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McDonald’s tests cheaper menu items as U.S. sales slow

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets, mostly center (67%).

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

McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said Wednesday on an earnings call that the company has begun an eight-week test of lower-priced bundles and menu items at 1,900 U.S. restaurants, according to CBS News and the Associated Press. The announcement came with weak results: U.S. same-store sales were reported at 0.2% for July to September. CBS News reports that U.S. foot traffic fell 4.6% from a year earlier, citing Placer.ai data, and that Kempczinski acknowledged the chain had not met low-income diners’ expectations for entry-level value. AP reports that about 4,000 franchisees have launched bundles of their own. CBS News reports that McDonald’s is aiming for a national launch in 2027.

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. McDonald’s has begun an eight-week test of lower-priced bundles and menu items at 1,900 U.S. locations, Kempczinski said.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    CBS News
    Center
    Scripps News

  2. Kempczinski said McDonald’s has not done enough to meet low-income diners’ expectations for entry-level value.

    One outletCBS News· Left

  3. Placer.ai data showed overall foot traffic at McDonald’s U.S. stores down 4.6% from a year earlier.

    One outletCBS News· Left

  4. About 4,000 franchisees have launched their own meal bundles without waiting for the test results, Kempczinski said.

    One outletScripps News· Center

  5. McDonald’s is aiming to launch the new offerings nationally in 2027, Kempczinski said.

    One outletCBS News· Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Questions the coverage answers differently, and who says what.

  • Did McDonald’s U.S. same-store sales rise or fall in July to September?

    CBS News reports comparable sales growth of 0.2%, down from 2.4% a year earlier. The Associated Press reports that same-store sales fell 0.2%, which was less than the 0.5% drop Wall Street had expected.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides report that McDonald’s is testing cheaper menu options and that its sales have slowed. The left frames the move as a response to inflation-weary customers, while the center focuses on competition and the sales decline.

  • the left

    1 outlet

    CBS News leads with the plan to cut prices on the menu and frames it as a response to slowing sales and inflation-weary customers.

    McDonald's plans to cook up cheaper menu items as sales slow
    CBS NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    2 outlets

    Center headlines describe a value menu being tested or rolled out, with MarketWatch stressing discount competition and AP’s headline, carried by Scripps News, stressing the sales decline.

    McDonald’s tests new value menu as fast-food discount wars heat up
    MarketWatchCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    No coverage yet

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

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

    lure

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right

    Has not covered this story.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    lureMore neutral: attract

    The verb presents the company’s pricing move as manipulative attraction rather than a plain description of offering cheaper items.

    McDonald's plans to offer more lower-priced menu items next year as it tries to lure inflation-weary customers struggling with the cost of living.

    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

1 outlet

Leads with

  • response to slowing sales
  • cost-conscious customers
  • national launch in 2027

Leaves out

  • Franchisee bundles launched before the test results
  • Analysts’ expectation of a 0.5% sales drop

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

See the headline from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

2 outlets

Leads with

  • value menu testing
  • fast-food discount competition
  • declining sales

Leaves out

  • Kempczinski’s acknowledgement that the chain missed low-income diners’ expectations

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

See the 2 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • MarketWatchCenter

    McDonald’s tests new value menu as fast-food discount wars heat up

    The burger chain is overhauling its menu and seeking to deliver a “clear and compelling value proposition.”

    Read at MarketWatch (opens in a new tab)
  • Scripps NewsCenterAssociated Press report

    McDonald’s rolls out new value menu items as sales decline

    McDonald's plans to introduce new value-oriented meal bundles early next year after a disappointing third quarter that saw lower traffic at U.S. restaurants. …

    Read at Scripps News (opens in a new tab)

From the right

0 outlets

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

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

    5 hr 16 min later

    Its first report, Nov 4, 5:04 PM EST

  • Center

    First to report

    Scripps News, Nov 4, 11:48 AM EST

  • Right

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Scripps NewsCenterNov 4, 11:48 AM EST
  2. MarketWatchCenterNov 4, 3:41 PM EST
  3. CBS NewsLeftNov 4, 5:04 PM EST

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

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