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Sheeran says the promoter dropped Macklemore, Macklemore says Kraft did, and Kraft says the decision was his

Four support acts quit within about an hour. Three accounts of who took Macklemore off the tour, and the promoter has not answered.

What to know about Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore was cut and artists dropped out
What to know about Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore was cut and artists dropped out as published by The Independent · seen at The Independent
Anglosphere United States Ireland United Kingdom

What happened. Macklemore was taken off Ed Sheeran's US tour after he called "Free Palestine" at the 5 September New Jersey date. By Tuesday all four remaining support acts — Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Sheeran's own Irish backing band Beoga — had quit, the announcements coming roughly within an hour of each other, The Independent reports.

Three accounts of one decision.

Who What they say
Ed Sheeran "Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine"
Macklemore his removal was the result of an effort led by Robert Kraft
Robert Kraft the cancellation was his, over recent comments "and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery"
Messina Touring Group, the promoter did not respond to requests for comment

Two parliaments. UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy has "enormous sympathy" for Sheeran and "hopes it doesn't harm his tour", TheJournal.ie reports. The same outlet reports Richard Boyd Barrett telling the Irish government to show the same "backbone" as the artists who walked.

Not settled. Who made the decision. The promoter has not spoken, and neither Sheeran's representative nor Kraft's answered The Independent. The follower figures — Sheeran down about 150,000, Macklemore up about 750,000 — come from one outlet citing one analytics firm; no other report we hold counts them. Nobody in Gaza is quoted in any report we hold on this.

What this is about. A rapper said "Free Palestine" from a stadium stage, lost his slot on a tour, and four other acts walked off it — and three of the people involved give three different accounts of who removed him.

How it got here. The war in Gaza began after the Hamas attacks on Israel of 7 October 2023, and Israel's military campaign there has been the loudest political argument in Western public life since. Ireland recognised Palestine as a state in May 2024; the British government has been more cautious. Ed Sheeran, the British singer-songwriter, is midway through a US stadium tour, with Macklemore — the American rapper best known for "Thrift Shop" and "Same Love" — as an opening act. At the New Jersey date on 5 September Macklemore called for a free Palestine onstage. Robert Kraft, the billionaire whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, then said Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at that venue. Macklemore announced on Tuesday that he was off the tour. Aaron Rowe pulled out first, then Beoga, Lukas Graham and Finneas.

Who is in it. Sheeran, who says he stays out of politics. Macklemore. Kraft, who owns a venue and so controls who plays in it. Messina Touring Group, the promoter that books the support acts, which has said nothing. Two of the departing acts are Irish: Beoga, Sheeran's own backing band, are founding members of Irish Artists for Palestine, and Rowe said in his statement that he would not let billionaires "silence the rightful voices" of people speaking against what he called Israeli genocide.

What is at stake. Who decides what can be said from a stage — the performer, the promoter, or the person who owns the building.

Where it stands. The tour continues. Sheeran's next show is Saturday in Philadelphia, with no support acts.

