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North Korean state media publishes photos of Kim Jong Un amid death rumors

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Coverage spectrum

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

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

Two side-by-side photos of a man in a dark suit touring a store displaying clothing and shoes, with a woman assisting.
Image via New York PostHow images are chosenReport this image

North Korean state media has published photographs of leader Kim Jong Un attending a shoe and clothing exhibition with his daughter. The images came after unverified rumors spread online that Kim had died, suffered a brain hemorrhage or fallen into a coma. The Daily Beast reports that the photos were taken at a Pyongyang exhibition on October 19. The BBC describes the death rumors as unsubstantiated, and the Washington Examiner says Kim appeared well. The New York Post and the Washington Times call the images proof-of-life photos. The coverage supplied does not include independent confirmation of when or where the photos were taken.

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. North Korean state media published photos of leader Kim Jong Un attending a shoe and clothing exhibition with his daughter.

    Reported byFar Left1Center1Right3See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Center
    BBC News
    Right
    New York Post, Washington Examiner, The Washington Times

  2. Online rumors said Kim had died, had suffered a brain hemorrhage or had fallen into a coma; the BBC describes the rumors as unsubstantiated.

    Reported byFar Left1Center1Right2Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Center
    BBC News
    Right
    New York Post, Washington Examiner
    Far Right
    Townhall

  3. The Daily Beast reports that the photos were taken at a Pyongyang exhibition on October 19.

    One outletThe Daily Beast· Far Left

  4. The Washington Examiner says the images show Kim appearing well and fit.

    One outletWashington Examiner· Right

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • Kim Jong Un had died or fallen into a coma.

    Online rumors said so. The BBC calls the rumor unsubstantiated, the Daily Beast says the photos show he is back, and the Washington Examiner says the images show him appearing well.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides report North Korean state media photos of Kim Jong Un with his daughter after online death rumors. Right-side headlines call the images proof of life, the Daily Beast says Kim has resurfaced, and the BBC asks why such rumors keep returning.

  • the left

    1 outlet

    The Daily Beast headline says Kim resurfaces after wild death rumors, and its description says he appears to be back from the dead, presenting the photos as a reversal of the rumors.

    Kim Jong Un Resurfaces After Wild Death Rumors
    The Daily BeastFar LeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The BBC headline leads with the published photos, then asks why rumors of Kim's death keep coming back, placing the event in a longer pattern.

    North Korea publishes photos of Kim Jong Un - why do rumours of his death keep coming back?
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    4 outlets

    Right-side headlines frame the images as proof of life or a rebuttal to viral death rumors; the Far Right Townhall instead asks whether Kim is dead.

    North Korean outlet issues proof-of-life photos of Kim Jong-un
    The Washington TimesRightAll 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

    back from the deadamid rumors

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right3

    wild rumorsstormed social mediafeverish speculation

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    wild rumorsMore neutral: rumors

    “Wild” labels the rumors as absurd before the facts are weighed.

    …of life” photos showing Kim Jong Un inspecting shoes and women’s clothing — after wild rumors swept social media claiming the dictator had died from a brain hemorrhage.

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    stormed social mediaMore neutral: spread on social media

    “Stormed” dramatizes the spread of the claims beyond what the reporting describes.

    …photos of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un on Monday after viral rumors of his death stormed social media over the weekend.

    Used byWashington Examiner (Right)

  • Sensational language

    feverish speculationMore neutral: widespread speculation

    The phrase adds drama to the level of public discussion without adding facts.

    …health of Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s communist dictator, became the subject of feverish speculation.

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    back from the deadMore neutral: appears to be alive and in public

    The phrase presents the appearance of Kim in dramatic terms of resurrection, while the photos only show him at an exhibition.

    North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un appears to be back from the dead after the state-run media published photos of the supreme leader amid rumors of…

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

Show 1 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Vague attribution

    amid rumorsMore neutral: report only what can be confirmed, or name the source of the rumor

    Publishes a rumor while disclaiming it.

    …from the dead after the state-run media published photos of the supreme leader amid rumors of his passing.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far 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

  • Kim reappearing after death rumors
  • exhibition on October 19
  • rumors of brain hemorrhage or coma

Leaves out

  • that the death rumors were unsubstantiated

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

See the headline from the leftHide the headlines
  • The Daily BeastFar Left

    Kim Jong Un Resurfaces After Wild Death Rumors

    North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un appears to be Sensational language“back from the dead”The phrase presents the appearance of Kim in dramatic terms of resurrection, while the photos only show him at an exhibition.More neutral: appears to be alive and in publicDisagree with this highlight? after the state-run media published photos of the supreme leader Vague attribution“amid rumors”Publishes a rumor while disclaiming it.More neutral: report only what can be confirmed, or name the source of the rumorDisagree with this highlight? of his passing. …

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

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • recurring death rumors
  • unsubstantiated rumor
  • photos of Kim with his daughter
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • BBC NewsCenter

    North Korea publishes photos of Kim Jong Un - why do rumours of his death keep coming back?

    North Korean state media has published photos of the dictator with his daughter after the unsubstantiated rumour spread.

    Read at BBC News (opens in a new tab)

From the right

4 outlets

Leads with

  • proof-of-life photos
  • viral death rumors
  • Kim appearing well and fit

Leaves out

  • the October 19 date of the Pyongyang exhibition

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

See the 4 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • TownhallFar Right

    Is Kim Jong Un Dead? Wild Rumors About the North Korean Dictator Are Spreading Online.

    Some wild rumors were circulating online Monday as the health of Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s communist dictator, became the subject of Sensational language“feverish speculation”The phrase adds drama to the level of public discussion without adding facts.More neutral: widespread speculationDisagree with this highlight?.

    Read at Townhall (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington TimesRight

    North Korean outlet issues proof-of-life photos of Kim Jong-un

    North Korean state media posted photographs on Tuesday of dictator Kim Jong-un attending a shoe and clothing exposition with his daughter, as rumors of his death went viral on social media.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    North Korea releases photos of Kim Jong Un at clothing expo after viral death rumors

    North Korean state media published photos of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un on Monday after viral rumors of his death stormed social media over the weekend. The newly released images show Kim at a clothing and shoe expo with his daughter. …

    Read at Washington Examiner (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRight

    North Korea releases ‘proof of life’ photos of Kim Jong Un after Sensational language“wild rumors”“Wild” labels the rumors as absurd before the facts are weighed.More neutral: rumorsDisagree with this highlight? dictator died from brain hemorrhage

    The images, published by North Korean state media on Monday, show a seemingly animated Kim examining children's footwear.

    Read at New York Post (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

    16 hr 10 min later

    Its first report, Oct 20, 1:06 PM EDT

  • Center

    10 hr 49 min later

    Its first report, Oct 20, 7:45 AM EDT

  • Right

    First to report

    New York Post, Oct 19, 8:56 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. New York PostRightOct 19, 8:56 PM EDT
  2. Washington ExaminerRightOct 19, 11:10 PM EDT
  3. BBC NewsCenterOct 20, 7:45 AM EDT
  4. The Washington TimesRightOct 20, 10:26 AM EDT
  5. TownhallFar RightOct 20, 10:30 AM EDT
  6. The Daily BeastFar LeftOct 20, 1:06 PM EDT

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

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