Paradox News
UKClimate & environment

Storm Austen brings 'danger to life' wind warnings, with Storm Boelo following this weekend

The Met Office issued an amber 'danger to life' wind warning for south-west England on Friday as Storm Austen arrived with gusts up to 80mph. Storm Boelo is due to hit northern areas at the weekend.

L 38% · C 19% · R 43% · 16 outlets

Left 0 · Centre-left 6 · Centre 3 · Centre-right 3 · Right 4

Sources by leanFollow the moneyMore coverage

How each side framed it

Left-leaning outlets

Disruption and safety: 66 schools closed (Mirror), events cancelled (ITV), and the Independent's satellite image with the 'danger to life' warning.

Centre outlets

Centre-rated outlets headline it: “UK weather: Amber wind warning issued ahead of Storm Austen” (Sky News); “Storm Boelo: Second named storm to batter Edinburgh this weekend as new weather warning issued” (The Scotsman).

Right-leaning outlets

Drama: 'explosive weather bomb' (Express), 'SECOND named storm' (GB News), and 'Popular English island announces closure' (The Sun).

Holding the paradox

Agreed facts

The Met Office issued an amber 'danger to life' wind warning for Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth and the Isles of Scilly on Friday, with gusts up to 80mph, as Storm Austen arrived. Yellow rain warnings covered much of Scotland. Storm Boelo is forecast to hit Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England on Saturday and Sunday.

Where claims conflict

Mostly agreed. Bloomberg says Austen will be stronger than forecast along coasts; tabloids lean on 'weather bomb' language that the Met Office used to explain rapid deepening.

The paradox

We name storms to make warnings stick, and then the names become the headline more than the wind.

Sources by lean

Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.

Left 3

Centre 3

Right 3

Showing 3 from each side of 16 rated outlets (L 6 / C 3 / R 7). More coverage

Follow the money

Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.

Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (16 outlets)
OutletLeanOwnership & funding (MBFC)
BloombergCentre-leftMichael R. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP (The parent company of Bloomberg News). According to Investopedia, Bloomberg Terminal (remote software used to access financial information) is the most expensive among financial data providers. source
Daily MirrorCentre-leftBritish Publishing Company Reach plc (formerly Trinity Mirror) owns The Daily Mirror. Revenue is generated through digital advertising, print ads, and subscription fees. source
The Herald (Scotland)Centre-leftThe Glasgow Herald is published by Herald & Times Group, which is owned by Newsquest Media Group Ltd. Newsquest is the second-largest publisher in the United Kingdom, publishing 205 brands including 165 newspapers. Further, Newsquest is owned by US-based Gannett which publishes USA Today. source
The IndependentCentre-leftThe Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source
The National (Scotland)Centre-leftThe National is operated by Newsquest Media Group Ltd., a UK-based local media publisher. Newsquest is a wholly owned subsidiary of USA TODAY Co., Inc., the media company formerly known as Gannett Company, which also controls AZthe USA TODAY Network of national and local news outlets in the United States and regional titles in the United Kingdom. Revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales source
i (inews)Centre-leftDMG Media owns iNews, which publishes the Daily Mail and The Metro. Advertising, sponsored content, and subscriptions generate revenue. source
BBC NewsCentreThe BBC operates under a Royal Charter. Oversight is managed by the BBC Board, and regulatory authority rests with Ofcom. source
Sky NewsCentreSky News is owned by Comcast as of November 2018 and is funded through advertising. Rupert Murdoch is no longer affiliated with Sky News UK; however, Newscorp still has a share of Sky News Australia, which reports with a right-leaning bias. source
The ScotsmanCentreJPIMedia owns the Scotsman. Advertising and subscription fees generate revenue..push({}); source
Evening StandardCentre-rightThe newspaper is majority-owned by Russian businessman and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev and the Daily Mail and General Trust. Revenue is generated through advertising. source
ITV NewsCentre-rightNo ownership data found
The TimesCentre-rightThe Times and Sunday Times is owned by News UK (News Corp UK & Ireland Limited), which American News Corp owns. The owner and Executive Chairman of News Corp are Rupert Murdoch. Revenue is derived from advertising and subscription fees. source
Daily ExpressRightThe Daily Express is owned by Reach plc (formerly known as Trinity Mirror), a British newspaper, magazine, and digital publisher. Subscriptions, newsstand sales, and advertising generate revenue. source
GB NewsRightGB News lacks transparency as they do not disclose ownership. A search reveals that London-based ALL Perspectives Ltd owns GB News. According to Reuters, the television channel “secured millions of dollars from investors such as Discovery Inc, Legatum and hedge fund manager Paul Marshall. source
The SunRightThe Sun is published by the News Group Newspapers division of News UK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The paper generates revenue through advertising, newsstand sales, and subscriptions. source
The TelegraphRightTelegraph Media Group (TMG) owns The Telegraph, which is owned by Press Acquisitions Ltd., which in turn is owned by Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay. In 2004, Twin Brothers Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay acquired the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph from the Canadian media company Hollinger Inc. for £665 million. For a complete list of Board members, see here. source