What is being argued about

  • Who removed Macklemore from the tour, and who says so
  • Whether Sheeran's apolitical position is itself a position
  • Irish artists invoking colonialism and famine to explain quitting
  • What the UK and Irish governments said about it
Four words for one decisionSide by side
OutletWhat it says happened to MacklemoreAnyone named as doing it?
The Guardian"removed from the tour", "being dropped"No — no actor in either phrase
The Independent (Associated Press)"was cut", "dropped as an opener"Not in the headline. The body names Sheeran, Macklemore and Kraft giving three different answers
The Independent (followers)"was pulled", "dropped"Not directly — "the decision came after" Kraft said Macklemore would not be allowed to perform
TheJournal.ie"the dropping of Macklemore"No — it asks instead who gets to decide what can be said on stage
In every headline phrase below, nobody is named as having done it. Two of the four name Kraft further down the page.
Sources The Guardian
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Guardian 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent Ed Sheeran wants to stay out of politics. By quitting his tour, his support acts have exposed the hollowness of neutrality Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Guardian → What we have measured Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1 from 10552 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent What to know about Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore was cut and artists dropped out Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Ed Sheeran loses 150,000 Instagram followers in wake of Macklemore controversy while rapper sees following skyrocket Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · Opinion: Ed Sheeran says he’s apolitical. His Macklemore decision tells a different story Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · Why are artists walking away from Ed Sheeran’s tour? Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
From a shout in New Jersey to two parliamentsTimeline
  1. 2026-09-05— no time published Macklemore Calls "Free Palestine" at the New Jersey date, telling the crowd criticism of Israel "in no way is criticism of you"Reported by The Independent
  2. 2026-09-14— no time published Robert Kraft Says the decision to cancel Macklemore followed his recent comments "and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery"Kraft's group owns Gillette Stadium, a later tour date
  3. 2026-09-14— no time published Macklemore Issues a long statement saying his removal was the result of an effort led by Kraft
  4. 2026-09-15— no time published Ed Sheeran Posts that the removal "was the promoter's decision, it was not mine" and that he is "not complicit"
  5. 2026-09-15— no time published Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga All four quit the tour, the announcements coming roughly within an hour of each other 4 of 4 support actsBeoga had been playing part of Sheeran's own set since January
  6. 2026-09-1612:51 published time of the report TheJournal.ie Reports UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy saying she has "enormous sympathy" for Sheeran and hopes it doesn't harm his tour
  7. 2026-09-1613:09 published time of the report TheJournal.ie Reports Richard Boyd Barrett telling the Irish government to show the same "backbone" as the artists who quit
  8. 2026-09-1616:43 published time of the report The Guardian Argues the walkout has exposed "the hollowness of neutrality"
Dates of the statements are as The Independent reports them; times are given only where a report published one.
Sources The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent What to know about Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore was cut and artists dropped out Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Guardian
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Guardian 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent Ed Sheeran wants to stay out of politics. By quitting his tour, his support acts have exposed the hollowness of neutrality Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Guardian → What we have measured Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1 from 10552 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · UK culture secretary says she has ‘enormous sympathy’ for Ed Sheeran as support acts leave tour Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · Politicians call on FAI and government to be more like acts quitting Ed Sheeran's tour Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Ed Sheeran loses 150,000 Instagram followers in wake of Macklemore controversy while rapper sees following skyrocket Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · 'Free Palestine': The Irish artists standing by Macklemore and pulling out of Ed Sheeran's US tour Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The only numbers in this coverage are follower countsChart
One outlet, The Independent, citing one analytics firm, Social Blade, over the 24 hours after Macklemore's announcement. It also reports Aaron Rowe's following up 73 per cent to more than 132,000. No other report we hold gives follower numbers, and none of them is confirmed elsewhere.
Sources The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Ed Sheeran loses 150,000 Instagram followers in wake of Macklemore controversy while rapper sees following skyrocket Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Ed Sheeran’s Instagram numbers make for stark reading as Macklemore sees huge surge Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The bias in this coverageBias

Removed, dropped, cut, pulled

Four reports describe the removal with no actor in the sentence. In the bodies, the singer says the promoter decided, the rapper says the stadium owner did, and the owner says he did. One report says it asked the promoter and got no reply.

4 reports whose headline or standfirst gives the removal no actor 2 reports naming the stadium owner in their text 1 reports quoting his stated reason 0 comments obtained from the promoter

Who is quoted saying it

Three reports carry the departing artists' statements at length; one carries the stadium owner's. Where the word genocide appears, it is inside someone else's quotation marks, never in a report's own voice. The only government voice we hold is sympathetic to the headliner, not to the act who was removed.

3 reports quoting an artist's statement at length 1 reports quoting the stadium owner 2 reports where genocide appears only inside a quotation 1 government voices we hold
Scored without the mastheads. Where the two passes differ, both are kept.
Sources The Guardian
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Guardian 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent Ed Sheeran wants to stay out of politics. By quitting his tour, his support acts have exposed the hollowness of neutrality Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Guardian → What we have measured Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1 from 10552 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent What to know about Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore was cut and artists dropped out Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Ed Sheeran loses 150,000 Instagram followers in wake of Macklemore controversy while rapper sees following skyrocket Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Ed Sheeran’s Instagram numbers make for stark reading as Macklemore sees huge surge Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · Why are artists walking away from Ed Sheeran’s tour? Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · Politicians call on FAI and government to be more like acts quitting Ed Sheeran's tour Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · Opinion: Ed Sheeran says he’s apolitical. His Macklemore decision tells a different story Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · UK culture secretary says she has ‘enormous sympathy’ for Ed Sheeran as support acts leave tour Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · 'Free Palestine': The Irish artists standing by Macklemore and pulling out of Ed Sheeran's US tour Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →

