CenterHigh
The Star-Ledger (NJ.com)News report · Aug 14, 1:00 PM
8 states tax your Social Security benefits: Here’s the list
Depend on Social Security benefits for your income? Where you live determines if your benefits are hit with state taxes.
← Today's headlines
6 sources checked · Left, Center, and Right included · 39m ago
Different Spin
8 states tax your Social Security benefits: Here’s the list
Fortune and Al.com (Alabama News) describe the same event in different terms.
1 Left4 Center1 Right
DIFFERENT SPIN
HOW EACH SIDE WORDED IT
Left-leaningCenter-leftSocial Security is celebrating its 91st birthday. It won’t live to 100, watchdog warns
FortuneHigh
Right-leaningCenter-right8 states tax your Social Security benefits: Here’s the list
Al.com (Alabama News)Mostly Factual
Center baseline · 
The Star-Ledger (NJ.com)High8 states tax your Social Security benefits: Here’s the list
As of August 14, 2026 at 1:02 PM, this is how Optics News reads the wording differences in this story.
What happened Depend on Social Security benefits for your income? Where you live determines if your benefits are hit with state taxes.
The headline split The left frames it as "Social Security is celebrating its 91st birthday. It won’t live to 100, watchdog warns". The right frames it as "8 states tax your Social Security benefits: Here’s the list".
Match confidence High confidence. 6 sources checked, Left/Center/Right all represented. Best read as a clear framing signal — not a fact-check.
Same-event confidenceHigh
6 sources across Left, Center, and Right all describe the same event.
Framing confidenceModerate
75/99 — meaningful wording shift across the spectrum.
WHAT EACH SIDE EMPHASIZED
Left / center-leftSocial Security is celebrating its 91st birthday. It won’t live to 100, watchdog warns
Fortune · Center-left · News report
Center8 states tax your Social Security benefits: Here’s the list
The Star-Ledger (NJ.com) · Center · News report
Right / center-right8 states tax your Social Security benefits: Here’s the list
Al.com (Alabama News) · Center-right · News report
SEE THE HEADLINES
Open source
Center-leftHigh
FortuneNews report · Aug 14, 1:02 PM
Social Security is celebrating its 91st birthday. It won’t live to 100, watchdog warns
"Social Security won’t make it past age 97 as things currently stand," said the CRFB's Maya Macguineas. "At least not in its current form."
CenterMostly Factual
OregonianNews report · Aug 14, 1:00 PM
8 states tax your Social Security benefits: Here’s the list
Depend on Social Security benefits for your income? Where you live determines if your benefits are hit with state taxes.
Center-rightMostly Factual
Al.com (Alabama News)News report · Aug 14, 1:00 PM
8 states tax your Social Security benefits: Here’s the list
Depend on Social Security benefits for your income? Where you live determines if your benefits are hit with state taxes.
CenterMostly Factual
The Post-Standard (Syracuse)News report · Aug 14, 1:00 PM
8 states tax your Social Security benefits: Here’s the list
Depend on Social Security benefits for your income? Where you live determines if your benefits are hit with state taxes.
CenterHigh
The Grand Rapids Press (MLive)News report · Aug 14, 1:00 PM
8 states tax your Social Security benefits: Here’s the list
Depend on Social Security benefits for your income? Where you live determines if your benefits are hit with state taxes.
Details75/99 Wording Gap · High confidence · 6 sources
75/99 Wording GapHigh confidence6 sources · 3 bias bucketsStable · 6 sources · all three buckets · comparable news formatFormats: News report
SOURCE MAP CHANGES
Aug 14, 1:00 PM: The Star-Ledger (NJ.com) joined the source map.
Aug 14, 1:00 PM: Oregonian joined the source map.
Aug 14, 1:00 PM: Al.com (Alabama News) joined the source map.
Aug 14, 1:00 PM: The Post-Standard (Syracuse) joined the source map.
Now: Wording Gap is 75/99 and story health is stable · 6 sources · all three buckets · comparable news format.