A 4.2 magnitude earthquake struck the San Bernardino area on Wednesday evening, according to the USGS.
Earthquake expert Lucy Jones wrote that the location of the quake is very close to the San Jacinto fault, which had a M7 in the 19th century. Small earthquakes like this are often seen below locked segments of faults.
The quake was centered almost 2 miles southwest from San Bernardino and felt across Southern California.
A 4.2 magnitude earthquake struck the San Bernardino area on Wednesday evening, according to the USGS. The quake was centered almost 2 miles southwest from San Bernardino and felt across Southern California. Earthquake expert Lucy Jones wrote that the location of the quake is very close to the San Jacinto fault, which had a M7 in the 19th century. Small earthquakes like this are often seen below locked segments of faults. There were no immediate reports of significant damage or injuries.
A magnitude 4.2 earthquake shook a wide swath of Southern California on Wednesday night.
The epicenter was 1.5 miles southwest of downtown San Bernardino and half a mile north of the San Bernardino Depot train station.
Residents said shaking was felt in Ontario, Yorba Linda, and downtown Los Angeles.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that the earthquake was centered in San Bernardino but then goes on to say that light shaking was felt across the Inland Empire including cities such as Riverside and Fontana which are not close to San Bernardino. This contradicts itself and creates a false impression of where the epicenter is located. Secondly, it states that residents said shaking was felt in Ontario, Yorba Linda and downtown Los Angeles but does not provide any evidence or quotes from these sources to support this claim. Lastly, it mentions seismologist Lucy Jones stating that the depth of Wednesday's earthquake was more than nine miles which is true but then goes on to say that the two quakes are probably on the same fault without providing any context or explanation for why they would be related.
The article states that light shaking was felt across the Inland Empire including cities such as Riverside and Fontana. However, it does not provide evidence of this claim.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the USGS as a source for information about the earthquake's magnitude and location. However, this does not necessarily mean that their information is accurate or reliable. Additionally, the author quotes seismologist Lucy Jones on social media without providing any context or qualification for her expertise in earthquakes.
The USGS was cited as a source of information about the earthquake's magnitude and location.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that the San Jacinto fault is one of the region's most active and potentially dangerous fault lines. This statement implies bias towards earthquakes occurring on this specific fault line.
]San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and police in Rialto, located about two miles from the quake’s center, echoed that statement.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of earthquakes in Southern California as they are reporting for the U.S. Geological Survey.
A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck the San Bernardino area Wednesday evening.
The quake was felt across Southern California and was centered almost 2 miles southwest from San Bernardino.
Earthquake expert Lucy Jones wrote that the location of the quake is very close to the San Jacinto fault, which had a M7 in the 19th century. Small earthquakes like this are often seen below locked segments of faults.
Accuracy
A magnitude 4.2 earthquake shook a wide swath of Southern California on Wednesday night.
The epicenter was 1.5 miles southwest of downtown San Bernardino and half a mile north of the San Bernardino Depot train station.
A magnitude 4.2 earthquake shook a wide swath of Southern California on Wednesday night.
The epicenter was 1.5 miles southwest of downtown San Bernardino and half a mile north of the San Bernardino Depot train station.
Residents said shaking was felt in Ontario, Yorba Linda, and downtown Los Angeles.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article contains deceptive practices such as sensationalism and selective reporting. The title of the article is misleading because it mentions a '4.2 magnitude earthquake' when in fact the initial report was that it was a '4.5 magnitude earthquake'. This creates fear and panic among readers without providing accurate information.
The title of the article is misleading because it mentions a 4.2 magnitude earthquake when in fact the initial report was that it was a 4.5 magnitude earthquake.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. Firstly, the author uses an appeal to authority by citing the United States Geological Survey (USGS) as a source for information about the earthquake's magnitude and location. However, this does not necessarily mean that their information is accurate or reliable. Secondly, there are no examples of inflammatory rhetoric in the article. Thirdly, there are no examples of dichotomous depictions in the article. Fourthly, there are several instances where the author uses an appeal to authority by citing official sources such as emergency services and government agencies without providing any evidence or context for their claims.
The earthquake hit at 7:43 p.m. less than two miles from the city center at a depth of 9.6 miles.
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
Travis Schlepp has a conflict of interest on the topics of earthquakes and emergency preparedness as he is an author for KTLA.com which covers these topics.
A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck the San Bernardino area Wednesday evening.
The quake was felt across Southern California and was centered almost 2 miles southwest from San Bernardino.
Accuracy
A magnitude 4.2 earthquake shook a wide swath of Southern California on Wednesday night.
The epicenter was 1.5 miles southwest of downtown San Bernardino and half a mile north of the San Bernardino Depot train station.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that the earthquake was originally recorded as a 4.5-magnitude earthquake but it was downgraded to a M4.2 a few minutes later without providing any context or explanation for this change.
The article states that 'the quake was originally recorded as a 4.5-magnitude earthquake, however, it was downgraded to a M4.2' but does not provide any information on why the magnitude changed.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the US Geological Survey and Dr. Lucy Jones as sources for information about the earthquake's magnitude and location.
>eas pic.twitter.com/PfZQ7JNCYN — San Bernardino County Fire (@SBCOUNTYFIRE) January 25, 2024
https://t.co/fEtrcCIsBW — Dr. Lucy Jones (@DrLucyJones) January 25, 2024
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The article by Jesus Reyes has multiple conflicts of interest on the topics provided. The author is affiliated with both the US Geological Survey and San Bernardino County Fire Department, which could compromise their ability to report objectively on these topics.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of San Bernardino as they are reporting for KESQ.com which is based in San Bernardino.