Claims and verdicts

true All of Ed Sheeran's supporting acts have quit the tour.
The Guardian, The Independent and TheJournal.ie each name the same four — Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga — and The Independent reports the announcements came within about an hour of each other. No report we hold names a support act still on the tour.
Checked against 4 sources:
The Guardian
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Guardian 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent Ed Sheeran wants to stay out of politics. By quitting his tour, his support acts have exposed the hollowness of neutrality Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Guardian → What we have measured Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1 from 10552 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent What to know about Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore was cut and artists dropped out Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Ed Sheeran loses 150,000 Instagram followers in wake of Macklemore controversy while rapper sees following skyrocket Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · 'Free Palestine': The Irish artists standing by Macklemore and pulling out of Ed Sheeran's US tour Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
disputed Dropping Macklemore was the promoter's decision, not Sheeran's.
The Independent quotes Sheeran's Instagram statement saying exactly this, and reports that the promoter, Messina Touring Group, did not respond to requests for comment. The same report has Macklemore attributing his removal to an effort led by Robert Kraft, and Kraft's own statement describing the cancellation as a decision he made.
Checked against 2 sources:
The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent What to know about Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore was cut and artists dropped out Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Ed Sheeran loses 150,000 Instagram followers in wake of Macklemore controversy while rapper sees following skyrocket Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
unverified Sheeran lost about 150,000 Instagram followers in 24 hours while Macklemore gained about 750,000.
Both figures come from one outlet, The Independent, citing one source, the analytics firm Social Blade. No other report we hold gives follower numbers.
Checked against 2 sources:
The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Ed Sheeran loses 150,000 Instagram followers in wake of Macklemore controversy while rapper sees following skyrocket Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Ed Sheeran’s Instagram numbers make for stark reading as Macklemore sees huge surge Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →

Who wrote it

L Laura Snapes The Guardian
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Who is named as acting removed, with nobody named as removing him×1
Who is named as acting the removal is passive and its author is unnamed in the sentence×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 true
From 16 reports we hold under this byline, at The Guardian. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
C Carsen Holaday The Independent · 2 reports on this story
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Hedged by attribution genocide appears only inside an artist's quotation×1
What is hedged a musician's charge of genocide is carried in quotation with no attribution line and no response×1
Which measure was chosen the dispute is measured in followers gained and lost, sourced to an analytics firm×1
Which measure was chosen the dispute measured in follower counts from an analytics firm×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 disputed1 unverified1 true
From 205 reports we hold under this byline, at The Independent. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
J Jane Matthews TheJournal.ie
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Actor named names the US and Israel as having started the war that pushed up prices, and states it flat×1
Actor named names Israel as the one bombing Gaza, in a sentence reporting what she said×1
Asserted versus attributed the outlet's own verdict on who wins, stated flat×1
Asserted vs attributed Calls the settlements 'illegal' in the headline, in the report's own voice, and names the place 'Palestine'.×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 disputed6 unverified4 true
From 57 reports we hold under this byline, at TheJournal.ie. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
P Peter Flanagan TheJournal.ie
No independent reading has coded a report under this byline yet. We do not infer a journalist's views from the outlet that employs them.
From 1 report we hold under this byline, at TheJournal.ie. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
D Diarmuid Pepper TheJournal.ie
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Characterisation 'politically motivated' outside quotation marks; only 'broad daylight' is quoted×1
Defence line leads The headline leads with the defence barrister's words, with the phrase in quotation marks.×1
Denominator two denominators in one sentence, the flattering one last×1
Figure only in quote The only death toll in the coverage comes from a politician quoted in the report. The report does not check it or give it in its own voice.×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 false1 disputed1 unverified4 true
From 78 reports we hold under this byline, at TheJournal.ie. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
R Rónán Duffy TheJournal.ie
What the bias passes found in their reporting
An absence treated as the finding what was not posted is the whole claim; no figure and no source in the line held×1
Coverage gap One report measures how little front-page space British papers gave the dispute, paper by paper.×1
Framing sets the O'Neill question up on the unionist charge that she could bring down Stormont×1
Measure chosen gain shown by income band, including a zero for the lowest band×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 misleading1 disputed3 true
From 23 reports we hold under this byline, at TheJournal.ie. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
The bylines on the reports this story is built from. Hover one for what our passes have measured on their reporting. · 2 reports we hold carry no byline — we do not invent one.

