EXAMPLES
01
CNN VS FOX NEWS​
Excerpt 1: Drenon, Brandon. “US prosecutors to seek death penalty for Luigi Mangione.” BBC, 1 April 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c30qlr528elo.
"Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement on Tuesday that she had directed federal prosecutors to seek capital punishment for the 'premeditated, cold-blooded assassination'. In the press release, Bondi said Mr. Thompson's murder 'was an act of political violence' and that it 'may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons' nearby."
Excerpt 2: Dan, Mangan. “DOJ to Seek Death Penalty for Luigi Mangione in CEO Brian Thompson Murder Case.” CNBC, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2025, www.cnbc.com/2025/04/01/luigi-mangione-death-penalty-brian-thompson.html.
"Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America," Bondi said in a statement issued by the Department of Justice. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again."
Do they strike a different emotion to you? Well it does to me. The two articles are similar in many ways. For example, they both emphasize the “cold-blooded” and “premeditated” nature of the crime. They also both quote what Bondi had said to justify the death penalty. However, they also differ. The second source gives additional political context that is not seen in the first source. This helps to link the decision to former President Trump’s policies. BBC uses a more neutral type of reporting style. They explain Bondi’s reasoning without explicitly tying it to broader political agendas. This shows how sometimes, news sources will add or delete things in order to influence what the reader reads and ends up thinking.
02
IMAGE DIFFERENCES
Excerpt 3: "Luigi Mangione Is Charged with Murder as an Act of Terrorism in CEO's Death." NPR, 17 Dec. 2024, www.npr.org/2024/12/17/nx-s1-5232067/luigi-mangione-murder-terrorism-ceo-shooting.
Excerpt 4: "Bondi Says Prosecutors Will Seek Death Penalty Against UnitedHealthcare Killing Suspect Luigi Mangione." PBS NewsHour, 1 Apr. 2025, www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/bondi-says-prosecutors-will-seek-death-penalty-against-unitedhealthcare-killing-suspect-luigi-mangione.
Do these two images strike a different emotional chord on you?
Many news sources have bias. Subtly, they point the reader in the direction they want the reader to go. This is seen in these two images. The first one, NPR uses a photo where Mangione looks seemingly mad and rebellious, while PBS uses a photo where he seems to be peaceful and cooperating. This shows how news stations can influence the public through their framing through photos. NPR’s choice of a defiant-looking Mangione reinforced the narrative that Mangione is the “villain”, someone who is dangerous and evil. Comparatively, PBS’s selection of a more cooperative Mangione makes him look a lot less threatening, allowing the readers to sympathize with him more. These choices are not accidental. Sources specifically use various images to get readers to emotionally respond differently to stories.