CenterHigh
KCRA3 Sacramento (Hearst)News report · Oct 19, 8:02 PM
'Office Space' actor Richard Riehle dies at 78
Longtime actor Richard Riehle, known for roles in "Office Space," "Casino," and "The Fugitive," has died at 78.
← Today's headlines
13 sources checked · Left, Center, and Right included · 2h ago
Different Spin
'Office Space' actor Richard Riehle dies at 78
Metro UK and Daily Mail describe the same event in different terms.
4 Left7 Center2 Right
DIFFERENT SPIN
HOW EACH SIDE WORDED IT
Left-leaningCenter-leftOffice Space and Star Trek actor Richard Riehle dies
Stuff (New Zealand)Mostly Factual
Right-leaningCenter-right‘Star Trek’ actor dies at 97: ‘Great sadness’
Al.com (Alabama News)Mostly Factual
Center baseline · 
KCRA3 Sacramento (Hearst)High'Office Space' actor Richard Riehle dies at 78
As of October 19, 2026 at 9:50 PM, this is how Optics News reads the wording differences in this story.
What happened Longtime actor Richard Riehle, known for roles in "Office Space," "Casino," and "The Fugitive," has died at 78.
The headline split The left frames it as "Office Space and Star Trek actor Richard Riehle dies". The right frames it as "‘Star Trek’ actor dies at 97: ‘Great sadness’".
Match confidence High confidence. 13 sources checked, Left/Center/Right all represented. Best read as a clear framing signal — not a fact-check.
Same-event confidenceHigh
13 sources across Left, Center, and Right all describe the same event.
Framing confidenceModerate
69/99 — meaningful wording shift across the spectrum.
WHAT EACH SIDE EMPHASIZED
Left / center-leftOffice Space and Star Trek actor Richard Riehle dies
Stuff (New Zealand) · Center-left · News report
Center'Office Space' actor Richard Riehle dies at 78
KCRA3 Sacramento (Hearst) · Center · News report
Right / center-right‘Star Trek’ actor dies at 97: ‘Great sadness’
Al.com (Alabama News) · Center-right · News report
SEE THE HEADLINES
Open source
CenterMostly Factual
OregonianNews report · Oct 19, 9:50 PM
‘Star Trek’ actor dies at 97: ‘Great sadness’
A legendary 'Star Trek' actor has died
Center-rightMostly Factual
Al.com (Alabama News)News report · Oct 19, 9:50 PM
‘Star Trek’ actor dies at 97: ‘Great sadness’
A legendary 'Star Trek' actor has died
Center-leftMostly Factual
Stuff (New Zealand)News report · Oct 19, 9:31 PM
Office Space and Star Trek actor Richard Riehle dies
The veteran character actor appeared in more than 400 film and television projects across a career spanning decades.
CenterHigh
KABC / ABC7 Los AngelesNews report · Oct 19, 9:27 PM
Richard Riehle, actor best known for 'Office Space,' dies at 78
Richard Riehle, a veteran character actor known for roles in hundreds of films and television shows, has died at the age of 78, according to Variety.
CenterHigh
UPIWire story · Oct 19, 9:26 PM
'The Fugitive,' 'Office Space' actor Richard Riehle dies at 78
Richard Riehle, a character actor with over 400 credits, died Thursday of natural causes at 78. HIs death was confirmed Monday by TMZ and Variety.
Show all 13 sources
CenterHigh
WBIR10 (Tegna, Knoxville)News report · Oct 19, 9:13 PM
Richard Riehle, 'Office Space' and 'Casino' star, dies at 78, reports say
Richard Riehle, who starred in more than 400 projects during his decades-long career, has died at age 78.
Center-rightMixed
Daily MailNews report · Oct 19, 9:05 PM
Richard Riehle dead at 78: Office Space star who starred in over 400 projects dies as fans praise the 'underrated' character actor
Veteran actor Richard Riehle, best known for his role in the 1999 cult classic Office Space, is dead at 78.
CenterMostly Factual
News Channel 4 (KFOR.com)News report · Oct 19, 9:02 PM
Richard Riehle of 'Office Space,' over 400 more shows and movies, dies: Reports
The Wisconsin native's career spans roughly five decades.
Center-leftMostly Factual
Vice NewsNews report · Oct 19, 8:51 PM
‘Office Space’ Star Richard Riehle Dies at 78
Richard Riehle, best known for his show-stealing role as Tom Smykowski in Office Space, has died. He was 78 years old. As reported by multiple outlets, those close to Riehle confirmed he di...
Center-leftMostly Factual
Metro UKNews report · Oct 19, 8:45 PM
Bridesmaids actor Richard Riehle dies aged 78
Actor Richard Riehle, who appeared in more than 400 films and TV series, has died (Picture: Admedia / Zuma Press / Avalon) Actor Richard Riehle, known for Office Space and Star Trek, has di...
CenterMostly Factual
Inc.News report · Oct 19, 8:41 PM
‘Office Space’ Star Richard Riehle Dead at 78. His Career Proves You Don’t Have to Be the Star to Build a Lasting Brand
The beloved character actor proved you can find longevity through adaptability.
Center-leftMostly Factual
Rolling StoneNews report · Oct 19, 8:09 PM
Richard Riehle, Character Actor and ‘Office Space’ Scene-Stealer, Dead at 78
The prolific actor amassed hundreds of credits across film and TV, including Casino, Bridesmaids, Glory, and numerous Star Trek shows
Details69/99 Wording Gap · High confidence · 13 sources
69/99 Wording GapHigh confidence13 sources · 3 bias bucketsStable · 23 sources · all three buckets · comparable news formatFormats: News report, Wire story
SOURCE MAP CHANGES
Oct 19, 8:02 PM: KCRA3 Sacramento (Hearst) joined the source map.
Oct 19, 8:09 PM: Rolling Stone joined the source map.
Oct 19, 8:41 PM: Inc. joined the source map.
Oct 19, 8:45 PM: Metro UK joined the source map.
Now: Wording Gap is 69/99 and story health is stable · 23 sources · all three buckets · comparable news format.