Coverage, outlet by outlet

The Guardian
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Guardian 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent Ed Sheeran wants to stay out of politics. By quitting his tour, his support acts have exposed the hollowness of neutrality Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Guardian → What we have measured Actor named Denial in the passive voice, with no one named as the person who dismissed it ×1Actor named names Israel as acting and states the death toll flat, with no source ×1Actor named Ireland named as the side that ended the conference ×1Allegation omitted the police statement is cut with an ellipsis where the other two reports carry the controlling or coercive behaviour allegation ×1 from 10552 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
The Guardian is the only report we hold that argues the point rather than reports it: it calls Sheeran's stance "the hollowness of neutrality" and reads the four departures as self-sacrifice against censorship.
In a statement about Macklemore being dropped from his US stadium tour for making pro-Palestinian comments, Ed Sheeran defended his own publicly apolitical stance: “If we only ever focus on shouting the loudest, nothing will ever change. There are different approaches to being an advocate for change.” Every other musician involved with the tour – support acts Finneas (Billie Eilish’s brother), Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish songwriter Aaron Rowe, plus Sheeran’s Irish backing band, Beoga – has made their approach to advocating for change clear, pulling out of the remaining dates to protest
Who is named as acting: removed, with nobody named as removing him — “who was removed from the tour for his vocal support of Palestine”
Who is named as acting: the removal is passive and its author is unnamed in the sentence — “support act Macklemore, who was removed from the tour for his vocal support of Palestine”
Read it at The Guardian → https://www.theguardian.com/music/commentisfree/2026/sep/16/ed-sheeran-…
The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent What to know about Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore was cut and artists dropped out Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
The Independent, running Associated Press copy, is the only report we hold that carries Robert Kraft's own statement, the words Macklemore said on stage, and the fact that the promoter, Kraft's representatives and
News World Americas What to know about Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore was cut and artists dropped out Ed Sheeran's tour has been thrown into turmoil by all of his supporting acts quitting after the rapper Macklemore was dropped as an opener due to pro-Palestinian comments he made onstage The Associated Press Wednesday 16 September 2026 16:29 BST Bookmark Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks Close popover What to know about Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore was cut and artists dropped out Show all 5 Your support helps us to tell the story Read more Support Now From reproductive rights t
Headline verb with no actor: cut and dropped out, both passive — “What to know about Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore was cut and artists dropped out”
Whose reason is carried: the stadium owner's stated reason quoted in his own words — “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery”
Who is named as acting: the headline makes the rapper passive and the other artists active in the same clause — “What to know about Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore was cut and artists dropped out”
What is asserted about whom: an accusation against the rapper is carried in his accuser's words with no response from him in the report — “the decision to cancel Macklemore was a result of the rapper's recent comments “and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.””
Read it at The Independent → https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ed-sheeran-macklemore…
The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Ed Sheeran’s Instagram numbers make for stark reading as Macklemore sees huge surge Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
Read it at The Independent → https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/culture/ed-sheeran-macklemore-in…
The Independent
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Independent 🇬🇧UK · digital · independent Ed Sheeran loses 150,000 Instagram followers in wake of Macklemore controversy while rapper sees following skyrocket Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Independent → What we have measured Accused party response Russia's side is reported as no comment. ×1A company statement about itself, taken as a "reveals" rather than "says", for a company's account of its own product ×1A count stated flat four crimes is given as a settled number in the headline, with no court, charge or jurisdiction attached ×1Actor named No actor named for the cut-short or for the clashes ×1 from 20313 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
The Independent is the only outlet we hold that puts a number on the row: Sheeran down 149,636 Instagram followers in 24 hours, Macklemore up 750,098, and gains for all four acts who quit, all from the analytics firm
Culture Music News Ed Sheeran loses 150,000 Instagram followers in wake of Macklemore controversy while rapper sees following skyrocket Macklemore has gained more than 750,000 followers since he announced that he was dropped from Sheeran’s tour Carsen Holaday in New York Wednesday 16 September 2026 11:01 EDT Bookmark Comments Go to comments Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks Close popover Macklemore cut from Ed Sheeran tour for pro-Palestine stance Your support helps us to tell the story Read more Support Now From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on th
