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Cost-of-living protests in France turn violent; police report hundreds of arrests

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 37 outlets across the spectrum.

149 articles in total, 11 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Street lined with burned-out vehicles and pedestrians on a Paris boulevard after unrest
Image via The Christian Science MonitorHow images are chosenReport this image

Nationwide protests against rising living costs in France on October 17 drew more than half a million people, according to NBC and Bloomberg. In several cities the demonstrations became riots with arson, looting and attacks on shops and public buildings. Reports from the BBC and Deutsche Welle describe burnt-out cars and damage to Limoges’ historic town hall. Arrest counts differ: Paris police reported 855, officials cited 1,200 in NBC’s report, and the BBC and Deutsche Welle put the nationwide total at about 1,800. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said a state of emergency could be declared “if needed”, according to France 24. Bloomberg reports that student groups and labor unions plan more demonstrations until the government drops its budget plan.

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. Protests over rising living costs swept France on October 17 and drew more than half a million people, according to reports.

    One side only: the leftReported byLeft2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    NBC News, Bloomberg

  2. Protests in Paris and other cities turned violent, with arson, looting and attacks on shops and public buildings.

    Across the spectrumReported byLeft3Center4Right1Far Right3See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    ABC News, NBC News, Bloomberg
    Center
    BBC News, Deutsche Welle, Financial Times, France 24
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    Just the News, The Daily Wire, Breitbart News

  3. Arrest counts differ: Paris police said 855, officials said 1,200, and other reports put the nationwide total above 1,800.

    Reported byLeft2Center2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    ABC News, NBC News
    Center
    BBC News, Deutsche Welle

  4. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said a state of emergency could be declared “if needed” as authorities struggle to contain the violence.

    One outletFrance 24· Center

  5. Student groups and labor unions have called for more demonstrations until the government drops its budget plan and increases spending on public services.

    One outletBloomberg· Left

  6. Emmanuel Macron attended a Céline Dion concert in Paris on the night before the riots, which drew public criticism.

    One side only: the rightReported byFar Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Right
    Just the News, Breitbart News

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • The violence was driven by masked mobs that hijacked a cost-of-living protest.

    The Daily Wire says masked mobs hijacked a nationwide day of protest. Bloomberg says fuel prices and student anger are driving the riots and unrest.

  • The number of people arrested in the unrest.

    Paris police reported 855 arrests, officials cited 1,200, and the BBC and Deutsche Welle reported about 1,800 nationwide.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides report cost-of-living protests in France on October 17 that turned violent, with arson, looting and arrests. The left and center stress damage and arrest counts, while the right focuses on Macron and Palestinian flags.

  • the left

    13 outlets

    Left headlines report arrest counts and the scale of the violence in plain terms, while Bloomberg explains the unrest through fuel prices, student anger and the government’s budget plan.

    1,200 Arrested After Sweeping Protests Turn Violent in France
    NBC NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    10 outlets

    Center headlines describe the damage and the state response directly, such as burnt-out cars, unprecedented riots and a possible state of emergency, with little characterization.

    Burnt out cars and shattered glass on Paris streets after protests turn to riots and looting
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    14 outlets · 1 opinion

    Far Right outlets Breitbart and The Daily Wire frame the unrest around Macron and use mocking or alarmist wording, while Just the News and the New York Post headline the criticism of Macron or the fires more plainly.

    Sensational language“Nero Fiddles”The headline uses a historical image that accuses the president of indifference, a judgement the coverage does not establish.More neutral: Macron faces criticism over concert during riotsDisagree with this highlight?: Macron Faces Backlash over Attending Celine Dion Concert on Eve of Fiery Riots
    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.

  • Left18

    youth revoltAdmitturned chaoticturn chaotic

  • Center11

    shockingslammedtorchedreels

  • Right54

    Blastedradical leftimmigrant-drivenmilitary-age foreigners inevitably riot

In the outlets’ own words

  • Hateful rhetoric

    immigrant-drivenMore neutral: involving protesters

    Ties the riots to immigrants as a group, a link the supplied coverage does not establish.

    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.

    …lyin' eyes." Such is the case with the France riots, which have turned into an immigrant-driven orgy of violence, mayhem, arson, vandalism, and looting.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Hateful rhetoric

    military-age foreigners inevitably riotMore neutral: some protesters

    Says foreign men of military age are criminal by nature, attacking them through their national origin.

