Skip to content

EconomyDeveloping

US Consumer Confidence Falls to Lowest Level Since 2014

By

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 9 outlets across the spectrum.

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

The Conference Board reported that its Consumer Confidence Index fell 6.7 points in September to 81.9, the lowest reading in about 12 years. The drop was driven by rising gasoline and energy prices, elevated inflation, and growing pessimism about business conditions and the labor market, according to the board. Several reports linked higher fuel costs to the ongoing Iran war, noting gas prices rose from about $2.98 to over $4.40 per gallon. The Conference Board’s chief economist, Dana Peterson, said consumers expect business conditions and the job market to weaken over the next six months. Some coverage connected the decline to political stakes ahead of the midterm elections.

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. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index fell to 81.9 in September, down 6.7 points from August.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  2. This is the lowest confidence reading since 2014, about a 12-year low.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  3. Rising gasoline and energy prices contributed to the decline.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  4. The decline is linked to the ongoing Iran war, which has pushed up oil and fuel prices.

    Reported byCenterRight

  5. Consumers expect business conditions and the labor market to weaken over the next six months, according to the Conference Board's chief economist.

    Reported byRight

  6. The drop in confidence comes ahead of the US midterm elections, raising concerns for Republicans.

    Reported byLeftCenter

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Bloomberg's headlines state the confidence drop factually, while Al Jazeera frames it in relation to the upcoming midterms and Trump's political response.

    US consumer confidence hits its lowest level since 2014 ahead of midterms
    Al Jazeera EnglishLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    4 outlets

    Center outlets state the confidence drop as fact, with some (PBS, Washington Times via AP) explicitly tying it to the Iran war, while others (Semafor, The Hill) emphasize labor market weakness and midterm political implications.

    US consumer sentiment hits lowest level in more than a decade
    SemaforCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    3 outlets

    Right-leaning outlets state the decline factually, with Breitbart and The American Conservative emphasizing fuel cost pressures and household financial strain more heavily.

    Consumer Confidence Dips to Lowest Level Since 2014
    The American ConservativeRightAll 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.

  • Left1

    Sell Economy

  • Center4

    amid the ongoing Iran warfears escalaterekindled Republicans’ midterm fearsstaunch economic bleeding

  • Right2

    amid the ongoing Iran warSqueeze Households

In the outlets’ own words

  • Vague attribution

    amid the ongoing Iran warMore neutral: amid other economic pressures

    Implies a causal link between wage stagnation and the Iran war without attributing this connection to any named source or data.

    …more than a decade this month as prices remain elevated and wages stagnate amid the ongoing Iran war.

    Used byThe Washington Times (Right)PBS NewsHour (Center)

  • Sensational language

    fears escalateMore neutral: concerns grow

    Frames rising concern in dramatic terms rather than describing the measured decline neutrally.

    Consumer optimism slides sharply as fears escalate over rising prices and jobs

    Used byCNBC (Center)

  • Loaded verb

    Squeeze HouseholdsMore neutral: Raise Costs for Households

    Uses a dramatic verb to characterize the effect of fuel costs rather than a neutral description of the impact.

    Consumer Confidence Plunges to 12-Year Low as Fuel Costs Squeeze Households

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    Sell EconomyMore neutral: discuss the economy

    Suggests the president is engaged in spin or persuasion rather than neutrally reporting on his public messaging about the economy.

    Trump Hits Campaign Trail to Sell Economy to Anxious Voters

    Used byBloomberg (Left)

Show 2 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded verb

    rekindled Republicans’ midterm fearsMore neutral: raised new political concerns for Republicans

    Characterizes Republican concern in dramatic terms rather than neutrally noting political implications.

    …showed, as unexpectedly weak jobs figures and elevated energy prices rekindled Republicans’ midterm fears.

    Used bySemafor (Center)

  • Sensational language

    staunch economic bleedingMore neutral: address economic weakness

    Uses a dramatic medical metaphor to describe economic policy efforts rather than a neutral description.

