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Seven coffins containing human remains found near North Dakota governor’s residence

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets, mostly right-leaning (67%).

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

Seven coffins containing human remains, and an empty wooden box, were found near the governor’s residence in Bismarck, North Dakota, while contractors worked on the property. According to the state Office of Management and Budget, preliminary analysis indicates the remains belong to two women, two men, two teenage boys and a toddler. The remains are believed to have been overlooked when a cemetery on the site was moved in the 1870s, during the city’s early settlement. The discovery led to a months-long excavation, which the state said ended with archaeologists completing fieldwork in early September. Analysis of the remains is expected to be completed early next year, after which they are to be reburied at a local cemetery.

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. Seven coffins containing human remains were found near the North Dakota governor’s residence in Bismarck.

    Reported byLeft1Right1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The New York Times
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    Breitbart News

  2. According to the state Office of Management and Budget, preliminary analysis indicates the remains are two women, two men, two teenage boys and a toddler.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    Breitbart News

  3. The remains are believed to have been overlooked when a cemetery on the site was moved in the 1870s.

    Reported byLeft1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The New York Times
    Right
    New York Post

  4. Contractors first uncovered the remains during work on the property, which led to a months-long excavation.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    Breitbart News

  5. Analysis of the remains and items found is expected to conclude early next year, with reburial planned at a local cemetery.

    One outletBreitbart News· Far Right

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • When archaeological fieldwork at the site ended.

    The New York Post reports, citing the state Office of Management and Budget, that fieldwork was completed on September 14. Breitbart reports that Brandon Solberg said the investigation concluded in early September.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    1 outlet

    The single left-side report, from The New York Times, uses a plain headline that names the number of coffins and the location, and its summary focuses on the historical explanation of how the burials came to be overlooked.

    7 Coffins Are Found Near North Dakota Governor’s Residence
    The New York TimesLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    No coverage yet

    No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the right

    2 outlets

    Both right-side headlines lead with the discovery itself; the New York Post frames it as a mystery and describes the finding as mysterious, while Breitbart, a far-right outlet, uses a plain find-and-location headline with a video tag.

    VIDEO — North Dakota: Seven Coffins Holding Human Remains Found Near Governor's Residence
    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.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right2

    mysteriously discoveredmystery

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    mysteriously discoveredMore neutral: discovered

    The word presents the find as puzzling when the coverage attributes it to an overlooked burial site.

    Seven ancient coffins containing human remains — including a toddler’s — were mysteriously discovered near the North Dakota’s governor’s residence by archaeologists, state…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Sensational language

    mysteryMore neutral: unidentified

    The word dramatizes a discovery whose origin the same coverage largely explains as a cemetery relocation.

    7 mystery coffins containing human remains found at North Dakota governor’s residence

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

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

  • the 1870s relocation of a cemetery on the site
  • Bismarck’s early settlement period

Leaves out

  • the makeup of the remains, including the toddler and teenagers
  • the state’s excavation timeline and planned reburial

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

See the headline from the leftHide the headlines
  • The New York TimesLeft

    7 Coffins Are Found Near North Dakota Governor’s Residence

    The bodies are believed to have been overlooked when a cemetery at the current site of the governor’s residence in Bismarck was moved in the 1870s, during the capital’s early settlement period.

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

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

2 outlets

Leads with

  • the mystery and shock of the discovery
  • the apparent identities of the remains, including a toddler
  • the excavation timeline and the contractors who found the remains
See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • Breitbart NewsFar Right

    VIDEO — North Dakota: Seven Coffins Holding Human Remains Found Near Governor's Residence

    Archeologists have located seven coffins containing human remains near the governor's residence in Bismarck, North Dakota, a site where community members laid their loved ones to rest in the 1800s.

    Read at Breitbart News (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRight

    7 Sensational language“mystery”The word dramatizes a discovery whose origin the same coverage largely explains as a cemetery relocation.More neutral: unidentifiedDisagree with this highlight? coffins containing human remains found at North Dakota governor’s residence

    The caskets and an empty wooden box were found while contractors were performing security upgrades at the Bismarck property and led to a months-long excavation, according to the state Office of Management and Budget.

    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

    14 hr 52 min later

    Its first report, Oct 10, 5:00 AM EDT

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    First to report

    New York Post, Oct 9, 2:08 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. New York PostRightOct 9, 2:08 PM EDT
  2. The New York TimesLeftOct 10, 5:00 AM EDT
  3. Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 10, 3:08 PM EDT

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

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