    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.

    …World nations is "cultural enrichment," even if the ungrateful, military-age foreigners inevitably riot for more handouts from their gullible host country.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    slammedMore neutral: criticized

    The verb adds force to criticism that the sentence does not describe in detail.

    https://t.co/8qeQvh8CfF Critics slammed Macron.

    Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)France 24 (Center)

  • Loaded verb

    BlastedMore neutral: criticized

    The verb presents criticism as an intense attack rather than reporting that critics objected.

    ‘Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned’: Macron Blasted For Attending Celine Dion Concert As France Riots

    Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)Fox News (Far Right)

Show 76 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded modifier

    radical leftMore neutral: name the group or the position

    Escalating label used to signal disapproval rather than describe positions.

    In France, more than half a million people poured into the streets as mobs of radical left rioters, students, labor unions, and antifa thugs rampaged through historic…

    Used byPJ Media (Far Right)The Free Press (Right)

  • Sensational language

    youth revoltMore neutral: youth-led protests

    Revolt is a dramatic word for protests and adds an insurgent tone the facts do not require.

    …left in his term in office, addressed the country for the first time since the youth revolt began nearly a month ago.

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)Vox (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    AdmitMore neutral: Acknowledge

    Admit implies officials were forced to confess wrongdoing, which goes beyond acknowledging failures.

    France Toughens Response to Protests as Officials Admit Failure

    Used byBloomberg (Left)The Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    shockingMore neutral: has surprised many

    Describes public reaction in the outlet's own voice with a dramatic adjective where a plain description of the damage would do.

    France is used to protests but the violence and damage seen across the country is shocking many people.

    Used byBBC News (Center)Financial Times (Center)

  • Dehumanizing label

    Masked mobsMore neutral: Masked protesters

    Calls the crowd masked mobs before the facts about who took part are established.

    Masked mobs hijacked a nationwide day of protest, torcxhing a 143-year-old town hall, storming…

    Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    hijackedMore neutral: joined

    Asserts that the protest was taken over, a motive the article does not establish.

    Masked mobs hijacked a nationwide day of protest, torcxhing a 143-year-old town hall, storming government…

    Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    France BurnsMore neutral: Riots in France

    The headline uses dramatic wording for unrest that the description reports in more measured terms.

    France Burns: Palestinian Flags Fly Over France’s Republic Statue As Riots Rock The Country

    Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    Comfortably smugMore neutral: French President

    Describes the president's manner with a judgement rather than a fact.

    Comfortably smug leftist French President Emmanuel Macron drew a massive public backlash after…

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    massive public backlashMore neutral: criticism

    Describes the reaction as massive without giving a measure of it.

    Comfortably smug leftist French President Emmanuel Macron drew a massive public backlash after attending a Céline Dion concert in Paris with his wife Brigitte on…

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Vague attribution

    CriticsMore neutral: Some people who criticized him

    Attributes the criticism to unnamed people, without naming any.

    Critics called the leader aloof, out-of-touch, and disengaged as he and his wife sang and…

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    impotent governmentMore neutral: government

    Calls the government powerless, a judgement the excerpt does not support with facts.

    …seemingly oblivious to the chaos unfolding across France as fury with his impotent government spilled onto the streets.

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    Nero FiddlesMore neutral: Macron faces criticism over concert during riots

    The headline uses a historical image that accuses the president of indifference, a judgement the coverage does not establish.

    Nero Fiddles: Macron Faces Backlash over Attending Celine Dion Concert on Eve of Fiery Riots

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    torchedMore neutral: set fire to

    Torched suggests a deliberate, dramatic act of arson, while set fire to describes the same act neutrally.

    Rioters torched public buildings and looted shops across France, destroying Limoges' historic town…

    Used byDeutsche Welle (Center)

  • Loaded verb

    reelsMore neutral: France faces

    “Reels” pictures the country as overwhelmed, which goes beyond the reported arrests and damage.

    France reels after ‘unprecedented’ violent riots

    Used byFinancial Times (Center)

  • Sensational language

    turned chaoticMore neutral: turned violent

    Chaotic is a general judgement of the scene that adds drama beyond the reported looting, fires and clashes.

