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Lawyer says woman who accused seven Cornell fraternity members faces threats

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 6 outlets, mostly right-leaning (66%).

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

Cornell University stone entrance sign with red flowers, and a person walking nearby on a path.
Image via The FederalistHow images are chosenReport this image

A woman who has filed a civil lawsuit accusing seven members of a Cornell University fraternity of sexually assaulting her in October 2024 faces threats and doxxing, according to her lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, who says she is terrified. Text messages between the woman and one of the accused men, published as screenshots by TMZ, have been cited in coverage, and Giuffra has dismissed them, saying she was suffering from delayed recognition when she sent them. Some outlets say the messages cast doubt on her claim that her participation was involuntary, and her lawyer rejects that reading.

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. A former Cornell student says she was sexually assaulted at a fraternity in October 2024, and her lawyer maintains the allegations.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Right2Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    ABC News
    Center
    Newsweek
    Right
    Washington Examiner, Daily Mail
    Far Right
    The Federalist, Breitbart News

  2. She has filed a civil lawsuit naming seven fraternity members.

    Reported byCenter1Right1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    Newsweek
    Right
    Washington Examiner
    Far Right
    Breitbart News

  3. Her lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, says she faces threats and doxxing and is terrified.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    ABC News
    Center
    Newsweek
    Right
    Washington Examiner

  4. Her lawyer says her mental health has deteriorated since she came forward.

    One outletWashington Examiner· Right

  5. Text messages between her and one accused man, published by TMZ, are cited as casting doubt on whether she took part willingly; her lawyer says she was suffering delayed recognition when she sent them.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    Daily Mail
    Far Right
    The Federalist, Breitbart News

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • The text messages show the woman did not take part involuntarily.

    Federalist and Breitbart say the messages, including ‘our body our choice’, cast doubt on her claim that her participation was involuntary. Her lawyer says she was suffering delayed recognition when she sent them and maintains her allegations.

  • Major reports left out a comment from the texts.

    The Federalist says The New York Times and CBS New York omitted the ‘our body our choice’ comment from reports based on the same text thread; those reports are not in the supplied coverage, so the claim cannot be checked here.

  • The name of the fraternity.

    The Washington Examiner names it Phi Chi, while Breitbart names it Chi Phi.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    1 outlet · 1 opinion

    The left coverage here is an ABC News report led by the lawyer’s account of threats and criticism of Cornell, and a Guardian opinion column that presents the story as a case of victim-blaming.

    Attorney says Jane Doe facing threats, calls out alleged 'failures' of Cornell
    ABC NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    Newsweek’s single report leads with the lawyer’s quote that the accuser is ‘absolutely terrified’ amid threats, attributing the claim to the attorney.

    Cornell Accuser 'Absolutely Terrified' Amid Threats, Lawyer Says
    NewsweekCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    4 outlets

    Right-side headlines divide: the Washington Examiner and Daily Mail lead with threats and the lawyer’s rejection of the texts, while the far-right Federalist and Breitbart lead with the ‘our body our choice’ text, and the Federalist headline accuses ‘Legacy Media’ of leaving it out.

    Report — Cornell Accuser Jane Doe on Alleged Assault: ‘Our Body Our Choice’
    Breitbart NewsFar 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.

  • Left2

    explosive lawsuitwithout fail

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right5

    newly-unearthedtrashescasually describedLegacy Media

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    explosive lawsuitMore neutral: lawsuit

    The word explosive adds drama in the outlet’s own voice where a plain description of the lawsuit would do.

    …a series of threats and doxxing attempts in the three weeks since filing her explosive lawsuit, her attorney told ABC News.

    Used byABC News (Left)

  • Sensational language

    newly-unearthedMore neutral: text messages

    The word implies the texts were hidden and discovered, which the article does not establish.

    …who accused a group of fraternity brothers of gang raping her has dismissed newly-unearthed text messages his client sent suggesting the sexual encounter was consensual.

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    trashesMore neutral: rejects

    The verb signals contempt in the outlet’s own voice, where a neutral verb would report the same rejection of the texts without judgement.

    Cornell Jane Doe's lawyer trashes new texts that suggest alleged gang-rape was consensual and says she was suffering…

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    casually describedMore neutral: described

    The verb adds a judgement about the woman’s state of mind that the quoted messages do not establish.

    Doe, who now claims she was raped, casually described the incident as a “gangbang” in the message sent days after it took place.

    Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

Show 3 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Delegitimizing label

    Legacy MediaMore neutral: The New York Times and CBS New York

    The label dismisses mainstream outlets as a group without evidence, when the headline could name the specific reports it means.

    Legacy Media Reports On Cornell Jane Doe’s Texts Left Out ‘Our Body Our Choice’ Comment

    Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    defendedMore neutral: wrote about

    The word implies she endorsed the encounter, while the cited messages are described as referring to it.

