Russia orders closure of German consulate in St. Petersburg

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Russia orders closure of German consulate in St. Petersburg?

Of the 27 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 33% are rated left, 37% are rated centre, 30% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 62. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.

Is Russia orders closure of German consulate in St. Petersburg left or right?

Neither side dominates it. Of the 27 rated outlets on this story, 33% are rated left, 37% are rated centre, 30% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.

Is the coverage of Russia orders closure of German consulate in St. Petersburg biased?

Russia orders closure of German consulate in St. Petersburg is one event reported by 62 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.

Which side is not reporting Russia orders closure of German consulate in St. Petersburg?

When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.

Which outlets covered Russia orders closure of German consulate in St. Petersburg?

62 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.

Why is Russia closing the German consulate in St. Petersburg?

Russia's Foreign Ministry announced the closure as retaliation for Germany's decision to close the Russian consulate in Bonn and Russia's cultural centre in Berlin. Russia stated that German authorities provoked the escalation in bilateral relations and bear full responsibility for the consequences.

When must the German consulate in St. Petersburg cease operations?

The German consulate in St. Petersburg must cease its operations by September 18. Russia also ordered the closure of all Goethe-Institut branches on Russian territory, with staff required to leave by September 13.

What led to this diplomatic dispute?

The diplomatic dispute escalated after Germany blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4. This led Germany to close Russian diplomatic facilities, prompting Russia's retaliatory measures.