Climate & EnvironmentBreaking
Magnitude 7.6 to 7.7 earthquake strikes Panama, prompting tsunami warnings
By Mantle News
Coverage spectrum
Covered by 15 outlets across the spectrum.
25 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias
A powerful earthquake struck Panama on Friday, October 9. Outlets give its magnitude as 7.6 or 7.7, based on the U.S. Geological Survey. Tsunami warnings were issued for Panama and several neighboring countries. Buildings were damaged and people evacuated, and the epicenter was about 10 kilometers southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba. Some outlets report two quakes, of magnitude 7.7 and 6.6, and more than 100 aftershocks. The Associated Press reports that the government of Panama declared a state of emergency on Saturday, and officials did not attribute any deaths to the quakes.
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.
A strong earthquake struck Panama on Friday, October 9, with its epicenter near the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba.
Reported byLeft2Center1Right1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
- Left
- ABC News, The Guardian
- Center
- Deutsche Welle
- Right
- New York Post
- Far Right
- Fox News
The main quake is reported at magnitude 7.6 by some outlets and 7.7 by others, citing the U.S. Geological Survey.
Across the spectrumReported byLeft4Center4Right2Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
- Left
- ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, The Guardian
- Center
- Newsweek, France 24, Deutsche Welle, BBC News
- Right
- The Washington Times, New York Post
- Far Right
- Fox News, One America News
Tsunami warnings were issued for Panama and several neighboring countries.
Reported byLeft2Center4Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
- Left
- ABC News, NBC News
- Center
- Newsweek, France 24, Deutsche Welle, BBC News
- Far Right
- Fox News
Buildings were damaged and people evacuated, with reports of collapsed buildings near the epicenter.
Reported byLeft2Center1Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
- Left
- CBS News, The Guardian
- Center
- BBC News
- Right
- The Washington Times, New York Post
Two quakes, of magnitude 7.7 and 6.6, were reported, followed by more than 100 aftershocks.
Reported byLeft1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
- Left
- The Guardian
- Right
- The Washington Times
The government of Panama declared a state of emergency on Saturday, and officials said 27 people had been reported injured and did not attribute any deaths to the quakes.
One outletThe Guardian· Left
What is contested
Where accounts differ
Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.
The main earthquake had a magnitude of 7.6.
Fox News, One America News, ABC News, Newsweek, France 24 and Deutsche Welle give 7.6, with Fox citing a USGS lowering from an earlier 8.0. CBS News, NBC News, the BBC, the Guardian, the New York Post and the Washington Times give 7.7.
Two earthquakes struck Panama.
The Washington Times and the Guardian report two quakes, of magnitude 7.7 and 6.6. The other outlets describe a single quake followed by aftershocks.
How each side tells it
Compare views
All sides report a magnitude 7.6 or 7.7 earthquake in Panama on Friday, with tsunami warnings and damaged buildings. The main difference is emphasis: most headlines stress the magnitude and tsunami alerts, while the right adds dramatic scenes and a magnitude revision.
the left
6 outlets
Left headlines name the magnitude as 7.6 or 7.7 and lead with the tsunami threat or the damage; the Guardian, on an AP report, leads with a quote about the state of emergency.
Panama struck by magnitude 7.7 earthquake, U.S. Geological Survey says
CBS NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines the center
4 outlets
Center headlines stress the magnitude and tsunami alerts and use words such as powerful, strong and massive to describe the quake.
Strong earthquake shakes Panama, prompting tsunami alert
Deutsche WelleCenterAll center headlines the right
5 outlets · 1 opinion
Right headlines range from plain, as in One America News, to dramatic, as in Fox News and the New York Post; the Washington Times stresses two quakes and aftershocks.
Sensational language“Terrified”The headline asserts the shoppers’ emotional state, which the report does not establish.More neutral: ShoppersDisagree with this highlight? shoppers flee supermarket as 7.7 earthquake hits Panama
New York PostRightAll 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
roiled
Center1
setting off panic
Right2
MassiveTerrified
In the outlets’ own words
Sensational language
MassiveMore neutral: Strong
The word adds drama that the measured magnitude does not require, and a neutral headline can state the magnitude alone.
Massive 7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes Panama as officials investigate potential tsunami…
Used byFox News (Far Right)
Sensational language
setting off panicMore neutral: prompting people to leave buildings
It describes the crowd’s mood as dramatic panic without a named source, where a neutral wording describing the reaction was available.
A major earthquake shook on Friday, setting off panic in the capital city, with the US Geological Survey measuring the quake at 7.6…
Used byFrance 24 (Center)
Loaded verb
roiledMore neutral: shook
Roiled suggests turmoil beyond the reported damage, which the word shook describes without that colour.
…a state of emergency on Saturday as the aftershocks of two powerful earthquakes that roiled the country shook communities for hours.
Used byThe Guardian (Left)
Sensational language
TerrifiedMore neutral: Shoppers
The headline asserts the shoppers’ emotional state, which the report does not establish.
Terrified shoppers flee supermarket as 7.7 earthquake hits Panama
Used byNew York Post (Right)
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
6 outletsLeads with
- Magnitude figure from USGS
- Tsunami threat
- State of emergency and aftershocks
Leaves out
- Earlier USGS magnitude estimate of 8.0
Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.
