PoliticsDeveloping
Peggy Flanagan’s campaign gives conflicting accounts of her Phi Beta Kappa membership
By Mantle News
Coverage spectrum
Covered by 4 outlets, mostly right-leaning (75%).
7 articles in total, 3 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias
Minnesota Democratic Senate nominee Peggy Flanagan has said she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and the Western Journal quotes her 2016 Minnesota House statement making that claim. Right-leaning outlets, citing a Wall Street Journal report, say her campaign later acknowledged she was never a member of the honor society and that her commencement program lists no academic honor. The Hill reports that the campaign then reversed course and said she was a member after all, having earlier said she had not joined because of membership costs. The coverage does not settle which account is accurate.
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.
Peggy Flanagan has said she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, according to a 2016 Minnesota House statement quoted in coverage.
One side only: the rightReported byFar Right3See the outletsHide the outlets
- Far Right
- The Daily Wire, Breitbart News, The Western Journal
The Wall Street Journal reported that Flanagan’s campaign acknowledged she never belonged to Phi Beta Kappa.
One side only: the rightReported byFar Right4See the outletsHide the outlets
- Far Right
- The Daily Wire, RedState, Breitbart News, The Western Journal
Flanagan’s campaign first said she had never been a member of Phi Beta Kappa, citing membership costs.
Reported byCenter1Far Right3See the outletsHide the outlets
- Center
- The Hill
- Far Right
- The Daily Wire, Breitbart News, The Western Journal
The Hill reports that the campaign later said Flanagan was in fact a Phi Beta Kappa member.
One outletThe Hill· Center
According to the Wall Street Journal report, Flanagan’s commencement program lists no academic honor under her name.
One outletThe Western Journal· Far Right
What is contested
Where accounts differ
Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.
Peggy Flanagan was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Right-leaning outlets, citing a Wall Street Journal report, say her campaign acknowledged she was never a member. The Hill reports the campaign later said she was a member after all.
How each side tells it
Compare views
Every side present reports that Flanagan’s campaign has given conflicting accounts of her Phi Beta Kappa membership. Right-leaning outlets cite a Wall Street Journal report to call her claim false, while The Hill centers on the campaign’s reversal.
the left
No coverage yet
No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
the center
1 outlet
Headline presents the story as a reversal: the campaign now says Flanagan was a Phi Beta Kappa member after all.
Flanagan reverses course, says she was a Phi Beta Kappa member after all
The HillCenterAll center headlines the right
3 outlets · 3 opinion
Headlines state as fact that she lied or falsely claimed membership, citing a Wall Street Journal report; far-end opinion pieces call it fraud and use mocking nicknames.
Report: Minnesota Dem Senate Nominee Peggy Flanagan Falsely Claimed Phi Beta Kappa Membership, Loaded verb“Misrepresented”Characterizes the statements as misrepresentation, a judgement about intent that the body describes only as a difference from official records.More neutral: Differs From Official RecordsDisagree with this highlight? College Credentials
Breitbart 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.
Left
Has not covered this story.
Center0
No loaded words in its own voice.
Right14
Fauxcahontas LiteCaught Lyingraising questionsInflate
In the outlets’ own words
Hateful rhetoric
Fauxcahontas LiteMore neutral: Peggy Flanagan’s academic record claims
A mocking nickname that attacks Flanagan through her Native American heritage rather than the claims at issue.
Attacks or dehumanizes a person or a group because of who they are: their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.
Fauxcahontas Lite?
Used byRedState (Far Right)
Loaded verb
Caught LyingMore neutral: Campaign acknowledges Democrat’s academic claim was false
Describes deliberate deception as established, while the reported facts show only that a claim was acknowledged as false.
With GOP Upset Brewing, Minnesota Democrat Caught Lying About Academic Record
Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)
Vague attribution
raising questionsMore neutral: state the question and who is asking
The writer is raising the question while pretending someone else did.
