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Polymarket removes bets on whether seven Cornell students will face felony sex-crime charges

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 6 outlets across the spectrum.

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

Phone screen showing Polymarket app store page with its logo and sports betting odds.
Image via The Washington TimesHow images are chosenReport this image

Polymarket has removed a contract that let users wager on whether any of seven Cornell University students accused of sexual assault would face a felony sex-crime charge. Reports say the market had gathered about $450,000 in wagers when it was pulled from the company’s international platform. Polymarket said it had heard public criticism and removed the market, and that the question touched on whether the government would act, a process it said deserves scrutiny. The students are accused in a lawsuit over a 2024 incident at a fraternity house.

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. Polymarket removed a market that let users bet on whether any of seven Cornell students accused of sexual assault would be charged with a felony sex crime.

    Across the spectrumReported byLeft2Center2Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    ABC News, CBS News
    Center
    PBS NewsHour, The Hill
    Right
    New York Post, The Washington Times

  2. The market had gathered more than $450,000 in wagers when it was taken down.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    CBS News
    Center
    The Hill

  3. Polymarket said it removed the market after public backlash and that it had heard the crowd loud and clear.

    Reported byCenter1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    The Hill
    Right
    New York Post

  4. Seven Cornell University students are accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting a Cornell student in 2024.

    Reported byLeft1Center2Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    ABC News
    Center
    PBS NewsHour, The Hill
    Right
    New York Post, The Washington Times

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • Polymarket removed the market because of public backlash.

    The New York Post says the company caved to backlash; Polymarket’s statement says it heard the crowd loud and clear and removed the market, and The Hill reports the removal came after public backlash.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides report that Polymarket removed a contract letting users bet on whether seven Cornell students accused of sexual assault would face felony charges. The right emphasizes backlash and activist pressure, while the left and center describe the removal in neutral terms.

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Both left headlines describe the removal as a contract or market pulled, with CBS naming the case a sexual assault case; ABC’s headline is an Associated Press report.

    Polymarket removes bets on outcome of Cornell sexual assault case
    CBS NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    2 outlets

    The Hill says Polymarket blocks wagers and names the case as sexual assault; PBS’s headline carries the Associated Press report, which says it stops users from wagering on felony charges.

    Polymarket blocks wagers on fate of Cornell students accused of sexual assault
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    2 outlets

    The New York Post frames the removal as a retreat under pressure, placing activist campaigns against LeBron James in its headline, while the Washington Times runs an AP report with a neutral headline.

    Polymarket removes bets on ‘Cornell 7’ Sensational language“gang-rape case”Presents the accusation as an established gang rape rather than an allegation against the men named.More neutral: sexual assault caseDisagree with this highlight? as Loaded verb“activists target”Frames the campaign as an attack rather than as a demand or pressure.More neutral: activists pressureDisagree with this highlight? LeBron James, celebrity endorsers
    New York PostRightAll 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.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center2

    so-called Cornell 7so-called

  • Right3

    cavedgang-rape caseactivists target

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    cavedMore neutral: removed the bet after criticism

    Suggests the company gave in as a concession rather than stating its reason for removing the contract.

    Polymarket caved to backlash and removed a bet that allowed gamblers to wager on whether seven Cornell…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Sensational language

    gang-rape caseMore neutral: sexual assault case

    Presents the accusation as an established gang rape rather than an allegation against the men named.

    Polymarket removes bets on ‘Cornell 7’ gang-rape case as activists target LeBron James, celebrity endorsers

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    activists targetMore neutral: activists pressure

    Frames the campaign as an attack rather than as a demand or pressure.

    Polymarket removes bets on ‘Cornell 7’ gang-rape case as activists target LeBron James, celebrity endorsers

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Delegitimizing label

    so-called Cornell 7More neutral: the Cornell 7

    “So-called” signals doubt about a name that is the common label for the group and case, and the outlet uses it in its own voice.

    The prediction market archived the market, which asked whether any of the so-called Cornell 7 would be charged with a...

    Used byThe Hill (Center)

Show 1 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Delegitimizing label

    so-calledMore neutral: (omit)

    Sneer quotes in word form.

    The prediction market archived the market, which asked whether any of the so-called Cornell 7 would be charged with a felony sex crime.

    Used byThe Hill (Center)

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

Leads with

  • removal of the contract
  • the accused students’ fate
  • sexual assault case

Leaves out

  • Polymarket’s statement that it had heard the crowd and removed the market

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

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • CBS NewsLeft

    Polymarket removes bets on outcome of Cornell sexual assault case

    The market had amassed $450,000 in wagers by the time it was pulled from the international platform.

    Read at CBS News (opens in a new tab)
  • ABC NewsLeftAssociated Press report

    Polymarket removes contract allowing users to wager on accused Cornell students' fate

    Polymarket has removed a contract from its prediction market platform that allowed users to wager on whether any of the seven men accused of raping a Cornell student in 2024 will be charged with a felony sex crime

    Read at ABC News (opens in a new tab)

    Also published by PBS NewsHour. It counts once.

From the center

2 outlets

Leads with

  • blocking wagers
  • backlash after public criticism
  • company’s statement
See the 2 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    Polymarket blocks wagers on fate of Cornell students accused of sexual assault

    After facing public backlash, Polymarket has removed a market that allowed users to wager on the fate of the seven Cornell University students accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a fraternity house in 2024. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)
  • PBS NewsHourCenterAssociated Press report

    Polymarket stops users from wagering on possible felony charges for Cornell students accused of rape

    PBS NewsHour published a report that is shown in full at ABC News. The headline is the one PBS NewsHour gave it.

    Read at PBS NewsHour (opens in a new tab)

From the right

2 outlets

Leads with

  • Polymarket caving to backlash
  • activist pressure on LeBron James and celebrity endorsers
  • gang-rape lawsuit

Leaves out

  • Trading volume of about $450,000 when the market was removed

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

See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Washington TimesRightAssociated Press report

    Polymarket removes contract allowing users to wager on fate of Cornell students accused of rape

    Polymarket has removed a contract from its prediction market platform that allowed users to wager on whether any of the seven men accused of raping a Cornell student in 2024 will be charged with a felony sex crime.

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

    Polymarket removes bets on ‘Cornell 7’ Sensational language“gang-rape case”Presents the accusation as an established gang rape rather than an allegation against the men named.More neutral: sexual assault caseDisagree with this highlight? as Loaded verb“activists target”Frames the campaign as an attack rather than as a demand or pressure.More neutral: activists pressureDisagree with this highlight? LeBron James, celebrity endorsers

    Polymarket Loaded verb“caved”Suggests the company gave in as a concession rather than stating its reason for removing the contract.More neutral: removed the bet after criticismDisagree with this highlight? to backlash and removed a bet that allowed gamblers to wager on whether seven Cornell University fraternity members accused in a gang-rape lawsuit will face felony sex-crime charges.

    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

    23 hr 9 min later

    Its first report, Oct 20, 4:37 PM EDT

  • Center

    23 hr 40 min later

    Its first report, Oct 20, 5:09 PM EDT

  • Right

    First to report

    New York Post, Oct 19, 5:28 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. New York PostRightOct 19, 5:28 PM EDT
  2. The Washington TimesRightOct 20, 4:25 PM EDT
  3. ABC NewsLeftOct 20, 4:37 PM EDT
  4. PBS NewsHourCenterOct 20, 5:09 PM EDT
  5. CBS NewsLeftOct 21, 9:37 AM EDT
  6. The HillCenterOct 21, 10:07 AM EDT

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

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