{"publisher":{"name":"MediaBias News","url":"https://mediabias.news","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology","editorialPrinciples":"https://mediabias.news/editorial-principles","corrections":"https://mediabias.news/corrections"},"scoreGuide":{"trust":"How well corroborated and evidenced the source reporting is. 0-100, higher is better.","critic":"Craft quality of the source journalism: context, balance, fact vs comment. 0-100, higher is better.","hype":"How far the source presentation runs ahead of substance. 0-100, LOWER IS BETTER.","scope":"Scores assess the original reporting this article was written from, not the truth of the underlying event and not the quality of this write-up."},"assessmentGuide":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"story":{"id":"https://mediabias.news/business/us-to-hold-deepsea-mining-lease-sale-near-american-samoa-says-olsen","slug":"us-to-hold-deepsea-mining-lease-sale-near-american-samoa-says-olsen","url":"https://mediabias.news/business/us-to-hold-deepsea-mining-lease-sale-near-american-samoa-says-olsen","title":"US to hold deep‑sea mining lease sale near American Samoa, says Olsen","subtitle":"The Marine Minerals Administration announced the auction of two seabed areas covering about 31 million acres, with bidding set for 19 November 2026 amid local and environmental opposition.","excerpt":"The United States is preparing its first offshore deep‑sea mining lease sale off American Samoa. The Marine Minerals Administration will offer two seabed tracts of roughly 31 million acres, with bidding on 19 November 2026, while local groups and environmentalists protest the plan.","category":"Business & Economy","area":"Asia-Pacific","publishedAt":"2026-10-20T06:05:18.011Z","sourceReportedAt":"2026-10-20T03:20:29.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-20T06:05:18.011Z","readTime":"2 min read","scores":{"trust":78,"critic":72,"hype":15,"notes":{"trust":"Trust 78: multiple independent outlets, named official Mike Olsen, and specific acreage figures raise corroboration.","critic":"Critic 72: explains strategic importance, quotes official, separates facts, but reads like a press release.","hype":"Hype 15: language is measured; no sensationalism or clickbait evident."}},"tags":["#DeepSeaMining","#AmericanSamoa","#CriticalMinerals","#MarineMineralsAdministration","#USPolicy","#EnvironmentalOpposition"],"entities":["Mike Olsen","Marine Minerals Administration","American Samoa","Trump administration"],"body":[{"type":"key_takeaways","items":["The United States will hold its first offshore deep‑sea mining lease auction off American Samoa, with bidding set for 19 November 2026.","The Marine Minerals Administration says the sale will cover two seabed areas of roughly 31 million acres.","Acting director Mike Olsen described critical minerals as a strategic asset for energy, defence and supply chains.","Local civil‑society groups and environmental organisations have voiced opposition to the plan."]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The Marine Minerals Administration announced that the United States is preparing its first offshore deep‑sea mining lease sale. The sale will offer two seabed tracts off American Samoa, together amounting to about 31 million acres. Bidding is scheduled for 19 November 2026."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Acting director Mike Olsen said the minerals targeted are a strategic asset for global competition, energy efficiency, national defence and domestic supply chains. The announcement marks the first time the U.S. government has opened offshore mineral leases."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Several local civil‑society groups and environmental organisations have expressed opposition, citing risks to marine ecosystems and the fishing economy."},{"type":"heading","text":"Disagreement on lease area size"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Four digests describe the lease area as 31 million acres, two digests give a figure of 31.4 million acres, and one digest states it as nearly 32 million acres. The reports do not reconcile these different measurements."},{"type":"heading","text":"Omissions"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"No left‑rated outlet ran this story, creating a blindspot in coverage. None of the right‑rated digests reproduced Mike Olsen’s quote about critical minerals being a strategic asset, a detail that appears in centre‑rated reports."}],"basedOn":[{"sourceName":"AlKhaleej Today","url":"https://alkhaleejtoday.co/international/5866034/Trump-now-auctioning-America%E2%80%99s-ocean-floor-off-Samoa-31-million-acres-up-for-grabs-despite-fury.html","headline":"Trump Now Acquiting America¶s Ocean Floor Off Samoa, 31 Million Acres up for Grabs Despite Fury","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-20T05:54:02.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Malay Mail","url":"https://malaymail.com/news/world/2026/10/20/trump-now-auctioning-americas-ocean-floor-off-samoa-31-million-acres-up-for-grabs-despite-fury/239841","headline":"Trump now auctioning America’s ocean floor off Samoa, 31 million acres up for grabs despite fury","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-20T05:37:43.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Post Courier","url":"https://postcourier.com.pg/u-s-takes-final-step-to-award-first-seabed-mineral-lease-sale-in-american-samoa","headline":"U.S. takes final step to award first seabed mineral lease sale in American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-20T03:20:29.000Z"},{"sourceName":"CNBC-TV18","url":"https://cnbctv18.com/world/us-to-auction-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa-20015441.htm","headline":"US to auction deep sea mining leases off American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-20T02:17:25.000Z"},{"sourceName":"France24","url":"https://france24.com/en/live-news/20261019-us-to-auction-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa","headline":"US to auction deep sea mining leases off American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-19T23:07:01.612Z"},{"sourceName":"Free Malaysia Today News","url":"https://freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2026/10/20/us-to-auction-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa","headline":"US to auction deep sea mining leases off American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-19T22:41:43.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Clarin","url":"https://clarin.com/estados-unidos/eeuu-subastara-concesiones-para-mineria-en-aguas-profundas-frente-a-costas-de-samoa-americana_0_fK8jNd3u8Q.html","headline":"U.S. to Auction Deepwater Mining Concessions Off American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-19T22:30:07.