    …people protesting rising costs and poor conditions in the country’s schools turned chaotic.

    Used byNBC News (Left)

  • Sensational language

    turn chaoticMore neutral: turn violent

    Chaotic is a general judgement of the scene that adds drama beyond the reported looting, fires and clashes.

    Paris left reeling as student-led protests turn chaotic

    Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

  • Dehumanizing label

    thugsMore neutral: suspect or attacker

    Brands a person as inherently criminal before any finding, and has a long history of being applied disproportionately to Black men. Describe the alleged act instead.

    …into the streets as mobs of radical left rioters, students, labor unions, and antifa thugs rampaged through historic districts, burning government buildings and bringing the…

    Used byPJ Media (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    radical left riotersMore neutral: rioters

    Attaches a political label to the rioters that the excerpt presents without evidence of their affiliation.

    In France, more than half a million people poured into the streets as mobs of radical left rioters, students, labor unions, and antifa thugs rampaged through historic districts,…

    Used byPJ Media (Far Right)

  • Dehumanizing label

    antifa thugsMore neutral: members of antifa groups

    Uses a contemptuous label for a group of protesters before the facts about them are established.

    …into the streets as mobs of radical left rioters, students, labor unions, and antifa thugs rampaged through historic districts, burning government buildings and bringing the…

    Used byPJ Media (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    rampagedMore neutral: moved through

    Describes the protests with a verb of violent destruction that adds drama.

    …streets as mobs of radical left rioters, students, labor unions, and antifa thugs rampaged through historic districts, burning government buildings and bringing the country to…

    Used byPJ Media (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    multicultural youth revoltsMore neutral: young people involved in the unrest

    Attaches an ethnic label to the young people involved, which the supplied text does not establish as a cause of the unrest.

    Chaos broke out on the streets of Paris again on Sunday as the multicultural youth revolts saw further looting and arson, and a specialist police task force was…

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    mundane, if not trivialMore neutral: modest

    Calls the protesters’ stated demands trivial, a judgement the excerpt does not support with evidence.

    …students, and the stated bases for the protests certainly appear quite mundane, if not trivial, and certainly out of proportion to the scale and intensity of the riots.

    Used byHot Air (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    crazier momentsMore neutral: most serious moments

    Describes the events as crazy, a judgement that adds drama rather than facts.

    We reported on some of the crazier moments in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Limoges.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    radical leftistsMore neutral: rioters

    Attaches a political label to the people said to have damaged the town hall before any attribution is established.

    It survived the Nazis, but under radical leftists, its distinctive bell tower and roof collapsed, and it sustained extensive…

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    Faces FuryMore neutral: Is Criticized

    Presents the reaction as intense outrage in a headline without naming who is angry.

    Macron Faces Fury When It's Revealed What He Was Doing As Riots Escalated in France

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    political firestormMore neutral: political fallout

    Uses a dramatic metaphor for the political reaction, where neutral wording describes the same fallout.

    Macron faces political firestorm after riots

    Used byFinancial Times (Center)

  • Loaded verb

    refused to take any accountabilityMore neutral: did not accept responsibility

    Refused presents a position on responsibility as a deliberate act of avoidance rather than as a stated view.

    …to the nation on Sunday evening, French President Emmanuel Macron refused to take any accountability for the national riots that erupted on Saturday, as he sought to shift…

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    sought to shift the blameMore neutral: said the blame lay with

    Sought to shift the blame assigns a motive and presents Macron’s stated attribution of causes as an evasion.

    …any accountability for the national riots that erupted on Saturday, as he sought to shift the blame onto the far-left and even external forces like the Iran conflict while…

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Partisan shorthand

    mass migrationMore neutral: immigration

    Mass migration is a term used by critics of immigration policy that carries a conclusion about the scale and effect of immigration.

    …even external forces like the Iran conflict while failing to acknowledge the role mass migration played in creating a groundswell of support for the unrest.

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    Refuses BlameMore neutral: Does not accept blame

    Refuses presents Macron’s response as an evasion before the facts of his position are set out.

    Macron Addresses Nation: Refuses Blame, Ignores Immigration Impact on Riots, 'How Can French People Do This?'

