The UK’s headlines report Heathrow closed all day due to a nearby fire at a substation. The airport has warned there will be “significant disruption” over the coming days and has told passengers not to travel “under any circumstances” until it reopens.
This is a developing story and does not feature on the front pages but is heavily dominating online news websites.
You won’t be surprised to see that the tabloid media uses more biased headlines, whilst the broadsheets offer more factual and less emotive language in their headlines.
Major disruption as Heathrow closed all day after nearby fire causes power outage
Explainer – The headline is fairly factual and does not use loaded language.
BBC News says Heathrow will be closed until midnight on Friday but the airport is warning of “significant disruption” in the days after that.
Gatwick Airport had said it would step in and help as much as it can, but it is at capacity and it’s not realistic to think it will be able to take on much more.
There are other airports in the London area, such as Stansted and Luton, but capacity is still limited.
Flight chaos across the world with hundreds of planes forced to divert or turn around as London’s Heathrow Airport shuts due to fire
Explainer – The use of dramatic and emotive language provides a level of sensationalism that is often used with tabloid media. It creates a sense of panic in the reader.
The Daily Mail says 120 planes which were already in the air were diverted or turned around in addition to flights being cancelled as a result of the fire. Passengers from as far as San Francisco, Japan and Perth, Australia were caught in the carnage, with an estimated 1,351 flights to and from Heathrow expected to be impacted as the day goes on.
Global flights disrupted as power station fire shuts down London’s Heathrow Airport
Explainer – The headline is more factual and less sensational language is used.
France24 reports the UK’s Heathrow Airport said it would be closed all of Friday after a huge fire at a nearby electrical substation wiped out power at Europe’s busiest hub, disrupting flight schedules around the world. The site says two of the flights bound for London were diverted to Paris.
AIRPORT CHAOS Heathrow Airport closed: Holidays ruined & travellers stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic as blaze cancels ALL flights
Explainer – The headline contains clear bias through the use of sensational and emotionally charged language. The headline exaggerates, and uses subjective framing such as “holidays ruined”.
The Sun claims “dream holidays” have been squashed as weary travellers sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic after a horror fire shut down ALL Heathrow flights. Heathrow was “plunged into chaos” after a fire broke out at a substation in West London.