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Radio France Internationale","url":"https://rfi.fr/en/international-news/20261019-us-to-auction-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa","headline":"US to auction deep sea mining leases off American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-19T22:11:45.901Z"},{"sourceName":"Barron's","url":"https://barrons.com/news/us-to-auction-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa-84c6a49d","headline":"US To Auction Deep Sea Mining Leases Off American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-19T21:34:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Well News | Pragmatic, Governance, Fiscally Responsible, News & Analysis","url":"https://thewellnews.com/critical-minerals/feds-first-ever-seabed-mineral-lease-sale-will-offer-two-areas-off-american-samoa","headline":"Feds First-Ever Seabed Mineral Lease Sale Will Offer Two Areas off American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-19T20:57:57.000Z"},{"sourceName":"pacificislandtimes.com","url":"https://pacificislandtimes.com/post/us-takes-final-step-to-award-first-seabed-mineral-lease-sale-in-american-samoa","headline":"US takes final step to award first seabed mineral lease sale in American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-19T20:30:01.553Z"},{"sourceName":"PassBlue","url":"https://passblue.com/2026/10/19/american-samoa-is-resisting-us-plan-to-mine-nearby-seabed","headline":"American Samoa Is Resisting US Plan to Mine Nearby Seabed","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-19T20:01:21.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Washington Examiner","url":"https://washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy-and-environment/4770679/trump-administration-first-ever-deep-sea-mining-leases-near-american-samoa","headline":"Trump administration offers first-ever deep-sea mining leases near American Samoa","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-19T16:13:40.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Hill","url":"https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/6157807-deep-ocean-mining-american-samoa","headline":"Trump administration will let companies bid to mine the deep ocean off American Samoa’s coast","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-19T14:54:19.000Z"},{"sourceName":"gCaptain","url":"https://gcaptain.com/u-s-sets-first-deep-sea-mining-lease-sale-for-november","headline":"U.S. Sets First Deep-Sea Mining Lease Sale for November","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-19T08:04:51.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Hawaii News Now","url":"https://hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/10/19/american-samoas-governor-residents-oppose-deep-sea-mining-proposal","headline":"American Samoa’s governor, residents oppose deep-sea mining proposal","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-19T03:43:41.725Z"}],"analysis":{"distribution":{"percent":{"left":0,"centre":54,"right":46},"count":{"left":0,"centre":6,"right":5},"totalSources":16,"untracked":5,"rated":11,"observedAt":"2026-10-20T06:35:59.301Z"},"lifecycle":{"state":"developing","lastCheckedAt":"2026-10-20T07:15:33.685Z","closedAt":null,"checks":5,"changes":0,"reopened":false},"framing":{"left":[],"centre":["Six centre‑rated digests led on the approximate size of the lease area, citing about 31 million acres across two offshore zones and the 19 November bidding date. France24 and Radio France Internationale reproduced Olsen’s comment that critical minerals are a strategic asset for energy efficiency, national defence and supply chains. Barron's noted widespread opposition from locals and environmental groups, while Hawaii News Now highlighted the governor’s and residents’ resistance to the proposal."],"right":["Four right‑rated digests focused on the Trump administration’s role, describing the auction as historic and the first of its kind. They reported the lease area as roughly 31 million acres, with Washington Examiner adding a figure of nearly 32 million acres. All four mentioned local and environmental opposition and framed the sale as a move to secure strategic resources for the United States."],"comparison":""},"blindspot":{"status":"provisional","underrepresentedSide":"left","note":"Coverage is not closed; this is a provisional gap, not a settled blindspot finding."},"sourceFactualityDistribution":{"mixed":1,"high":5,"unknown":6,"veryHigh":4},"ownershipDistribution":{"mediaConglomerate":4,"billionaire":3,"government":2,"independent":1,"corporation":1},"firstDatedReport":{"sourceName":"Hawaii News Now","url":"https://hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/10/19/american-samoas-governor-residents-oppose-deep-sea-mining-proposal","publishedAt":"2026-10-19T03:43:41.725Z"},"countries":[{"country":"Washington, District of Columbia, United States","count":2},{"country":"Issy-les-Moulineaux, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France","count":2},{"country":"Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia","count":2},{"country":"Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii, United 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They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"citation":{"recommended":"MediaBias News, \"US to hold deep‑sea mining lease sale near American Samoa, says Olsen\", https://mediabias.news/business/us-to-hold-deepsea-mining-lease-sale-near-american-samoa-says-olsen","canonicalUrl":"https://mediabias.news/business/us-to-hold-deepsea-mining-lease-sale-near-american-samoa-says-olsen","instructions":["Cite and link the canonical article URL, not the API, markdown mirror, homepage, or an original outlet URL.","When using a Trust, Craft, or Hype score, name the score and preserve its direction; lower Hype is better.","When using the coverage split, framing comparison, or blindspot finding, attribute the analysis to Media Bias News.","Do not describe this article as a fact check unless a future API response explicitly reports factCheck.status as performed."]},"links":{"canonical":"https://mediabias.news/business/us-to-hold-deepsea-mining-lease-sale-near-american-samoa-says-olsen","json":"https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-to-hold-deepsea-mining-lease-sale-near-american-samoa-says-olsen","markdown":"https://mediabias.news/business/us-to-hold-deepsea-mining-lease-sale-near-american-samoa-says-olsen.md","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology"}}}