Which measure was chosen: the dispute measured in follower counts from an analytics firm — “Sheeran lost 149,636 followers on Instagram, bringing his count to 47.3 million, according to data from social media analytics firm Social Blade.”
Hedged by attribution: genocide appears only inside an artist's quotation — “I cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Israeli genocide and who highlight the savage murder of children.”
Which measure was chosen: the dispute is measured in followers gained and lost, sourced to an analytics firm — “Sheeran lost 149,636 followers on Instagram, bringing his count to 47.3 million, according to data from social media analytics firm Social Blade.”
What is hedged: a musician's charge of genocide is carried in quotation with no attribution line and no response — “I cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Israeli genocide and who highlight the savage murder of children.”
Read it at The Independent → https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/ed-sheeran-…
T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · Why are artists walking away from Ed Sheeran’s tour? Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → —
TheJournal.ie turns it into a question about power rather than about Sheeran — who gets to decide what can be said on stage — in a discussion with a music journalist.
Zara Hedderman, music and arts journalist and author of the Bad Arts newsletter, joins us to examine who gets to decide what can be said on stage, and what happens when artists stand together and say no.
Read it at TheJournal.ie → https://www.thejournal.ie/ed-sheeran-macklemore-podcast-explained-71644…
T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · Politicians call on FAI and government to be more like acts quitting Ed Sheeran's tour Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → —
TheJournal.ie is the only report we hold that carries the argument into Irish politics, with Richard Boyd Barrett telling the government and the FAI to show the artists' "backbone".
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. Sinn Féin, Labour and People Before Profit all urged the government and the FAI to follow the example of the artists who have quit Sheeran’s tour over their support of Palestine and back a boycott of the upcoming Ireland versus Israel Nations League football fixtures. Over the course of two hours last night, all the support acts on Ed Sheeran’s US tour withdrew from the upcoming dates, in solidarity with rapper Macklemore, who earlier this week was dropped from the tour over his on-stage comments in support of Palestine. D
Read it at TheJournal.ie → https://www.thejournal.ie/ed-sheeran-palestine-7164210-Sep2026/
T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · Opinion: Ed Sheeran says he’s apolitical. His Macklemore decision tells a different story Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → —
TheJournal.ie's opinion piece is the only one we hold that treats Sheeran's decision, rather than his silence, as the political act.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. The Englishman won’t have to hand back his Irish passport, but his past defence of his ‘cultural Irishness’ is starting to ring a little hollow. A controversy exploded this week when Macklemore was dropped as the support act for Sheeran’s American tour. The first of their gigs together took place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where the hip-hop artist delivered a passionate pro-Palestinian message during his performance. His words were met with immediate backlash, which he addressed the next night. Speaking directly
Read it at TheJournal.ie → https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/ed-sheeran-gaza-7163934-Sep2026/
T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · UK culture secretary says she has ‘enormous sympathy’ for Ed Sheeran as support acts leave tour Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → —
TheJournal.ie carries the only government voice we hold: Lisa Nandy's "enormous sympathy" for Sheeran and her hope it doesn't harm his tour.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. Lisa Nandy added that she “hope it doesn’t harm his tour”. Acts that had been due to support Sheeran pulled out of the US tour after rapper Macklemore was dropped from several upcoming gigs. Macklemore was dropped from Sheeran’s tour after advocating for Palestinians in two performances while supporting the British singer-songwriter. Messina Touring Group, promoter of the US leg of Sheeran’s Loop Tour, said it has been notified by venues on the upcoming tour dates that they would not allow a concert to take place with Mack
Whose voice is quoted: the only government voice we hold sympathises with the headliner — “UK culture secretary says she has ‘enormous sympathy’ for Ed Sheeran as support acts leave tour”
Whose voice is quoted: the government minister's sympathy is for the headliner's tour, not for anyone removed from it — “Lisa Nandy said she ‘hopes it doesn’t harm his tour’.”
Read it at TheJournal.ie → https://www.thejournal.ie/uk-culture-secretary-says-she-has-enormous-sy…
T TheJournal.ie
Centre estimate · not a score
TheJournal.ie 🇮🇪IE · digital · 'Free Palestine': The Irish artists standing by Macklemore and pulling out of Ed Sheeran's US tour Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at TheJournal.ie → What we have measured Accuracy of attribution The report calls the Tánaiste the Taoiseach partway through. That puts his words under another office. ×1Accusation carried without a reply a charge against a named party, no answer from it in the text held ×1Actor labelling calls the accusers 'opposition parties' when the named accuser is the deputy First Minister ×1Actor mislabelled The first line calls the accusers 'opposition parties', but the accuser quoted is the DUP deputy First Minister, who sits in the same executive ×1 from 2218 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → —
TheJournal.ie reports the walkout from the Irish acts' side, and states plainly that every support act has now gone.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. ED SHEERAN’S US tour has been turned into a battleground for free speech and advocacy after American rapper Macklemore was pulled from the tour after speaking on behalf of the Palestinian cause during two recent performances. In a statement released on Tuesday, Sheeran confirmed that Macklemore was removed from the tour in a decision taken by tour promoters following pressure by the owners of the stadiums on the upcoming dates. The English singer-songwriter said in his statement that he does “not use my professional platfo
Read it at TheJournal.ie → https://www.thejournal.ie/ed-sheeran-macklemore-tour-7164059-Sep2026/
Checked, didn’t cover
T The Irish Times
Centre estimate · not a score
The Irish Times 🇮🇪IE · digital · No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Actor framing The release is framed as a joint agreement, with no pressure mentioned ×1Actor named Names the residents as the ones who blocked the road ×1Actor named killers named as 'loyalist gunmen'; verb 'shot dead' ×1With no actor named construction no actor named for the theft or the driving in the standfirst ×1 from 1358 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → R RNZ
Centre estimate · not a score
RNZ 🇳🇿NZ · digital · PUBLIC No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Headline against body headline claims a 20-year decline reversed; the first line of the body reports a new low in reading ×1Headline against body headline claims a turnaround; the text carries a record low and puts it on boys ×1 from 2328 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → R RTÉ News
Centre estimate · not a score
RTÉ News 🇮🇪IE · digital · PUBLIC No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Abstraction as the actor the dispute acts and no one in it is named ×1Account taken as default the police description of the crowd as 'hostile' is carried with no other account ×1Accuracy the Slovenia entry in the country list repeats Austria's name ×1Active voice offender Donaldson is named as the one who did the abuse, in the active voice. ×1 from 2361 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → ABC News (Australia)
Centre estimate · not a score
ABC News (Australia) 🇦🇺AU · public broadcaster · public-service No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Actor label and hedge The same man is called 'far-right' and named by his legal name. The act is hedged with 'allegedly', where the longer report states it flat. ×1A different count, stated flat one dead and 140 missing, unattributed, earliest of the four ×1Affected counted The only report to count the local people affected ×1Are the dead named one of the dead named, through a relative at the hospital ×1 from 4667 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → C CBC News
Centre-left estimate · not a score
CBC News 🇨🇦CA · public broadcaster · public-service No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Asserted vs attributed the measure is attributed to the three governments; the territory is called occupied in the outlet's own voice ×1Attribution kept in the headline the sourcing travels with the claim into the headline ×1Figure rounded in the headline more than 600 in the headline; the body sources it to a flight-tracking site ×1How the sourcing is hedged the claim is hedged to an unnamed newspaper in both headline and body; the reporting is not held by this report ×1 from 2730 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Silence is recorded, not inferred — each of these was read when we built this story and carried nothing on this event.
We could not read these
BBC News
Centre estimate · not a score
BBC News 🇬🇧UK · public broadcaster · public-service No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Dating and attribution 'It was not until Tuesday' is a judgement about delay, not a date. No other report we hold comments on how long the German finding took. ×1How hard the claim is stated Headline says the UN voted to adopt and replace; the last sentence of the report says the vote is non-binding ×1How hard the claim is stated The qualification arrives in the last sentence and is immediately overridden by an effect the report gives no source for. ×1Which figure is used States the replacement as done — the Assembly voted to replace the map — where the resolution urges states to use a different projection. ×1 from 473 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Daily Telegraph
Right estimate · not a score
The Daily Telegraph 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Nothing scored yet. We do not carry a rating for any outlet — only what we have measured from published text. Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Times
Centre-right estimate · not a score
The Times 🇬🇧UK · newspaper · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Nothing scored yet. We do not carry a rating for any outlet — only what we have measured from published text. Outlet profile in The AI Times →
These are must-cite outlets for this desk that we did not manage to read when we built this story. That is a gap in our reach, not a silence on their part, and it is not evidence of anything about this story.

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