition policy rather than individual conduct.More neutral: undocumented studentsDisagree with this highlight? Denied to Out-Of-State Americans

    An American family considering Penn State may face a higher tuition rate if they live outside Pennsylvania. The Justice Department now wants the university to explain why its published guidance offers qualifying Dehumanizing label“illegals”Calling the students illegals reduces them to a criminal status label, while the suit concerns a tuition policy rather than individual conduct.More neutral: undocumented studentsDisagree with this highlight? access to the lower resident rate.

    Read at PJ Media (opens in a new tab)

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

    10 hr 48 min later

    Its first report, Nov 6, 12:57 AM EST

  • Center

    First to report

    The Hill, Nov 5, 2:09 PM EST

  • Right

    2 hr 34 min later

    Its first report, Nov 5, 4:43 PM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The HillCenterNov 5, 2:09 PM EST
  2. PJ MediaFar RightNov 5, 4:43 PM EST
  3. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftNov 6, 12:57 AM EST

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

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