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Trump reportedly narrows search for new White House press secretary

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 10 outlets across the spectrum.

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

Two men at the White House briefing room podium, with American flag and cameraman nearby.
Image via The Washington TimesHow images are chosenReport this image

Trump is searching for a new White House press secretary, and Fox News reports, citing a source close to the president, that he has narrowed the list and wants a man for the job. Fox reports that conservative commentator Ben Ferguson’s name keeps coming up, and Fox-sourced reports also name CNN contributor Scott Jennings as under consideration. Ferguson told Fox News that his name “has been floated” and that he has not spoken with Trump directly. Earlier, Trump said he had offered UFC CEO Dana White the job, then said he was only kidding. A source says Trump has not made up his mind. The Washington Examiner reports that advisers are talking up Hogan Gidley, a former deputy press secretary.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. Editors read every story. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Trump is searching for a new White House press secretary, a post that has been vacant.

    Across the spectrumReported byFar Left2Left1Center2Right3Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast, Raw Story
    Left
    The Independent
    Center
    The Hill, Newsweek
    Right
    Washington Examiner, Daily Mail, The Washington Times
    Far Right
    The Western Journal, Fox News

  2. Fox News reports, citing a source close to the president, that Trump wants a man for the job.

    Reported byFar Left2Center1Right1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    Raw Story, The Daily Beast
    Center
    Newsweek
    Right
    Washington Examiner
    Far Right
    Fox News

  3. Conservative commentator Ben Ferguson’s name keeps coming up as a candidate, and Ferguson has said he has not spoken with Trump directly.

    Reported byFar Left2Center1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast, Raw Story
    Center
    The Hill
    Far Right
    Fox News

  4. Scott Jennings, a CNN contributor, is also reported to be under consideration.

    Reported byFar Left1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Center
    Newsweek

  5. Trump said he had offered UFC CEO Dana White the job, then said he was only kidding.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Independent
    Center
    The Hill

  6. The Washington Examiner reports that advisers are talking up Hogan Gidley for the job.

    One outletWashington Examiner· Right

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that Trump is searching for a new press secretary and that Ben Ferguson’s name has come up. The right frames the search as closing in on a pick, while the left stresses mockery, drama and the Dana White joke.

  • the left

    3 outlets

    Left-side headlines lean on drama and mockery, calling Ferguson a “Shock Favorite” and the search “messy”, while the Independent calls the Dana White episode a “flop”.

    Sensational language“Shock Favorite”“Shock” adds drama to a report about a candidate for a government job, which the facts do not require.More neutral: FrontrunnerDisagree with this highlight? Loaded verb“Spills”The verb suggests a careless leak rather than a neutral account of what the commentator said on air.More neutral: DiscussesDisagree with this highlight? on Rumors He’s Trump’s Next Press Sec
    The Daily BeastFar LeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    2 outlets

    Center headlines name the candidates and the state of the search, with The Hill quoting Ferguson himself and Newsweek citing prediction-market odds.

    Ben Ferguson: 'My name has been floated' as next White House press secretary
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    5 outlets

    Right-side headlines frame the search as closing in on a pick, Fox News and the Western Journal naming a frontrunner, while the Daily Mail leads with a candidate’s appearance and conduct.

    Trump closing in on new press secretary as admin officials push for pick who could break the mold
    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.

  • Left10

    insiders sayflopblonde womenShock Favorite

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right4

    insiders sayBlondemascara-streaked meltdownsdesperate

In the outlets’ own words

  • Vague attribution

    insiders sayMore neutral: a source close to the president says

    Unnamed insiders are cited for a claim that the same sentence attributes to one source.

    President Donald Trump wants a man as his next press secretary, and insiders say Ben Ferguson's name keeps coming up, a source close to the president says.

    Used byFox News (Far Right)Raw Story (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    flopMore neutral: reversal

    “Flop” judges the offer as a failure, which the quoted reports do not establish.

    A new favorite has emerged for press secretary after Dana White ‘joke’ flop

    Used byThe Independent (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    blonde womenMore neutral: women

    Hair colour has no bearing on the reported hiring pattern.

    The president’s trend of hiring blonde women as the face of the administration may be coming to an end.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    Shock FavoriteMore neutral: Reported frontrunner

    “Shock” presents a reported candidate as a surprise the reporting does not establish.

    Shock Favorite Named in Trump’s Messy Hunt for New Karoline

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

Show 9 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    Messy HuntMore neutral: Search

    “Messy” is a judgement about the search that the reports do not establish.

    Shock Favorite Named in Trump’s Messy Hunt for New Karoline

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    BlondeMore neutral: Trump aide

    Describes the aide by appearance in a way that adds nothing to the report on her role in the search.

    Blonde Trump aide is dark horse to be next press secretary...

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Sensational language

    mascara-streaked meltdownsMore neutral: reported conduct concerns, if sourced

    Uses dramatic, unsourced imagery to suggest a personal failing rather than reporting a documented event.

    but her mascara-streaked meltdowns and hours locked in an office with 'TikTok Jack' mean White House staff are…

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Sensational language

    desperateMore neutral: concerned

    Asserts the emotional state of staff that the article does not establish with attributed sources.

