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Man arrested after driving airport tug across tarmac at John Wayne Airport

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Coverage spectrum

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

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

A man was arrested on Tuesday evening after allegedly driving an airport tug across the airfield at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, according to police and airport officials. Authorities say he went through a restricted door from the terminal area around 5:30 p.m. and onto the ramp, drove the vehicle toward the American Airlines area and crashed it into another vehicle. He had been waiting for a Delta Air Lines flight to Seattle, according to reports, and was taken to a hospital. Authorities identified him as a 26-year-old man from Everett, Washington. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said he was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft, vandalism and trespassing. The episode briefly disrupted airport operations. It was unclear whether he was intoxicated.

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. Police and airport officials say a man went through a restricted door and onto the airfield at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

    Across the spectrumReported byFar Left1Left2Right1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Left
    The New York Times, CBS News
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    Fox News, RedState

  2. Police say the man drove an airport tug across the airfield and crashed it into another vehicle.

    Across the spectrumReported byFar Left1Left1Right1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Left
    CBS News
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    Fox News, RedState

  3. The man was arrested and taken to a hospital.

    Across the spectrumReported byFar Left1Left1Right1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Left
    CBS News
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    Fox News, RedState

  4. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said the man was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft, vandalism and trespassing.

    One outletNew York Post· Right

  5. The man was a passenger waiting for a Delta Air Lines flight to Seattle, according to authorities.

    Across the spectrumReported byFar Left1Left2Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Left
    The New York Times, CBS News
    Far Right
    Fox News, RedState

  6. Authorities identified the man as a 26-year-old from Everett, Washington.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    Fox News, RedState

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • The man intended to skip his flight.

    CBS News, citing police, says he decided to skip his flight. The Daily Beast says authorities have not disclosed what prompted him to leave the terminal. The New York Post says he was reportedly waiting for his flight.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    3 outlets

    The NYT and CBS headlines name the passenger and attribute the theft and crash to officials or police, while the Daily Beast, the Far Left outlet on this side, uses ‘Rogue Passenger’ and ‘Rampage’, language the right-side headlines also use in places.

    While waiting for Delta flight, police say man Euphemism“detoured”The word softens an alleged unauthorized entry onto the tarmac and theft of a vehicle into a minor route change.More neutral: left the terminalDisagree with this highlight?, allegedly stole and crashed airport vehicle
    CBS NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    No coverage yet

    No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the right

    2 outlets · 1 opinion

    The New York Post’s first headline is plain, but its second and Fox News’s headline use ‘unhinged’, ‘maniac’ and ‘reckless rampage’, and the Far Right RedState mocks the event with a scare-quoted ‘Adventure’; the Far Left Daily Beast uses similar wording, so this sensational style is not confined to one side.

    Wild moment Sensational language“unhinged”The adjective labels the man’s mental state without evidence in the article.More neutral: unidentifiedDisagree with this highlight? man steals airport tow vehicle for joyride around tarmac at California airport — as Dehumanizing label“maniac”The word reduces the man to a dangerous, irrational figure before any establishment of his state of mind.More neutral: manDisagree with this highlight? is unmasked
    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.

  • Left3

    Rogue PassengerRampagedetoured

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right7

    bizarremayhemIntruderreckless rampage

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    bizarreMore neutral: unusual

    The adjective adds a judgement about the event beyond the reported facts.

    The bizarre incident unfolded around 5:30 p.m., when the man walked out a door leading to the…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    Rogue PassengerMore neutral: Passenger

    The label pre-judges the man as a lawbreaker before the allegations are tested.

    Rogue Passenger Busted Over Wild Jet-Towing Vehicle Rampage

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    RampageMore neutral: incident

    The word suggests a violent or out-of-control spree, more than the reported driving and crash.

    Rogue Passenger Busted Over Wild Jet-Towing Vehicle Rampage

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    mayhemMore neutral: disruption

    The word exaggerates a disruption that other outlets describe as brief.

