TODAY'S HEADLINES
Before you react to a headline, see how other outlets worded the same story.
The Independent leads with "Man with knife plows car into pedestrians in Italian city injuring at least 8 people" while Fox News leads with "Several injured after car plows into Italy crowd, driver stabs passerby: report".
Middle East Eye leads with "Quarter of a million join Nakba Day rally as far-right protest also takes place in ce..." while Epoch Times World leads with "‘Unite the Kingdom’ Holds Rally and March in Central London".
70/99 · 12 sources
Guardian World leads with "At least eight people killed in Bangkok rail crossing collision" while Sky News World leads with "Freight train hits bus in Thailand - eight dead".
One version makes this feel like a fatal incident. The other version downplays it.
80/99 · 5 sources
The Mirror UK leads with "Celtic vs Hearts 'abandoned game' theory as unseen referee action explained during ch..." while Sky News leads with "Agony for Hearts as Celtic claim Scottish Premiership title after VAR and pitch invas...".
One version emphasizes "abandoned". The other emphasizes "claim".
78/99 · 4 sources
The Independent leads with "Firefighter, 27, killed and others remain critically injured after Maine lumber mill..." while 100 Percent Fed Up leads with "Lumber Mill Explosion And Fire Kills Firefighter, Injures Nearly A Dozen".
One version makes this feel like a fatal incident. The other version downplays it.
75/99 · 4 sources
Le Monde English leads with "A smooth Trump-Xi summit masked deeper competing motives" while RealClearWorld leads with "A 'Decent Peace' at the Trump-Xi Summit".
69/99 · 4 sources
Related angle. The source map includes different article formats, so wording may reflect format as well as framing.
Related angle. The source map includes different article formats, so wording may reflect format as well as framing.
Related angle. The source map includes different article formats, so wording may reflect format as well as framing.
WHAT YOU SEE HERE
Other sites tell you which outlets covered a story. Optics shows you what the wording changed — the exact words that decide whether the event feels routine, like a scandal, like a crisis, or like a win.
We group the same event across left, center, and right outlets.
We pull out the words that change blame, certainty, urgency, and who looks like the winner.
One headline makes it feel like X. Another makes it feel like Y. That's the whole product.
WHAT MAKES OPTICS DIFFERENT
Another can make the same story feel like a scandal, a crisis, or a win.
Optics tells you how the wording landed today, on this story.
Two headlines, one event, and a clean explanation of what changed.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE
The outlets agree on the core event. Wording differences are small.
The headlines create different first impressions of the same event.
Only a few sources have it so far. The match is still developing.
Optics is not owned by a media company, campaign, PAC, political organization, or social platform. The methodology and source list are public.
Read about Optics