    …and hours locked in an office with 'TikTok Jack' mean White House staff are desperate for the president not to do it

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    MAGA radio hostMore neutral: conservative radio host

    Tying Ferguson to the MAGA label pre-judges him by a political movement rather than describing his role.

    MAGA radio host leads pack for press secretary job thanks to Trump's ‘instincts’: report

    Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    trusted mouthpieceMore neutral: spokesperson for the president

    The phrase characterizes the job and the candidate as a propagandist for the president, a judgement the facts do not establish.

    …Trump’s favorite network to offer his audition for the vacant job as Trump’s trusted mouthpiece.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    cursedMore neutral: troubled

    Calling the job cursed presents a dramatic judgement as fact rather than describing the vacancies and their history.

    The job became cursed after Katie Zacharia’s botched five-day stint in October.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    botchedMore neutral: brief

    The word judges the earlier stint as a failure before the facts of its performance are set out.

    The job became cursed after Katie Zacharia’s botched five-day stint in October.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    SpillsMore neutral: Discusses

    The verb suggests a careless leak rather than a neutral account of what the commentator said on air.

    Shock Favorite Spills on Rumors He’s Trump’s Next Press Sec

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

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

3 outlets

Leads with

  • Ben Ferguson as frontrunner
  • Trump’s reported preference for a man
  • The Dana White joke
  • The job’s troubled history
See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

2 outlets

Leads with

  • Ferguson’s own comments
  • Prediction-market odds for Ferguson and Jennings
  • Reports that Trump wants a man
See the 2 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    Ben Ferguson: 'My name has been floated' as next White House press secretary

    Conservative commentator and talk show host Ben Ferguson said he might be in the run to become the White House’s next press secretary, saying he knew his name “has been floated. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)
  • NewsweekCenter

    Trump Reportedly Wants Male Press Secretary: Ferguson, Jennings Odds Rising

    Both Jennings and Ferguson's odds of becoming Trump's next press secretary have risen on prediction market Kalshi on Tuesday.

    Read at Newsweek (opens in a new tab)

From the right

5 outlets

Leads with

  • Ben Ferguson as frontrunner
  • Trump narrowing the list
  • Advisers backing Hogan Gidley and Trump 45 alumni
See the 5 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    Trump 45 alumni get behind a new name for press secretary

    Welcome to Wednesday’s edition of Washington Secrets. Today we look at some of the new names being considered as the next face of the White House, we have details of an American media venture headed to London, and why is Debbie Dingell obsessed with Diet Coke? …

    Read at Washington Examiner (opens in a new tab)
  • Daily MailRight

    Loaded modifier“Blonde”Describes the aide by appearance in a way that adds nothing to the report on her role in the search.More neutral: Trump aideDisagree with this highlight? Trump aide is dark horse to be next press secretary... but her Sensational language“mascara-streaked meltdowns”Uses dramatic, unsourced imagery to suggest a personal failing rather than reporting a documented event.More neutral: reported conduct concerns, if sourcedDisagree with this highlight? and hours locked in an office with 'TikTok Jack' mean White House staff are Sensational language“desperate”Asserts the emotional state of staff that the article does not establish with attributed sources.More neutral: concernedDisagree with this highlight? for the president not to do it

    Bill Pulte, the powerful Trump aide, pushed her name to the President over dinner at Mar-a-Lago this past weekend, a source close to Trump told the Daily Mail.

    Read at Daily Mail (opens in a new tab)
  • The Western JournalFar Right

    A New Name Has Risen to the Top of Trump's White House Press Secretary Shortlist: Report

    And the search continues. President Donald Trump’s quest to find a more permanent solution to his White House press secretary vacancy is still ongoing, but he has apparently narrowed down

    Read at The Western Journal (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington TimesRight

    Trump gets closer to choosing a new press secretary

    President Trump is narrowing down a list of contenders to be his new press secretary.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    Trump closing in on new press secretary as admin officials push for pick who could break the mold

    President Donald Trump wants a man as his next press secretary, and Vague attribution“insiders say”Unnamed insiders are cited for a claim that the same sentence attributes to one source.More neutral: a source close to the president saysDisagree with this highlight? Ben Ferguson's name keeps coming up, a source close to the president says.

    Read at Fox News (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, 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

    The Independent, Nov 9, 4:47 PM EST

  • Center

    1 day 2 hr later

    Its first report, Nov 10, 6:54 PM EST

  • Right

    21 hr 30 min later

    Its first report, Nov 10, 2:17 PM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The IndependentLeftNov 9, 4:47 PM EST
  2. Fox NewsFar RightNov 10, 2:17 PM EST
  3. The Washington TimesRightNov 10, 4:46 PM EST
  4. The Daily BeastFar LeftNov 10, 6:37 PM EST
  5. NewsweekCenterNov 10, 6:54 PM EST
  6. The Western JournalFar RightNov 10, 7:21 PM EST
  7. Daily MailRightNov 10, 8:53 PM EST
  8. Raw StoryFar LeftNov 10, 10:09 PM EST
  9. The HillCenterNov 11, 10:03 AM EST
  10. Washington ExaminerRightNov 11, 11:45 AM EST

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

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