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Sylvester Stallone Discusses New Memoir “The Steps” and Career in Media Interviews

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets. No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered it yet.

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

Sylvester Stallone, 80, has given a series of interviews tied to the release of his new memoir, “The Steps.” In conversations with CBS Sunday Morning’s Tracy Smith and other outlets, Stallone discussed his difficult childhood, his troubled relationship with his mother Jackie Stallone, and his decades-long struggle before writing the screenplay for “Rocky,” which he refused to sell unless he was cast in the lead role. He also reflected on how the film industry has changed, saying he would face “big trouble” trying to launch his career in today’s Hollywood, and offered advice to people struggling in their own lives, saying “you have nothing to lose” by trying.

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. Stallone released a new memoir titled “The Steps.”

    Reported byLeftRight

  2. Stallone discussed his difficult childhood and troubled family relationships, including with his mother Jackie Stallone.

    Reported byLeftRight

  3. Stallone wrote the screenplay for “Rocky” and refused to sell it unless he was cast in the lead role.

    Reported byLeftRight

  4. Stallone said he was not present when his mother died and made candid remarks about their relationship.

    Reported byRight

  5. Stallone said he would face “big trouble” trying to succeed in today’s Hollywood.

    Reported byRight

Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. Stallone gave advice to struggling people, saying they have “nothing to lose” by trying.

    Reported byRight

  2. CBS Sunday Morning conducted an extended interview with Stallone as part of a live event at 92NY/92Y.

    Reported byLeftRight

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    2 outlets

    CBS’s own coverage frames the story around Stallone’s reflections on his career and the making of “Rocky,” often using descriptive, promotional-style headlines for interview segments; the New York Times headline is more dramatic, emphasizing decades of hidden struggle.

    In Conversation with Sylvester Stallone | CBS Sunday Morning at 92Y
    CBS NewsLeftAll 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

    Right-leaning outlets, drawing on Fox News and New York Post reporting, focus on more personal and provocative quotes from Stallone, including family estrangement and blunt commentary on Hollywood.

    Sylvester Stallone's advice to those who are struggling 50 years after 'Rocky' changed his life
    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.

  • Left2

    disturbing childhoodNow He's Coming Clean

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right3

    painful memoriesstartling admissionflamboyant mom

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded modifier

    disturbing childhoodMore neutral: difficult childhood

    Characterizes his upbringing with an emotionally charged label rather than describing specific facts.

    The legendary actor on his disturbing childhood, his Hollywood missteps and the pain he caused to his loved ones, his body and…

    Used byThe New York Times (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    Now He's Coming CleanMore neutral: Now He's Opening Up

    Implies confession of wrongdoing rather than simply sharing personal experiences.

    Now He’s Coming Clean.

    Used byThe New York Times (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    painful memoriesMore neutral: memories

    Adds emotional characterization rather than stating the facts of what he described.

    Sylvester Stallone recalls painful memories of abusive childhood: ‘It was insane’

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Sensational language

    startling admissionMore neutral: a candid statement

    Adds dramatic emphasis to a personal statement rather than describing it neutrally.

    It is a startling admission from one of the most famous men in Hollywood, but then Stallone’s relationship…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

Show 1 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded modifier

    flamboyant momMore neutral: his mother

    Characterizes a person with a subjective, colorful label rather than a neutral description.

    …of the most famous men in Hollywood, but then Stallone’s relationship with his flamboyant mom — a celebrity astrologer known for her extreme plastic surgery who died in…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

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.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    insaneMore neutral: (omit) and quote the statement

    Diagnoses the speaker instead of quoting them.

    …didn’t put a lot of stuff in the book because I didn’t want a pity party … but it was insane,” he admitted.

    Quoted byNew York Post (Right)

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

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

  • The making of “Rocky”
  • Stallone’s career journey
  • His decision to keep his screenplay and demand the lead role

Leaves out

  • Comments about not attending his mother’s funeral
  • Remarks on Hollywood today being unwelcoming to his style

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

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

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

  • Stallone’s difficult childhood and family estrangement
  • Blunt personal admissions
  • His views on modern Hollywood and career advice

Leaves out

  • Details of his refusal to sell the “Rocky” script without the lead role

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

See the 3 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

    First to report

    CBS News, Sep 25, 5:04 PM EDT

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    1 day 17 hr later

    Its first report, Sep 27, 10:13 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. CBS NewsLeftSep 25, 5:04 PM EDT
  2. The New York TimesLeftSep 26, 9:01 AM EDT
  3. New York PostRightSep 27, 10:13 AM EDT
  4. Fox NewsFar RightSep 28, 10:00 PM EDT

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

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