See the 7 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
‘It was a terrible thing’: Panama declares state of emergency as quake aftershocks rattle communities
More than 100 aftershocks as high as magnitude-5.8 recorded after two quakes toppled buildings and prompted evacuations Panama’s government has declared a state of emergency on Saturday as the aftershocks of two powerful earthquakes that roiled the country shook communities for …
Dual quakes devastate southern Panama
Panama’s president has declared a major disaster after two earthquakes struck the country’s south.
1 more from Al Jazeera English
- CBS NewsLeft
Panama hit with 7.7 magnitude earthquake
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Panama on Friday, shaking buildings and prompting evacuations, the U.S. Geological Survey said. American author Sahil Bloom, who was visiting the country for an event, joins CBS News to discuss what it was like when the quake hit.
1 more from CBS News
Large Earthquake in Panama Sets Off Tsunami Alert
The quake was centered in the country’s southern region and was followed by strong aftershocks in the hour that followed.
- NBC NewsLeft
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocks Panama
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake shook the southwest coast of Panama on Friday, prompting tsunami warnings for several neighboring countries.
- The GuardianLeft
Powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake hits Panama and triggers tsunami warnings
Hazardous waves are possible in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake has struck Panama and triggered tsunami warnings along the west coast of Central and South America, according to the US Geological Survey …
- ABC NewsLeft
Tsunami threat after 7.6 magnitude earthquake recorded in Panama
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System has issued a tsunami threat due to the earthquake, which was reported 10 km west-southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, Panama.
From the center
4 outletsLeads with
- Tsunami alert for the region
- Powerful quake shaking Panama
- Damaged buildings and evacuations
Leaves out
- Second quake of magnitude 6.6
- State of emergency declared on Saturday
Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.
See the 4 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
- BBC NewsCenter
Powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake hits Panama, damaging buildings
Tsunami warnings are issued for neighbouring countries as videos of destruction circulate online.
- Deutsche WelleCenter
Strong earthquakes shake Panama, prompting tsunami alert
Tremors were felt in the capital city, triggering a tsunami warning in Central and South America.
- France 24Center
🔴 Powerful 7.6 magnitude quake shakes Panama, triggering tsunami warning
A strong 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck near the southern coast of Panama on Friday at a 10 km depth, according to the US Geological Survey, shaking buildings as far away as the capital and prompting evacuations. …
- NewsweekCenter
West Coast Tsunami Warning After Massive 7.6 Earthquake Rocks Panama
A massive 7.6-magnitude earthquake was recorded in Panama on Friday.
From the right
5 outlets · 1 opinionLeads with
- Fear among shoppers
- Magnitude revision from 8.0
- Two quakes and aftershocks
Leaves out
- State of emergency and damage across all ten provinces
- Officials not attributing any deaths
Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.
See the 6 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
- New York PostRight
Panama Reporters Shocked and Confused as 7.7 Earthquake hits during live broadcast
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Panama on Oct 9, catching sports presenters off guard during a live broadcast. Footage from RPC Deportes shows the moment the studio began shaking, prompting the reporters to react as the tremors hit.
Unnerved Panamanians sleep in streets as aftershocks rattle quake-hit towns
LA VILLA DE LOS SANTOS, Panama (AP) — Unnerved residents of rural Panama awoke Saturday on the streets as the aftershocks of two powerful earthquakes that roiled the country shook their communities for hours. …
- The Washington TimesRight
Unnerved Panamanians sleep in streets as aftershocks rattle quake-hit towns
Unnerved residents of rural Panama awoke Saturday on the streets as the aftershocks of two powerful earthquakes that roiled the country shook their communities for hours.
1 more from The Washington Times
- One America NewsFar Right
7.6 earthquake strikes southern Panama
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck southern Panama on Friday, according to the latest reviewed data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
- Fox NewsFar Right
Sensational language“Massive”The word adds drama that the measured magnitude does not require, and a neutral headline can state the magnitude alone.More neutral: StrongDisagree with this highlight? 7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes Panama as officials investigate potential tsunami threat
A powerful earthquake struck Panama's southern coast Friday, prompting officials to investigate a possible tsunami threat after the USGS lowered its magnitude estimate from 8.0 to 7.6.
Here's What We Know About the Major Earthquake in Panama
It's been quite a year for earthquakes, hasn't it? In Latin America specifically, there were two major earthquakes in Venezuela in late June that killed thousands, and a big one in Colombia in August that did quite a bit of damage. …
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 9, 2:25 PM EDT
Center
9 min later
Its first report, Oct 9, 2:34 PM EDT
Right
11 min later
Its first report, Oct 9, 2:36 PM EDT
See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
- ABC NewsLeftOct 9, 2:25 PM EDT
- The GuardianLeftOct 9, 2:29 PM EDT
- NewsweekCenterOct 9, 2:34 PM EDT
- Fox NewsFar RightOct 9, 2:36 PM EDT
- France 24CenterOct 9, 2:41 PM EDT
- One America NewsFar RightOct 9, 2:42 PM EDT
- CBS NewsLeftOct 9, 2:46 PM EDT
- NBC NewsLeftOct 9, 3:01 PM EDT
- Deutsche WelleCenterOct 9, 3:03 PM EDT
- The New York TimesLeftOct 9, 3:09 PM EDT
- Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 9, 3:22 PM EDT
- BBC NewsCenterOct 9, 3:39 PM EDT
- New York PostRightOct 9, 4:44 PM EDT
- The Washington TimesRightOct 9, 5:28 PM EDT
- Washington ExaminerRightOct 10, 1:25 PM EDT
Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.
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