    The White House has tried to staunch economic bleeding ahead of November through bond buybacks, promises of $5,000 checks, and —…

    Used bySemafor (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

  • falling consumer confidence
  • gas and oil price increases
  • political stakes for Trump and midterms

Leaves out

  • direct link to Iran war as driver of fuel prices

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

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

4 outlets

Leads with

  • record-low confidence level
  • weak jobs data
  • inflation and energy prices
  • midterm political implications
See the 4 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • SemaforCenter

    US consumer sentiment hits lowest level in more than a decade

    US consumer sentiment fell to its lowest level since 2014, new data showed, as unexpectedly weak jobs figures and elevated energy prices Loaded verb“rekindled Republicans’ midterm fears”Characterizes Republican concern in dramatic terms rather than neutrally noting political implications.More neutral: raised new political concerns for RepublicansDisagree with this highlight?.

    Read at Semafor (opens in a new tab)
  • The HillCenter

    Consumer confidence drops to 12-year low

    Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Consumer confidence dips to lowest level since 2014 Consumer confidence dipped in September to its lowest level in a dozen years, the Conference Board reported …

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

    Americans' opinion of economy drops to lowest level since 2014

    Americans' confidence in the economy sank to the lowest level in more than a decade this month as prices remain elevated and wages stagnate amid the ongoing Iran war.

    Read at PBS NewsHour (opens in a new tab)
  • CNBCCenter

    Consumer optimism slides sharply as Sensational language“fears escalate”Frames rising concern in dramatic terms rather than describing the measured decline neutrally.More neutral: concerns growDisagree with this highlight? over rising prices and jobs

    The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index tumbled to 81.9, a decline of 6.7 points and a reading well below the forecast for 89.

    Read at CNBC (opens in a new tab)

From the right

3 outlets

Leads with

  • fuel and energy cost increases
  • inflation pressures
  • household financial strain

Leaves out

  • midterm election implications

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

See the 3 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The American ConservativeRight

    Consumer Confidence Dips to Lowest Level Since 2014

    State of the Union: High energy prices have worsened economic pessimism.

    Read at The American Conservative (opens in a new tab)
  • Breitbart NewsFar Right

    Consumer Confidence Plunges to 12-Year Low as Fuel Costs Loaded verb“Squeeze Households”Uses a dramatic verb to characterize the effect of fuel costs rather than a neutral description of the impact.More neutral: Raise Costs for HouseholdsDisagree with this highlight?

    Americans’ confidence in the economy plunged to its lowest level since 2014 in September as rising fuel costs intensified inflation worries and households grew more pessimistic about business conditions, jobs, and their own finances. The Conference Board said Tuesday that

    Read at Breitbart News (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington TimesRightAssociated Press report

    Americans' view of the economy sinks to the lowest level since 2014, Conference Board survey says

    Americans' confidence in the economy sank to the lowest level in more than a decade this month as prices remain elevated and wages stagnate Vague attribution“amid the ongoing Iran war”Implies a causal link between wage stagnation and the Iran war without attributing this connection to any named source or data.More neutral: amid other economic pressuresDisagree with this highlight?.

    Read at The Washington Times (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

    First to report

    Bloomberg, Sep 29, 10:34 AM EDT

  • Center

    2 min later

    Its first report, Sep 29, 10:36 AM EDT

  • Right

    15 min later

    Its first report, Sep 29, 10:49 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. BloombergLeftSep 29, 10:34 AM EDT
  2. CNBCCenterSep 29, 10:36 AM EDT
  3. The Washington TimesRightSep 29, 10:49 AM EDT
  4. PBS NewsHourCenterSep 29, 1:56 PM EDT
  5. The HillCenterSep 29, 4:08 PM EDT
  6. Breitbart NewsFar RightSep 29, 4:21 PM EDT
  7. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftSep 29, 6:23 PM EDT
  8. SemaforCenterSep 29, 6:39 PM EDT
  9. The American ConservativeRightSep 30, 11:30 AM EDT

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

Read next

Help someone else find the truth beneath the surface

Most people see one side of a story. Share this one, so they can see how every side is telling it and decide for themselves.

Email it

Seen a mistake? Tell us what is wrong with this page