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    Ignores Immigration ImpactMore neutral: Does not mention immigration

    Ignores asserts that Macron chose not to address a factor, which the article itself does not establish.

    Macron Addresses Nation: Refuses Blame, Ignores Immigration Impact on Riots, 'How Can French People Do This?'

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    scathing critiqueMore neutral: critical article

    Scathing is a dramatic adjective that adds intensity beyond what the article reports.

    The scathing critique in newspaper Le Figaro took aim at Macron, France’s justice system and…

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    blistering critiqueMore neutral: sharp critique

    Blistering is a dramatic adjective that adds intensity beyond what the article reports.

    A prominent French newspaper delivered a blistering critique of the country’s leadership after nationwide protests descended into riots,…

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    ripsMore neutral: criticizes

    Rips describes a critical article in harsh terms and adds a tone of attack.

    French newspaper rips Macron after riots erupt across France: ‘Indelible stain’

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    terrorizing public servantsMore neutral: threatening public servants

    Describes the conduct as terror without saying what the public servants experienced.

    But burning city halls and terrorizing public servants is an assault on democracy, not a defense of it.

    Used byThe Free Press (Right)

  • Partisan shorthand

    assault on democracyMore neutral: describe the specific action and its legal status

    Conclusion stated as description; say what was done.

    But burning city halls and terrorizing public servants is an assault on democracy, not a defense of it.

    Used byThe Free Press (Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    nominal protestMore neutral: initial protest

    Calls the protest nominal, which implies it was not genuine before it escalated.

    What began as a nominal protest against worsening conditions in schools last month has escalated into a general…

    Used byJust the News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    explodeMore neutral: grow into violence

    Describes the protests with a verb of violent eruption, adding drama beyond the reported events.

    Anti-government protests explode in France

    Used byCBS News (Left)

  • Sensational language

    nihilistic uprisingMore neutral: 2023 unrest

    The phrase adds a judgement about the motives of the 2023 unrest beyond the events themselves.

    …Bataclan, the untrammeled violence of the Gilet Jaunes demonstrations, and the nihilistic uprising of 2023.

    Used byThe Free Press (Right)

  • Sensational language

    Civil WarMore neutral: nationwide riots

    The term describes armed conflict between organized sides, which the riots described in the article do not match.

    If This Isn’t a Civil War, It Certainly Looks Like One

    Used byThe Free Press (Right)

  • Delegitimizing label

    Fake News MediaMore neutral: news media

    Dismisses news organizations as fake in general, without evidence in this article.

    The Fake News Media's purpose isn't to make us pay attention to what matters.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Delegitimizing label

    Fake NewsMore neutral: inaccurate report or say what is false and how you know

    Dismisses reporting wholesale; a false claim should be identified specifically.

    The Fake News Media's purpose isn't to make us pay attention to what matters.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    orgy of violenceMore neutral: wave of violence

    Uses a sexual and lurid word to add drama to a riot.

    …is the case with the France riots, which have turned into an immigrant-driven orgy of violence, mayhem, arson, vandalism, and looting.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    citizen ireMore neutral: public opposition

    Ire is a stronger word than anger and dramatizes the public response to the spending plans.

    France hit by worst unrest in years as attempts to rein in government spending meet citizen ire

    Used byCNBC (Center)

  • Sensational language

    turned nastyMore neutral: turned violent

    A colloquial judgement in the outlet’s own voice that describes the protests’ character rather than the specific violence reported.

    But the protests turned nasty after groups of black-clad, masked activists and vandals appeared.

    Used byBBC News (Center)

  • Vague attribution

    prompting comparisonsMore neutral: which some compared to Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette

    Refers to comparisons made by unnamed people without saying who drew them.

    …France, he attended a Céline Dion concert in Paris with his wife, Brigitte, prompting comparisons to Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette.

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    slamsMore neutral: criticizes

    Uses a forceful verb in the headline where a neutral verb describes the same criticism.

    Macron slams 'failures' over protest unrest in France but refuses interior minister's resignation

    Used byDeutsche Welle (Center)

  • Loaded verb

    descended into clashesMore neutral: turned into clashes

    Describes the protests’ turn with a verb that frames them as a slide into disorder.

    …in years as protests over education, public services and the cost of living descended into clashes, looting and fires.

