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3 sources checked · 2 source groups included · 2h ago

Still Watching

Man throws dead fish at leopard seal's face on Petone Beach

Stuff (New Zealand) and The New Zealand Herald describe the same event in different terms.

1 Left2 Center0 Right
Still watching. Optics is waiting for a cleaner match before calling the split.

STILL WATCHING

As of September 7, 2026 at 6:21 AM, this is how Optics News reads the wording differences in this story.

What happened "The people did not seem to care," says a marine biologist who tried to stop multiple people from shining flashlights in the seal's face.
The headline split The left frames it as "Watch: ‘Leave it alone’, man told as he throws dead fish to leopard seal". The center frames it as "Petone Beach leopard seal: Man filmed throwing dead fish at animal".
Match confidence Medium confidence. 3 sources across 2 bias buckets. Useful framing signal — check the source list before sharing.
Same-event confidenceMedium

3 sources across 2 bias buckets agree on the event.

Framing confidenceModerate

54/99 — meaningful wording shift across the spectrum.

WHAT EACH SIDE EMPHASIZED

Left / center-leftWatch: ‘Leave it alone’, man told as he throws dead fish to leopard seal

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

CenterMan throws dead fish at leopard seal's face on Petone Beach

Radio New Zealand · Center · News report

Right / center-rightNo matching source in this bucket yet.

Optics keeps watching for pickup.

SEE THE HEADLINES

CenterHigh
Radio New ZealandNews report · Sep 7, 5:34 AM

Man throws dead fish at leopard seal's face on Petone Beach

"The people did not seem to care," says a marine biologist who tried to stop multiple people from shining flashlights in the seal's face.

Open source
Center-leftMostly Factual
Stuff (New Zealand)News report · Sep 7, 6:21 AM

Watch: ‘Leave it alone’, man told as he throws dead fish to leopard seal

A man comes within metres of a 3m leopard seal basking on a Petone Beach, before throwing it an unwanted dead fish..

Open source
CenterHigh
The New Zealand HeraldNews report · Sep 7, 5:07 AM

Petone Beach leopard seal: Man filmed throwing dead fish at animal

The Department of Conservation says people must stay 20m from marine mammals.

Open source
Details54/99 Wording Gap · Medium confidence · 3 sources
54/99 Wording GapMedium confidence3 sources · 2 bias bucketsLive match · 3 sources · 2 buckets · comparable news formatFormats: News report

SOURCE MAP CHANGES

Sep 7, 5:07 AM: The New Zealand Herald joined the source map.

Sep 7, 5:34 AM: Radio New Zealand joined the source map.

Sep 7, 6:21 AM: Stuff (New Zealand) joined the source map.

Now: Wording Gap is 54/99 and story health is live match · 3 sources · 2 buckets · comparable news format.