    Cornell University's Jane Doe student reportedly defended “the gangbang” and wrote “our body our choice asf” in text messages sent two days…

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Absolutist framing

    without failMore neutral: often

    It presents a generalization about every such case as an invariable pattern, which the column does not establish.

    …a story about a woman being raped becomes headline news, the same pattern repeats without fail If she really was raped, why didn’t she speak up earlier?

    Used byThe Guardian (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 · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • threats and doxxing against the woman
  • alleged failures of Cornell
  • victim-blaming in rape cases

Leaves out

  • text messages published by TMZ
  • the claim that the texts suggest the encounter was consensual

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

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • ABC NewsLeft

    Attorney says Jane Doe facing threats, calls out alleged 'failures' of Cornell

    The former Cornell student who reported an alleged gang rape at a campus fraternity has faced a series of threats and doxxing attempts, her attorney told ABC News.

    Read at ABC News (opens in a new tab)
  • The GuardianLeftOpinion

    The Jane Doe in the Cornell seven case is getting threats | Arwa Mahdawi

    Every time a story about a woman being raped becomes headline news, the same pattern repeats Absolutist framing“without fail”It presents a generalization about every such case as an invariable pattern, which the column does not establish.More neutral: oftenDisagree with this highlight? If she really was raped, why didn’t she speak up earlier? Why did she get drunk? Why was she wearing such a short skirt? Why did she walk home by herself? …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • the lawyer’s description of her fear
  • repeated threats since the civil lawsuit
  • the lawsuit itself

Leaves out

  • text messages published by TMZ
  • alleged failures of Cornell raised by her attorney

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

See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • NewsweekCenter

    Cornell Accuser 'Absolutely Terrified' Amid Threats, Lawyer Says

    The former Cornell student allegedly raped in 2024 has been repeatedly threatened since filing a civil lawsuit, her attorney said.

    Read at Newsweek (opens in a new tab)

From the right

4 outlets

Leads with

  • the ‘our body our choice’ comment
  • text messages and doubts about consent
  • criticism of major outlets for omitting the texts
  • death threats and swatting

Leaves out

  • alleged failures of Cornell raised by her attorney

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

See the 4 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • Breitbart NewsFar Right

    Report — Cornell Accuser Jane Doe on Alleged Assault: ‘Our Body Our Choice’

    Cornell University's Jane Doe student reportedly Loaded verb“defended”The word implies she endorsed the encounter, while the cited messages are described as referring to it.More neutral: wrote aboutDisagree with this highlight? “the gangbang” and wrote “our body our choice asf” in text messages sent two days after the alleged sexual assault she would later describe in a lawsuit as rape, according to a text chain published Wednesday.

    Read at Breitbart News (opens in a new tab)
  • The FederalistFar Right

    Delegitimizing label“Legacy Media”The label dismisses mainstream outlets as a group without evidence, when the headline could name the specific reports it means.More neutral: The New York Times and CBS New YorkDisagree with this highlight? Reports On Cornell Jane Doe’s Texts Left Out ‘Our Body Our Choice’ Comment

    'Our body our choice,' Jane Doe wrote in a text exchange with one of the men she has accused, according to screenshots published by TMZ.

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

    Cornell Jane Doe's lawyer Loaded verb“trashes”The verb signals contempt in the outlet’s own voice, where a neutral verb would report the same rejection of the texts without judgement.More neutral: rejectsDisagree with this highlight? new texts that suggest alleged gang-rape was consensual and says she was suffering from 'delayed recognition' when she sent them

    Attorney Thomas Giuffra told the Daily Mail that his client, identified under the pseudonym Jane Doe, maintains her allegations that she was drugged and sexually assaulted at the fraternity in October 2024.

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

    Cornell case death threats and swatting makes Jane Doe ‘terrified,’ lawyer says

    The woman accusing seven members of Cornell University’s Phi Chi fraternity of gang raping her is facing death threats and was recently swatted, leaving her “terrified,” her lawyers said this week. …

    Read at Washington Examiner (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

    ABC News, Oct 8, 1:02 PM EDT

  • Center

    3 hr 23 min later

    Its first report, Oct 8, 4:26 PM EDT

  • Right

    1 hr 6 min later

    Its first report, Oct 8, 2:08 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. ABC NewsLeftOct 8, 1:02 PM EDT
  2. Washington ExaminerRightOct 8, 2:08 PM EDT
  3. NewsweekCenterOct 8, 4:26 PM EDT
  4. Daily MailRightOct 9, 1:02 PM EDT
  5. The FederalistFar RightOct 9, 3:15 PM EDT
  6. Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 9, 3:23 PM EDT

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

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