    Used byBloomberg (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    admitsMore neutral: acknowledges

    Implies a confession under pressure, while the statement only acknowledges failures.

    France protests live: Macron admits ‘failures’ after days of violent unrest

    Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    botched oversightMore neutral: mishandled oversight

    Judges the police’s handling as a failure rather than describing what was done.

    Political recriminations fly as authorities admit that police botched oversight of protests

    Used byFinancial Times (Center)

  • Sensational language

    tragic civilizational decayMore neutral: a symbol of the unrest

    Adds a judgement about the state of a civilization that the fire does not show.

    …an editor would have blocked its publication as too obvious a symbol of tragic civilizational decay.

    Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    The Collapse Of FranceMore neutral: Unrest in France

    Presents a broad national collapse as the meaning of a building fire and protests.

    The Ashes of Limoges And The Collapse Of France

    Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    degeneratedMore neutral: turned

    Describes the protests as sinking into a worse state, a judgement rather than a description of events.

    …measures and pledged aid for businesses after cost-of-living protests this weekend degenerated into violence, vandalism and looting.

    Used byBloomberg (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    Cracks DownMore neutral: Government Responds to

    The verb frames police action as a repression of protesters, where a neutral wording would describe the government’s response.

    French Gov't Cracks Down on Mass Protests over Cost of Living, Education Cuts; 2,400+ Arrested

    Used byDemocracy Now! (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    the radicalsMore neutral: the people involved

    Labels the people involved in a way that pre-judges their motives before they are established.

    As we reported, not only did the radicals apparently set fire to the 143-year-old Limoges town hall on Saturday, but they…

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Dehumanizing label

    European RiotersMore neutral: Rioters in France

    Attaches a national-origin group to a criminal label, tying the whole group to the riots.

    Heroes Don't Always Wear Capes and Even European Rioters Have 'Find Out' Moments

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    left-wing anti-government riotsMore neutral: riots

    Assigns a political orientation and purpose to the riots that the report does not establish.

    As left-wing anti-government riots continue for their fourth

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    Masked Anti-Western RiotersMore neutral: Masked rioters

    Attaches a political judgement about Western values to the rioters, which the event itself does not establish.

    …French Architectural Wonder That Survived 2 World Wars, Just Fell to Masked Anti-Western Rioters

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    DramaticMore neutral: Images show

    The word adds emotional emphasis to the images that the reported facts do not require.

    Dramatic images show violent unrest sweeping across France

    Used byNBC News (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    degenerated into violenceMore neutral: turned into violence

    The verb frames the protests as sliding into violence rather than stating that violence occurred during them.

    …and pledged aid for businesses after cost-of-living protests this weekend degenerated into violence, vandalism and looting.

    Used byBloomberg (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    devolvedMore neutral: turned

    The word suggests a decline into disorder, while the reporting only needs to say the protests turned violent in some places.

    …when students took to the streets demanding better school conditions, but have since devolved into violent riots in various cities.

    Used byWashington Examiner (Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    Leftist riotsMore neutral: riots

    Attributes the riots to a political side as settled fact in the outlet's own voice, while the blame is contested in the coverage.

    Leftist riots have resulted in damaged buildings and widespread chaos in France.

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    widespread chaosMore neutral: widespread disorder

    Uses a dramatic noun to describe the scale of disorder in the outlet's own voice.

    Leftist riots have resulted in damaged buildings and widespread chaos in France.

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    from LeftistsMore neutral: during protests

    Ties the riots to a political group in the outlet's own voice, although officials' attribution of blame is a claim that the supplied coverage does not confirm.

    French Authorities Admit They've 'Lost Control' as 'Severe Violence' from Leftists Sweeps Country

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    impression of arroganceMore neutral: criticism of his manner

    The phrase states the outlet's judgement of Macron's manner as a fact.

    French president has compounded impression of arrogance with strategic errors – and consequences could be profound Europe live –…

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    just how weakened he now isMore neutral: how much his political standing has declined, according to critics

    The phrase presents a political assessment of Macron's standing as settled.

    …rioting and looting in France’s recent history, was a stark reflection of just how weakened he now is.

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

  • Sensational language

    Ferocious criticismMore neutral: Strong criticism

    The adjective adds drama beyond the reported level of criticism.

