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Michigan credit union CEO leaves job after AI-edited 'Lake America' sweatshirt photo

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets across the spectrum.

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

Jane Smith, CEO of Family First Credit Union in Saginaw, Michigan, is no longer employed there after posting an AI-edited photo of her family in sweatshirts reading "Lake America" as they departed for a trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on September 11. The name references President Donald Trump's move to rename Lake Ontario. Smith told a Michigan outlet the post was meant to poke fun at the renaming and was not intended as a political statement. Family First Credit Union announced on a Wednesday that Smith was no longer with the company, apologized for the concern the situation caused, and named Jason Acosta as interim CEO.

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. Jane Smith posted an AI-edited photo of her family wearing 'Lake America' sweatshirts before a trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on September 11.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  2. Family First Credit Union announced Smith is no longer with the company.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  3. The 'Lake America' name references Trump's renaming of Lake Ontario.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  4. Smith said the sweatshirts were not meant as a political statement but as a joke about the lake's renaming.

    Reported byLeft

  5. Jason Acosta, the chief operations officer, was named interim CEO.

    Reported byLeft

  6. The company apologized on Facebook for the 'concern, disappointment and pain' the situation caused.

    Reported byLeft

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • Whether Smith was fired or left under another arrangement

    The Daily Beast and The Independent describe her as 'fired,' while the credit union itself and CNBC's coverage state only that she is 'no longer with the company,' without confirming the manner of her departure.

  • Whether Family First Credit Union is described as a bank or a credit union

    The Independent refers to it as a 'Michigan bank,' while other outlets consistently identify it as Family First Credit Union, a credit union rather than a bank.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    2 outlets · 1 opinion

    Left-side headlines mostly describe the outcome plainly as a job loss, though the opinion outlet frames it as the post 'backfiring' on the CEO.

    CEO Loaded verb“fired”Presents her departure as a confirmed firing when the company only stated she was 'no longer with the company,' a distinction other outlets preserve.More neutral: loses jobDisagree with this highlight? over viral photo of family in ‘Lake America’ sweatshirts
    The IndependentLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The center outlet uses a neutral, understated phrase ('no longer with the company') to describe her departure.

    CEO who posted 'Lake America' sweatshirt photos is no longer with the company
    CNBCCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    The right-side outlet emphasizes that the sweatshirts 'never existed,' underscoring the AI fabrication as central to the story.

    CEO Out Of A Job Over ‘Lake America’ Sweatshirts That Never Existed
    The Daily WireFar 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.

  • Left6

    has been firedAI slop tributeTrumpyBackfires Spectacularly

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    has been firedMore neutral: is no longer employed

    States as settled fact that she was fired for the post when the company's own statement did not confirm this was the reason for her departure.

    A Michigan-based executive has been fired over her AI slop tribute to President Donald Trump.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    AI slop tributeMore neutral: AI-generated image

    Dismissively characterizes the AI-generated image in a way that passes judgment rather than describing it neutrally.

    A Michigan-based executive has been fired over her AI slop tribute to President Donald Trump.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    TrumpyMore neutral: Trump-themed

    Casually labels the post in a dismissive tone rather than describing its content neutrally.

    CEO’s Trumpy ‘Lake America’ Post Backfires Spectacularly

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    Backfires SpectacularlyMore neutral: Draws Backlash

    Dramatizes the outcome of the post beyond a neutral description of consequences.

    CEO’s Trumpy ‘Lake America’ Post Backfires Spectacularly

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

Show 2 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded modifier

    controversial moveMore neutral: renaming

    Characterizes Trump's renaming of the lake as controversial without attributing that judgment to anyone.

    President Donald Trump renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America in a controversial move last month

    Used byThe Independent (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    firedMore neutral: loses job

    Presents her departure as a confirmed firing when the company only stated she was 'no longer with the company,' a distinction other outlets preserve.

    CEO fired over viral photo of family in ‘Lake America’ sweatshirts

    Used byThe Independent (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

2 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • the AI-generated nature of the photo
  • the personal fallout for Smith
  • details of the credit union's response
See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • The IndependentLeft

    CEO Loaded verb“fired”Presents her departure as a confirmed firing when the company only stated she was 'no longer with the company,' a distinction other outlets preserve.More neutral: loses jobDisagree with this highlight? over viral photo of family in ‘Lake America’ sweatshirts

    President Donald Trump renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America in a Loaded modifier“controversial move”Characterizes Trump's renaming of the lake as controversial without attributing that judgment to anyone.More neutral: renamingDisagree with this highlight? last month

    Read at The Independent (opens in a new tab)
  • The GuardianLeft

    Michigan CEO loses job after posting AI-made image of her family in ‘Lake America’ sweaters

    Jane Smith reportedly used ChatGPT to edit photo to show name Trump ordered US agencies to use for Lake Ontario amid trade war with Canada The CEO of a Michigan credit union is no longer employed there, according to the organization, after she posted on social media what …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)
  • The Daily BeastFar LeftOpinion

    CEO’s Loaded modifier“Trumpy”Casually labels the post in a dismissive tone rather than describing its content neutrally.More neutral: Trump-themedDisagree with this highlight? ‘Lake America’ Post Sensational language“Backfires Spectacularly”Dramatizes the outcome of the post beyond a neutral description of consequences.More neutral: Draws BacklashDisagree with this highlight?

    A Michigan-based executive Loaded verb“has been fired”States as settled fact that she was fired for the post when the company's own statement did not confirm this was the reason for her departure.More neutral: is no longer employedDisagree with this highlight? over her Loaded modifier“AI slop tribute”Dismissively characterizes the AI-generated image in a way that passes judgment rather than describing it neutrally.More neutral: AI-generated imageDisagree with this highlight? to President Donald Trump. Jane Smith was the CEO of Family First Credit Union when she took a trip to Halifax, Canada, with her family and posed at Detroit airport for a happy snap on September 11. …

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

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • confirmation the photo was allegedly AI-edited
  • factual description of the post

Leaves out

  • Smith's explanation that the post was not political
  • the interim CEO appointment

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

See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • CNBCCenter

    CEO who posted 'Lake America' sweatshirt photos is no longer with the company

    Smith on Sept. 11 had posted an allegedly AI-edited photo on Facebook of her family dressed in "Lake America" sweatshirts.

    Read at CNBC (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • the sweatshirts being fake/AI-generated
  • details of the family's travel plans
  • the online backlash that preceded her exit

Leaves out

  • the company's apology statement
  • the interim CEO appointment

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

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Daily WireFar Right

    CEO Out Of A Job Over ‘Lake America’ Sweatshirts That Never Existed

    Jane Smith, the now-former CEO of Family First Credit Union in Saginaw, Michigan, is no longer employed by the company after an AI-generated family photograph joking about President Donald Trump’s renaming of Lake Ontario went viral and sparked an online backlash. …

    Read at The Daily Wire (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

    8 hr 48 min later

    Its first report, Sep 25, 6:21 PM EDT

  • Center

    First to report

    CNBC, Sep 25, 9:32 AM EDT

  • Right

    5 hr 41 min later

    Its first report, Sep 25, 3:13 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. CNBCCenterSep 25, 9:32 AM EDT
  2. The Daily WireFar RightSep 25, 3:13 PM EDT
  3. The GuardianLeftSep 25, 6:21 PM EDT
  4. The IndependentLeftSep 27, 12:23 PM EDT

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

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