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.
← Today's headlines
8 sources checked · Left, Center, and Right included · 4h ago
Different Spin
Five dead, 41 missing, after Indonesia ferry catches fire
ABC News - International and GB News describe the same event in different terms.
1 Left5 Center2 Right
DIFFERENT SPIN
HOW EACH SIDE WORDED IT
Left-leaningCenter-leftA blaze on an Indonesian passenger ferry leaves at least 5 dead and dozens missing
ABC News - InternationalMostly Factual
Right-leaningFive dead and dozens missing after colossal fire engulfs Indonesian ferry while at sea
GB NewsMixed
Center baseline · 
BBC NewsHighFive dead, 41 missing, after Indonesia ferry catches fire
As of August 2, 2026 at 3:00 PM, 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 left frames it as "A blaze on an Indonesian passenger ferry leaves at least 5 dead and dozens missing". The right frames it as "Five dead and dozens missing after colossal fire engulfs Indonesian ferry while at sea".
Match confidence High confidence. 8 sources checked, Left/Center/Right all represented. Best read as a clear framing signal — not a fact-check.
Same-event confidenceHigh
8 sources across Left, Center, and Right all describe the same event.
Framing confidenceModerate
71/99 — meaningful wording shift across the spectrum.
WHAT EACH SIDE EMPHASIZED
Left / center-leftA blaze on an Indonesian passenger ferry leaves at least 5 dead and dozens missing
ABC News - International · Center-left · News report
CenterFive dead, 41 missing, after Indonesia ferry catches fire
BBC News · Center · News report
Right / center-rightA blaze on an Indonesian passenger ferry leaves at least 5 dead and dozens missing
The Washington Times · Center-right · News report
SEE THE HEADLINES
Open source
CenterHigh
Straight Arrow NewsNews report · Aug 2, 3:00 PM
Five dead, 41 missing after Indonesian ferry catches fire
A ferry fire near Madura island left five dead and 41 missing. Over 200 were rescued as search efforts continue for survivors.
CenterMostly Factual
Al Jazeera EnglishNews report · Aug 2, 2:14 PM
Deadly ferry fire leaves dozens missing in Indonesia’s Java Sea
Deadly ferry fire leaves dozens missing in Indonesia's Java Sea
Center-rightMixed
The Washington TimesNews report · Aug 2, 1:49 PM
A blaze on an Indonesian passenger ferry leaves at least 5 dead and dozens missing
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 rescuers and passing vessels eva...
Center-leftMostly Factual
ABC News - InternationalNews report · Aug 2, 1:36 PM
A blaze on an Indonesian passenger ferry leaves at least 5 dead and dozens missing
An Indonesian ferry carrying 271 people has caught fire in waters off Madura island, killing at least five people and leaving 41 others unaccounted for, authorities said
RightMixed
GB NewsNews report · Aug 2, 1:05 PM
Five dead and dozens missing after colossal fire engulfs Indonesian ferry while at sea
A passenger ferry travelling across Indonesian waters has caught fire off the coast of Madura Island today, resulting in five confirmed fatalities with dozens more unaccounted for. The Muti...
Show all 8 sources
CenterHigh
CBS News WorldNews report · Aug 2, 1:00 PM
5 killed, dozens missing after blaze breaks out on Indonesia ferry
The Mutiara Sentosa 2 ferry was traveling from Indonesia's second-largest city of Surabaya in East Java to the city of Makassar in South Sulawesi.
CenterMostly Factual
Manila BulletinNews report · Aug 2, 11:56 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...
Details71/99 Wording Gap · High confidence · 8 sources
71/99 Wording GapHigh confidence8 sources · 3 bias bucketsStable · 8 sources · all three buckets · comparable news formatFormats: News report
SOURCE MAP CHANGES
Aug 2, 11:49 AM: BBC News joined the source map.
Aug 2, 11:56 AM: Manila Bulletin joined the source map.
Aug 2, 1:00 PM: CBS News World joined the source map.
Aug 2, 1:05 PM: GB News joined the source map.
Now: Wording Gap is 71/99 and story health is stable · 8 sources · all three buckets · comparable news format.