    Ferocious criticism from all sides underlines Macron’s isolation

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

  • Delegitimizing label

    impotenceMore neutral: a limited political response

    Calls the political class ineffective in the outlet's own voice, a verdict the headline does not support with specific evidence.

    France’s riots expose the impotence of its political class

    Used byFinancial Times (Center)

  • Sensational language

    InsaneMore neutral: unusual

    Adds drama with an adjective in the outlet's own voice where the video moments could be described plainly.

    Chaotic scenes of the 'ultra-left': Insane viral moments from France riots

    Used byTheBlaze (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    unhingedMore neutral: unusually violent

    Characterizes the protesters' conduct with a dramatic word in the writer's own voice rather than describing the acts.

    A little unhinged, I guess, would be the word.

    Used byHot Air (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    chaosMore neutral: unrest

    A dramatic noun that adds emphasis beyond describing the rioting.

    The days of chaos have prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to order a security review as senior…

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    massiveMore neutral: intelligence

    Adds emphasis beyond the reported facts about the scale of the intelligence shortfall.

    France's massive intel failure sparks resignation offers amid days of rioting

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    uprisingMore neutral: protests

    Calls the protests an uprising, a more dramatic term than the reported demonstrations.

    French leaders condemned the uprising, while the left highlighted escalating police brutality against young protesters.

    Used byTruthout (Far Left)

  • Absolutist framing

    have not fixed France’s problemsMore neutral: has not, in the writer's view, resolved France's problems

    The sentence states as fact a contested assessment of his decade in office.

    …into violent riots made it clear that almost 10 years of his presidency have not fixed France’s problems.

    Used byThe New York Times (Left)

  • Absolutist framing

    The Failures of Emmanuel MacronMore neutral: Emmanuel Macron's record on France's problems

    The headline presents the claim that his presidency failed as settled, when it is the writer's opinion.

    The Failures of Emmanuel Macron

    Used byThe New York Times (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    frustrated, fractured publicMore neutral: public anger over the protests

    Characterizes the public as fractured and frustrated, a judgement the article does not establish with evidence.

    After violent weekend, France reckons with its frustrated, fractured public

    Used byThe Christian Science Monitor (Center)

Words quoted from someone else (8)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.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    Nero Fiddled While Rome BurnedMore neutral: Macron attends concert as protests turn violent

    The historical analogy presents the government as indifferent to a crisis, a judgement stated as drama rather than fact.

    ‘Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned’: Macron Blasted For Attending Celine Dion Concert As France Riots

    Quoted byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

    These are an unnamed user on X’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    Point of No ReturnMore neutral: a serious escalation

    A phrase the prime minister used about the situation, given headline prominence by the outlet.

    Government Buildings Torched As French Riots Reach the 'Point of No Return'

    Quoted byPJ Media (Far Right)

    These are Sébastien Lecornu’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Delegitimizing label

    Quoted

    insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groupsMore neutral: people involved in the violence, including groups on the far left

    The label casts the groups as insurrectionists and radical before the investigation has established who organized the violence.

    …held accountable.” He pointed to “unrestrained violence” by “insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals.

    Quoted byFrance 24 (Center)

    These are Emmanuel Macron’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Absolutist framing

    Quoted

    Can’t be a coincidenceMore neutral: May have been targeted because it is a Jewish site

    Presents a speculative motive as certain, though it is the view of one unnamed congregant.

    Synagogue ransacked, Jewish businesses hit during French riots: ‘Can’t be a coincidence’

    Quoted byNew York Post (Right)

    These are a member of the temple’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

Show 4 more quoted phrasesShow fewer

  • Delegitimizing label

    Quoted

    insurrectionist elementsMore neutral: people who committed violence

    Macron’s label casts the people involved as insurrectionists, a characterization that is his own and not established by the coverage.

    …by what President Emmanuel Macron called "unrestrained violence" by "insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals." Aidan Stretch is…

    Quoted byCBS News (Left)

    These are Emmanuel Macron’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Loaded modifier

    Quoted

    insurrectionistMore neutral: participant in the January 6 attack or rioter

    A legal characterization applied as a label; describe what the person did.

    …by what President Emmanuel Macron called "unrestrained violence" by "insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals." Aidan…

    Quoted byCBS News (Left)

    Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.