    A traveler's reckless rampage with an airport tug created mayhem at a California airport on Oct.

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

Show 6 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded modifier

    IntruderMore neutral: Man

    The label casts the man as an invader before the facts of his access are established.

    Intruder breaches airport security, takes stolen tarmac vehicle on reckless rampage

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    reckless rampageMore neutral: erratic drive

    The phrase adds drama and a sense of violence beyond the described driving.

    Intruder breaches airport security, takes stolen tarmac vehicle on reckless rampage

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    unhingedMore neutral: unidentified

    The adjective labels the man’s mental state without evidence in the article.

    Wild moment unhinged man steals airport tow vehicle for joyride around tarmac at California airport — as…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Dehumanizing label

    maniacMore neutral: man

    The word reduces the man to a dangerous, irrational figure before any establishment of his state of mind.

    …man steals airport tow vehicle for joyride around tarmac at California airport — as maniac is unmasked

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    AdventureMore neutral: actions

    The scare quotes mock the man’s conduct and signal a judgement rather than describing it.

    Delta Passenger's Idea of 'Adventure' at John Wayne Airport Lands Him at Hospital for 'Evaluation'

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Euphemism

    detouredMore neutral: left the terminal

    The word softens an alleged unauthorized entry onto the tarmac and theft of a vehicle into a minor route change.

    While waiting for Delta flight, police say man detoured, allegedly stole and crashed airport vehicle

    Used byCBS News (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

3 outlets

Leads with

  • the stolen airport vehicle and the crash
  • the official attribution of the allegations
  • the disruption to airport operations

Leaves out

  • the man’s age and hometown
  • the specific charges announced by the sheriff’s department

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

See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • CBS NewsLeft

    While waiting for Delta flight, police say man Euphemism“detoured”The word softens an alleged unauthorized entry onto the tarmac and theft of a vehicle into a minor route change.More neutral: left the terminalDisagree with this highlight?, allegedly stole and crashed airport vehicle

    Police say a Delta Air Lines passenger, bound for Seattle, decided to skip his flight, break out onto the tarmac of a Southern California airport and steal an airport vehicle. Kris Van Cleave reports on what happened next.

    Read at CBS News (opens in a new tab)
  • The New York TimesLeft

    Delta Passenger Steals and Crashes Airport Tug in California, Officials Say

    The episode briefly disrupted operations on Tuesday at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif., where the man went onto the tarmac, the authorities said.

    Read at The New York Times (opens in a new tab)
  • The Daily BeastFar Left

    Loaded modifier“Rogue Passenger”The label pre-judges the man as a lawbreaker before the allegations are tested.More neutral: PassengerDisagree with this highlight? Busted Over Wild Jet-Towing Vehicle Sensational language“Rampage”The word suggests a violent or out-of-control spree, more than the reported driving and crash.More neutral: incidentDisagree with this highlight?

    A passenger at John Wayne Airport sparked a bizarre airfield chase Tuesday night after allegedly stealing a vehicle used to tow aircraft. The incident began around 5:30 p.m. …

    Read at The Daily Beast (opens in a new tab)

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

2 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • the breach of restricted airport areas
  • the video of the vehicle
  • the man’s identity and hometown
  • the charges announced by the sheriff’s department

Leaves out

  • the airport said normal activity resumed soon after the episode
  • authorities have not disclosed what prompted the man to leave the terminal

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

See the 3 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

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

    12 hr 43 min later

    Its first report, Oct 7, 12:51 PM EDT

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    First to report

    New York Post, Oct 7, 12:08 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. New York PostRightOct 7, 12:08 AM EDT
  2. The Daily BeastFar LeftOct 7, 12:51 PM EDT
  3. The New York TimesLeftOct 7, 6:45 PM EDT
  4. Fox NewsFar RightOct 8, 6:53 PM EDT
  5. CBS NewsLeftOct 8, 8:07 PM EDT

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

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