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Opposition lawmakers in Albania set off flares in parliament during a session

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets across the spectrum.

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

Lawmakers in a parliament chamber, one holding a lit red flare emitting smoke among crowded officials.
Image via Al Jazeera EnglishHow images are chosenReport this image

Sky News, Al Jazeera English and Fox News report that opposition lawmakers set off flares in Albania’s parliament in Tirana on Thursday during a session. Sky News says the session came after weeks of anti-government protests. Al Jazeera and Fox News say the opposition, led by Sali Berisha, disrupted the session in support of demonstrators demanding that Prime Minister Edi Rama resign. Berisha said government lawmakers are criminals who deserve tear gas and rubber bullets, and Fox News says his microphone was cut off during the speech. Al Jazeera says the opposition tried to prevent a vote on a central bank law, and Fox News says members blocked access to the podium during that vote.

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. Opposition lawmakers in Albania set off flares in parliament during a Thursday session.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Center
    Sky News
    Far Right
    Fox News

  2. The disruption came after weeks of anti-government protests.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Center
    Sky News
    Far Right
    Fox News

  3. Opposition leader Sali Berisha said government lawmakers are criminals who deserve tear gas and rubber bullets.

    Reported byLeft1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Far Right
    Fox News

  4. Berisha’s microphone was cut off during his speech.

    One outletFox News· Far Right

  5. Opposition members tried to prevent or block a vote on a central bank law.

    Reported byLeft1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Far Right
    Fox News

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three sides report that opposition lawmakers set off flares in Albania’s parliament during a Thursday session amid weeks of protests. The main difference is emphasis: the left and right focus on Berisha’s rhetoric and the central bank vote, while the center reports the flares and protests without those details.

  • the left

    1 outlet

    Headlines lead with the opposition storming parliament and setting off flares and smoke bombs, framing the act as a forceful intrusion.

    Albanian opposition Loaded verb“storms”Storms suggests a forcible invasion, while the event was a disruption of a session by lawmakers inside the chamber.More neutral: entersDisagree with this highlight? parliament, sets off flares and smoke bombs
    Al Jazeera EnglishLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    Headline reports neutrally that MPs set off flares in parliament, placing the act after weeks of anti-government protests.

    Albanian MPs set off flares in parliament after weeks of anti-government protests
    Sky NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    The sole right-side coverage is a Far Right outlet’s own report, whose headline stresses lawmakers’ furious attacks on the socialist prime minister.

    Albanian opposition lawmakers disrupt parliament with smoke flares and furious attacks on socialist PM
    Fox NewsFar 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.

  • Left3

    brandedstormedstorms

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    brandedMore neutral: said

    Branded is a judgement verb that presents the leader’s accusation in the outlet’s own voice.

    The leader of Albania’s opposition has branded members of the government as “criminals”, while he and fellow lawmakers disrupted a…

    Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    stormedMore neutral: entered

    Stormed suggests a forcible invasion, while the event was a disruption of a session by lawmakers.

    Sali Berisha and other opposition members stormed parliament in the capital, Tirana, on Thursday in support of demonstrators, who are…

    Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    stormsMore neutral: enters

    Storms suggests a forcible invasion, while the event was a disruption of a session by lawmakers inside the chamber.

    Albanian opposition storms parliament, sets off flares and smoke bombs

    Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

Words quoted from someone else (1)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Dehumanizing label

    Quoted

    criminalsMore neutral: lawmakers he accuses of wrongdoing

    Calling government lawmakers criminals asserts a conclusion that no verdict has established; it is the speaker’s own accusation.

    The leader of Albania’s opposition has branded members of the government as “criminals”, while he and fellow lawmakers disrupted a parliamentary session by setting off…

    Quoted byAl Jazeera English (Left)Fox News (Far Right)

    These are Sali Berisha’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

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

  • opposition storming parliament
  • flares and smoke bombs
  • Berisha’s criminals remark
  • central bank vote

Leaves out

  • Berisha’s microphone being cut off

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

See the headline from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • flares in parliament
  • weeks of anti-government protests

Leaves out

  • Berisha’s remarks about tear gas and rubber bullets
  • central bank vote

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

See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • Sky NewsCenter

    Albanian MPs set off flares in parliament after weeks of anti-government protests

    Opposition politicians in Albania have set off flares in the country's parliament following weeks of violent anti-government protests.

    Read at Sky News (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • furious attacks on the PM
  • smoke flares disrupting parliament
  • Berisha’s microphone cut off

Leaves out

  • the luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner that triggered the protests

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

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    Albanian opposition lawmakers disrupt parliament with smoke flares and furious attacks on socialist PM

    Sali Berisha's microphone was cut after he declared ruling lawmakers "deserve tear gas" as Democratic Party members lit flares inside parliament.

    Read at Fox News (opens in a new tab)

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

    4 hr 27 min later

    Its first report, Oct 29, 2:11 PM EDT

  • Center

    First to report

    Sky News, Oct 29, 9:45 AM EDT

  • Right

    6 hr 20 min later

    Its first report, Oct 29, 4:04 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Sky NewsCenterOct 29, 9:45 AM EDT
  2. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 29, 2:11 PM EDT
  3. Fox NewsFar RightOct 29, 4:04 PM EDT

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

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