The Wall Street Journal is raising questions about Peggy Flanagan's academic record, and whether or not she lied about…
Used byTownhall (Far Right)
Loaded verb
InflateMore neutral: Misstate
Implies deliberate embellishment, which the reported facts do not establish.
Why Did Peggy Flanagan Inflate Her Academic Record?
Used byTownhall (Far Right)
Show 10 more phrasesShow fewer
Loaded verb
admittedMore neutral: has acknowledged
Frames a campaign acknowledgment as a confession, which adds a judgement of wrongdoing.
Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan (D-MN) has admitted to inflating parts of her academic record, including her membership in a prestigious…
Used byRedState (Far Right)
Sensational language
Fraud plays outMore neutral: Questions arise in Minnesota's Senate race
Repeats the fraud label to frame the whole Senate race as fraudulent.
Alternate headline: Fraud plays out in Minnesota's Senate race in more ways than one.
Used byHot Air (Far Right)
Dehumanizing label
fraudsters among their allies in Somali ex-pat communityMore neutral: people accused of fraud who were linked to officials' associates
Ties a national-origin community to fraud as a group in the outlet's own voice, before any charge is established.
…administration that allowed $9 billion or more to flow to fraudsters among their allies in Somali ex-pat community.
Used byHot Air (Far Right)
Loaded modifier
while wearing a hijab, no lessMore neutral: while wearing a hijab
Mocks a religious garment as if it were improper for the subject, adding ridicule of the faith rather than facts about the event.
…her office, even while she posed with at least one accused fraudster (while wearing a hijab, no less).
Used byHot Air (Far Right)
Loaded verb
exposed as a fraudMore neutral: reported to have overstated
Presents a reported inquiry as an established exposure of personal fraud.
Now, however, Flanagan has been exposed as a fraud herself.
Used byHot Air (Far Right)
Loaded modifier
Fraud AgainMore neutral: Flanagan Faces New Questions on College Record
Labels the subject a fraud before any finding of intent, asserting the conclusion the article argues for.
Fraud Again: Flanagan 'Inflated' College Record to Claim Honors and Champion DEI
Used byHot Air (Far Right)
Loaded verb
InflatedMore neutral: described
Scare quotes present an overstatement as established when the cited reports describe a disputed record.
Fraud Again: Flanagan 'Inflated' College Record to Claim Honors and Champion DEI
Used byHot Air (Far Right)
Loaded verb
Champion DEIMore neutral: advocate for diversity programs
Frames her teacher-diversity advocacy with a partisan label rather than the bill's stated aim.
Fraud Again: Flanagan 'Inflated' College Record to Claim Honors and Champion DEI
Used byHot Air (Far Right)
Loaded verb
MisrepresentedMore neutral: Differs From Official Records
Characterizes the statements as misrepresentation, a judgement about intent that the body describes only as a difference from official records.
…Dem Senate Nominee Peggy Flanagan Falsely Claimed Phi Beta Kappa Membership, Misrepresented College Credentials
Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)
Loaded verb
Lied About Her PastMore neutral: Gave Inaccurate Information About Her Past
The verb lied asserts intent to deceive, which the records and campaign statements described in the article do not establish.
Records Show Minnesota's Democratic Senate Nominee Peggy Flanagan Lied About Her Past: Report
Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)
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
0 outletsNo left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
From the center
1 outletLeads with
- campaign reversal
- earlier membership-cost explanation
- Phi Beta Kappa membership confirmed
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
- The HillCenter
Flanagan reverses course, says she was a Phi Beta Kappa member after all
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan’s (D) Senate campaign is walking back its account of her college academic honors, confirming she was in fact a member of Phi Beta Kappa after initially stating she had never joined the prestigious honor society due to membership costs. …
From the right
3 outlets · 3 opinionLeads with
- campaign acknowledged she never belonged
- claim she graduated Phi Beta Kappa
- commencement program and state biography
- diversity pitch
Leaves out
- campaign’s later statement that she was a member
Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.
