The federal government shut down on Oct. 1 as Democrats and Republicans were unable to agree on a funding bill. Officials from both sides blame the other for the shutdown, and media coverage reflected that political divide. Our analysts examined four articles and two videos about the shutdown in our Topic of the Week.

Reporting from four sources in our content set received very similar scores from our analysts. Articles from ABC News and Associated Press and videos from CBS News and NBC News were found to be “balanced analysis.” Let’s take a closer look at each.

The article from the Associated Press reports on the current status of negotiations as well as background about what led up to this showdown. It includes quotes from representatives from both sides of the debate and explains the steps both parties have taken so far to pressure the other into a deal, as well as the actions they may take in the days ahead. 

The ABC News article focuses on the White House threat to lay off federal workers, rather than put them on furlough, if the shutdown is not resolved soon. The article includes quotes from both Republican and Democrat leaders, as well as White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett.

In a video from NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” host Kristen Welker interviews Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. Welker asks Johnson about why the U.S. House is not in session, about potential layoffs of federal workers and about Affordable Care Act subsidies that will expire at the end of the year. Johnson defends the GOP actions and blames Democrat leaders for distracting from the negotiations to end the shutdown.

Meanwhile, on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” host Margaret Brennan interviews Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Brennan asks Schumer about health care for undocumented immigrants and about the prospects for Democrats and Republicans to meet to work on a funding agreement. Schumer blames Republicans for failing to address the health care crisis in America and not being serious about negotiating a deal to end the shutdown.

An article from Mother Jones was also rated as “analysis,” but with a “strong left” bias. The reporting features reaction from one anonymous furloughed federal worker, who said they received little communication about the impending shutdown except for one email that blamed Democrats. Analysts noted that the author includes her own opinion in the story, such as in this passage: “The Trump administration’s blatant disregard of the laws and traditions governing federal communications …has left some workers with a bad taste in their mouth.”

The lowest-rated reporting from our content set came from an article by American Greatness. The bias of the article is evident in its subhead and lead: “The Democrats have shut down the government because they’re putting illegal immigrants ahead of American citizens.” The author further states that Democrats are insisting on health care for “foreign migrants who do not even belong in America, and no longer have legal status here, under President Trump’s leadership.” The article praises Trump’s leadership through the shutdown negotiations. Analysts found several instances of opinion and insults throughout, leading them to rate the article as “selective or incomplete/unfair persuasion” with a “hyper-partisan right” bias. 

Want to see if you agree with our analysts? New Topics of the Week are posted on the website each Monday. Analyst scores are published on Wednesday. Learn more here.