  • Loaded verb

    Quoted

    orchestrate deep unrestMore neutral: stir up unrest

    The verb presents an alleged coordinated plot as fact; the article attributes it to the Prime Minister and gives no evidence for it.

    Lecornu also accused the "ultra-left movement" of seeking to "orchestrate deep unrest across the country" in the runup to next year's presidential election.

    Quoted byFrance 24 (Center)

    These are Sebastien Lecornu’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Dehumanizing label

    Quoted

    hooligansMore neutral: people

    Reduces the people involved to a contemptible category, though the word is the prefect’s own.

    …has already disappeared.” The official called the destruction “a deliberate act by hooligans,” describing the incident as a “catastrophe for heritage.

    Quoted byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

    These are Maurice Barate’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

13 outlets

Leads with

  • arrest counts
  • scale of the protests
  • fuel prices and student anger
  • damage to Paris streets

Leaves out

  • Macron attending a concert before the riots
  • Palestinian flags at the protests

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

See the 13 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

10 outlets

Leads with

  • physical damage to streets and buildings
  • arrest totals
  • pressure on the government
  • possible state of emergency

Leaves out

  • Macron attending a concert before the riots
  • Palestinian flags at the protests

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

See the 12 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

14 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • Macron attending a Céline Dion concert
  • Palestinian flags at the protests
  • masked mobs hijacking the protest
  • Macron’s leadership

Leaves out

  • Bloomberg’s account of fuel prices and student anger
  • Arrest totals

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

See the 19 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

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

    3 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 18, 6:28 AM EDT

  • Center

    2 hr 31 min later

    Its first report, Oct 18, 5:56 AM EDT

  • Right

    First to report

    The Daily Wire, Oct 18, 3:25 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The Daily WireFar RightOct 18, 3:25 AM EDT
  2. Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 18, 3:54 AM EDT
  3. BBC NewsCenterOct 18, 5:56 AM EDT
  4. Deutsche WelleCenterOct 18, 6:26 AM EDT
  5. ABC NewsLeftOct 18, 6:28 AM EDT
  6. Financial TimesCenterOct 18, 7:03 AM EDT
  7. France 24CenterOct 18, 7:51 AM EDT
  8. NBC NewsLeftOct 18, 8:41 AM EDT
  9. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 18, 8:44 AM EDT
  10. The Christian Science MonitorCenterOct 18, 8:54 AM EDT
  11. BloombergLeftOct 18, 10:21 AM EDT
  12. New York PostRightOct 18, 10:28 AM EDT
  13. Business InsiderLeftOct 18, 10:55 AM EDT
  14. The Washington TimesRightOct 18, 10:55 AM EDT
  15. The GuardianLeftOct 18, 11:10 AM EDT
  16. The New York TimesLeftOct 18, 11:15 AM EDT
  17. PJ MediaFar RightOct 18, 11:24 AM EDT
  18. Fox NewsFar RightOct 18, 12:10 PM EDT
  19. RedStateFar RightOct 18, 2:25 PM EDT
  20. PBS NewsHourCenterOct 18, 3:00 PM EDT
  21. SemaforCenterOct 18, 6:28 PM EDT
  22. Straight Arrow NewsCenterOct 18, 7:58 PM EDT
  23. CBS NewsLeftOct 18, 8:45 PM EDT
  24. CNBCCenterOct 18, 10:06 PM EDT
  25. CBN NewsFar RightOct 19, 1:28 AM EDT
  26. Democracy Now!Far LeftOct 19, 8:17 AM EDT
  27. The Western JournalFar RightOct 19, 9:15 AM EDT
  28. TIMELeftOct 19, 9:27 AM EDT
  29. The Daily SignalFar RightOct 19, 9:51 AM EDT
  30. The HillCenterOct 19, 10:46 AM EDT
  31. Washington ExaminerRightOct 19, 10:56 AM EDT
  32. Los Angeles TimesLeftOct 19, 11:04 AM EDT
  33. TheBlazeFar RightOct 19, 2:10 PM EDT
  34. TruthoutFar LeftOct 19, 4:28 PM EDT
  35. VoxFar LeftOct 19, 5:45 PM EDT
  36. Hot AirFar RightOct 19, 9:20 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out. Just the News gave only a date, so it is not placed.

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