GLOSSARY

Mostly Same

Short answer: An Optics News label for stories where multiple outlets covered the same event and the wording is broadly aligned.

When Optics groups headlines about the same event and the wording is similar enough that the first impression doesn't change much across the political spectrum, the story gets the "Mostly Same" label. This is not a value judgment — many of the most important stories are Mostly Same. It just means the spin is not the interesting part of the story.

Example

Multiple outlets report the same death toll, the same actor, and the same outcome without one side adding loaded language.

Mostly Same

See also