See the 6 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
- The Western JournalFar Right
Records Show Minnesota's Democratic Senate Nominee Peggy Flanagan Loaded verb“Lied About Her Past”The verb lied asserts intent to deceive, which the records and campaign statements described in the article do not establish.More neutral: Gave Inaccurate Information About Her PastDisagree with this highlight?: Report
Minnesota Democratic Senate Nominee Peggy Flanagan said she “graduated Phi Beta Kappa” from the University of Minnesota. However, a Wall Street Journal report cast doubt on the claim, prompting Flanagan’s campaign
- Breitbart NewsFar Right
Report: Minnesota Dem Senate Nominee Peggy Flanagan Falsely Claimed Phi Beta Kappa Membership, Loaded verb“Misrepresented”Characterizes the statements as misrepresentation, a judgement about intent that the body describes only as a difference from official records.More neutral: Differs From Official RecordsDisagree with this highlight? College Credentials
Minnesota Democratic U.S. Senate nominee and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan previously claimed she graduated Phi Beta Kappa despite never belonging to the prestigious honor society, while her official state biography suggests she completed two college majors when she actually earned …
- The Daily WireFar Right
With GOP Upset Brewing, Minnesota Democrat Loaded verb“Caught Lying”Describes deliberate deception as established, while the reported facts show only that a claim was acknowledged as false.More neutral: Campaign acknowledges Democrat’s academic claim was falseDisagree with this highlight? About Academic Record
Minnesota Democrat Senate nominee Peggy Flanagan claimed she graduated Phi Beta Kappa while making the case for greater diversity in public school classrooms, but her campaign has now acknowledged that she never belonged to the prestigious academic honor society, according to a …
Loaded modifier“Fraud Again”Labels the subject a fraud before any finding of intent, asserting the conclusion the article argues for.More neutral: Flanagan Faces New Questions on College RecordDisagree with this highlight?: Flanagan 'Loaded verb“Inflated”Scare quotes present an overstatement as established when the cited reports describe a disputed record.More neutral: describedDisagree with this highlight?' College Record to Claim Honors and Loaded verb“Champion DEI”Frames her teacher-diversity advocacy with a partisan label rather than the bill's stated aim.More neutral: advocate for diversity programsDisagree with this highlight?
Alternate headline: Sensational language“Fraud plays out”Repeats the fraud label to frame the whole Senate race as fraudulent.More neutral: Questions arise in Minnesota's Senate raceDisagree with this highlight? in Minnesota's Senate race in more ways than one.
Hateful rhetoric“Fauxcahontas Lite”A mocking nickname that attacks Flanagan through her Native American heritage rather than the claims at issue.Attacks or dehumanizes a person or a group because of who they are: their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.More neutral: Peggy Flanagan’s academic record claimsDisagree with this highlight?? Peggy Flanagan’s American Indian Studies, Honor Society Claims Don’t Match Record
Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan (D-MN) has admitted to inflating parts of her academic record, including her membership in a prestigious academic honor society and the status of her American Indian Studies degree.
Why Did Peggy Flanagan Loaded verb“Inflate”Implies deliberate embellishment, which the reported facts do not establish.More neutral: MisstateDisagree with this highlight? Her Academic Record?
The Wall Street Journal is Vague attribution“raising questions”The writer is raising the question while pretending someone else did.More neutral: state the question and who is askingDisagree with this highlight? about Peggy Flanagan's academic record, and whether or not she lied about graduating Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most prestigious honor society. …
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
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
Center
8 hr 38 min later
Its first report, Oct 21, 4:43 PM EDT
Right
First to report
The Daily Wire, Oct 21, 8:04 AM EDT
See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
- The Daily WireFar RightOct 21, 8:04 AM EDT
- Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 21, 4:17 PM EDT
- The HillCenterOct 21, 4:43 PM EDT
- The Western JournalFar RightOct 21, 5:12 PM EDT
Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.
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