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US consumer sentiment edges down to 48.0 in October from 48.1 in September

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets, mostly left-leaning (75%).

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

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The University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers index for October came in at 48.0, down from 48.1 in September, according to Bloomberg, The Hill and The Independent. The Hill reports that sentiment is about 10.4 percent below October 2025, and The Independent quotes survey director Joanne Hsu saying it is about 10 percent below a year ago. The Independent reports that the October reading is the second-lowest on record, just above the all-time low of 44.8 set in May. Bloomberg reports that the final reading beat the preliminary figure and topped economists’ estimates in its survey. Hsu said purchasing power continues to dominate consumer views of the economy.

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 University of Michigan’s final October consumer sentiment index was 48.0, down from 48.1 in September.

    Reported byLeft2Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Bloomberg, The Independent
    Center
    The Hill

  2. Consumer sentiment is about 10 percent below its level a year earlier.

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

  3. The October reading is the second-lowest on record, just above the all-time low of 44.8 set in May.

    One outletThe Independent· Left

  4. The final reading was above the preliminary October figure and topped economists’ estimates in a Bloomberg survey.

    One outletBloomberg· Left

  5. Survey director Joanne Hsu said purchasing power continues to dominate consumer views of the economy.

    One outletThe Independent· Left

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides report the October index at 48.0, down from 48.1 in September and about 10 percent below a year earlier. Left outlets stress the slide toward near-record lows and the midterm elections, while the center outlet stresses the month-over-month stability and persistent inflation.

  • the left

    3 outlets

    Left headlines stress that sentiment is at or near record or multi-month lows, tying the drop to inflation, high prices and the midterm elections.

    US consumer sentiment nears lowest point since index began ahead of midterm elections
    The IndependentLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The Hill’s headline stresses that sentiment held steady from September, framing persistent inflation as the ongoing pressure on Americans’ finances.

    Consumer confidence holds steady from September amid persistent inflation
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    No coverage yet

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

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

    plummeting

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right

    Has not covered this story.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    plummetingMore neutral: edging down

    The final reading moved only 0.1 points, so describing the index as plummeting overstates the change.

    Independent voters’ economic anxieties highlight political implications of plummeting US consumer sentiment.

    Used byAl Jazeera English (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

  • record or near-record lows
  • inflation and high prices
  • midterm elections
  • Iran war and prices
See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • steady month-over-month reading
  • persistent inflation
  • about 10 percent drop from a year earlier
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    Consumer confidence holds steady from September amid persistent inflation

    U.S. consumer sentiment flatlined from September to October, as persistent inflation squeezes Americans’ finances. Conference confidence sat at a measure of 48 percent this month, a minor decrease from last month’s reading of 48.1, according to the University of Michigan’s …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)

From the right

0 outlets

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

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, Oct 23, 10:00 AM EDT

  • Center

    1 hr 38 min later

    Its first report, Oct 23, 11:37 AM EDT

  • Right

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. BloombergLeftOct 23, 10:00 AM EDT
  2. The HillCenterOct 23, 11:37 AM EDT
  3. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 23, 1:26 PM EDT
  4. The IndependentLeftOct 23, 3:17 PM EDT

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

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