Optics
← Today's headlines

16 sources checked · Left, Center, and Right included · 21m ago

Mostly Same

Five dead, 41 missing, after Indonesia ferry catches fire

Headlines are largely factual, reporting the number of dead and missing from the ferry fire with minimal framing differences.

4 Left9 Center3 Right
Same story. Mostly aligned wording. Outlets across the spectrum framed this event in roughly the same way today.

MOSTLY SAME

As of August 2, 2026 at 11:50 AM, this is how Optics News reads the wording differences in this story.

What happened The vessel with at least 250 people on board caught fire off Madura island.
The headline split The headlines are mostly aligned. The differences are small wording choices, not a major framing split.
Match confidence High confidence. 16 sources checked, Left/Center/Right all represented. Best read as a clear framing signal — not a fact-check.
Same-event confidenceHigh

16 sources across Left, Center, and Right all describe the same event.

Framing confidenceMostly same

10/99 — the outlets mostly agree on the headline takeaway.

WHAT EACH SIDE EMPHASIZED

Left / center-leftBlaze engulfs Indonesian passenger ferry, leaving 5 dead and dozens missing

Stuff (New Zealand) · Center-left · News report

CenterFive dead, 41 missing, after Indonesia ferry catches fire

BBC News · Center · News report

Right / center-rightFive dead and 41 missing after ferry catches fire sparking huge search and rescue mission for 250 stranded passengers

The Sun · Right · News report

SEE THE HEADLINES

CenterHigh
BBC NewsNews report · Aug 2, 11:49 AM

Five dead, 41 missing, after Indonesia ferry catches fire

The vessel with at least 250 people on board caught fire off Madura island.

Open source
CenterHigh
WPLG Local 10 (Berkshire/Graham, Miami)News report · Aug 2, 11:50 AM

A blaze on an Indonesian passenger ferry leaves at least 5 dead and dozens missing

SURABAYA, Indonesia (AP) — An Indonesian ferry carrying 271 people caught fire in waters off the main island of Java on Sunday, leaving at least five people dead and dozens missing as rescu...

Open source
Center-leftMostly Factual
Stuff (New Zealand)News report · Aug 2, 11:48 AM

Blaze engulfs Indonesian passenger ferry, leaving 5 dead and dozens missing

engulfs

An Indonesian ferry carrying 271 people caught fire in waters off the main island of Java on Sunday, leaving at least five people dead and dozens missing.

Open source
CenterMostly Factual
South China Morning PostNews report · Aug 2, 11:23 AM

5 dead in Indonesia ferry fire, 41 missing

An Indonesian ferry caught fire at sea on Sunday, killing five people and leaving another 41 missing after some jumped overboard, search and rescue officials said. A total of 225 people on...

Open source
CenterMostly Factual
EuronewsNews report · Aug 2, 11:23 AM

At least five dead and 41 missing after an Indonesian ferry caught fire at sea

A total of 225 people on the ferry were rescued, while some passengers jumped into the sea to escape the fire, according to Basarnas, Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency.

Open source
Center-leftMostly Factual
The Journal (Ireland)News report · Aug 2, 11:07 AM

Five dead and 41 missing after Indonesian ferry catches fire

Some passengers jumped into the sea and were picked up by a nearby ship.

Open source
Show all 16 sources
CenterHigh
SBS News (Australia)News report · Aug 2, 11:03 AM

Five dead, 41 missing in Indonesia ferry fire

Indonesia has had a second ferry accident in two months after a passenger vessel on the Makassar city in South Sulawesi caught fire on Sunday, killing five.

Open source
Center-leftMixed
The Mirror UKNews report · Aug 2, 11:01 AM

Five dead and dozens missing after horror inferno on ferry carrying 285 people

A major search and rescue operation is underway with five people dead and 41 more are missing after a ferry caught fire in the sea off Indonesia

Open source
CenterMostly Factual
CNA SingaporeNews report · Aug 2, 10:56 AM

Five dead, 41 missing in Indonesia ferry fire

A total of 225 people on the vessel were rescued, said the regional Surabaya Search and Rescue Agency, which provided the latest figures in an afternoon update.

Open source
RightMixed
The SunNews report · Aug 2, 10:38 AM

Five dead and 41 missing after ferry catches fire sparking huge search and rescue mission for 250 stranded passengers

FIVE people are dead and another 41 remain missing after a ferry carrying hundreds went up in flames off the coast of Indonesia. A frantic search and rescue operation is underway with crews...

Open source
RightMixed
The Sun (US)News report · Aug 2, 10:38 AM

Five dead and 41 missing after ferry catches fire sparking huge search and rescue mission for 250 stranded passengers

FIVE people are dead and another 41 remain missing after a ferry carrying hundreds went up in flames off the coast of Indonesia. A frantic search and rescue operation is underway with crews...

Open source
Center-leftMostly Factual
NDTVNews report · Aug 2, 10:22 AM

5 Dead, 41 Missing After Ferry Carrying 271 Catches Fire In Indonesia

At least five people were killed and 41 remain missing after a ferry carrying 271 passengers and crew caught fire off Indonesia's Madura Island on Sunday, authorities said.

Open source
CenterHigh
ABC News Australia Top StoriesNews report · Aug 2, 10:09 AM

Five dead, 41 missing after Indonesian ferry catches fire

Five people have been found dead and 41 are missing after an Indonesian ferry with 271 people on board caught fire while at sea, search and rescue officials say.

Open source
Center-rightHigh
Sky NewsNews report · Aug 2, 10:05 AM

At least five dead and dozens missing after Indonesian ferry catches fire

At least five people have died and 41 are missing after a ferry caught fire off the coast of an Indonesian island, officials have said.

Open source
CenterHigh
India TodayNews report · Aug 2, 9:34 AM

5 killed, 41 missing after ferry catches fire in Indonesia

killed missing after ferry catches fire in Indonesia

Open source
Details10/99 Wording Gap · High confidence · 16 sources
10/99 Wording GapHigh confidence16 sources · 3 bias bucketsStable · 16 sources · all three buckets · comparable news formatFormats: News report

SOURCE MAP CHANGES

Aug 2, 9:34 AM: India Today joined the source map.

Aug 2, 9:58 AM: The Indian Express joined the source map.

Aug 2, 10:05 AM: Sky News joined the source map.

Aug 2, 10:09 AM: ABC News Australia Top Stories joined the source map.

Now: Wording Gap is 10/99 and story health is stable · 16 sources · all three buckets · comparable news format.