Optics
← Today's headlines

13 sources checked · Left, Center, and Right included · 2h ago

Mostly Same

Search underway for Indonesian passenger ship carrying 240 people after it loses contact

ABC News and Sky News describe the same event in different terms.

5 Left5 Center3 Right
Same story. Mostly aligned wording. Outlets across the spectrum framed this event in roughly the same way today.

MOSTLY SAME

As of September 13, 2026 at 4:52 AM, this is how Optics News reads the wording differences in this story.

What happened The Virgo Transport 8 had left Surabaya for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan on Borneo island.
The headline split The left frames it as "Search underway for Indonesian passenger ship carrying more than 240 people after it lose...". The right frames it as "Indonesian passenger ship carrying 240 people loses contact in Java Sea, search underway".
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 confidenceMild

36/99 — small wording differences, not a major framing split.

WHAT EACH SIDE EMPHASIZED

Left / center-leftSearch underway for Indonesian passenger ship carrying more than 240 people after it loses contact

The Seattle Times · Center-left · News report

CenterSearch underway for Indonesian passenger ship carrying 240 people after it loses contact

CNA Singapore · Center · News report

Right / center-rightSearch underway for Indonesian passenger ship carrying more than 240 people after it loses contact

New York Post · Center-right · News report

SEE THE HEADLINES

Center-leftHigh
The Seattle TimesNews report · Sep 13, 2:53 AM

Search underway for Indonesian passenger ship carrying more than 240 people after it loses contact

Indonesian rescuers have launched a search operation after a passenger ship carrying more than 240 people lost contact in the Java Sea while traveling from East Java to South Kalimantan on...

Open source
Center-rightMixed
New York PostNews report · Sep 13, 4:52 AM

Search underway for Indonesian passenger ship carrying more than 240 people after it loses contact

The ship had departed from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city in East Java province, en route to Banjarmasin.

Open source
CenterMostly Factual
CNA SingaporeNews report · Sep 13, 4:37 AM

Search underway for Indonesian passenger ship carrying 240 people after it loses contact

The Virgo Transport 8 had left Surabaya for Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan on Borneo island.

Open source
Center-leftHigh
ABC NewsNews report · Sep 13, 4:14 AM

Search underway after Indonesian passenger ship carrying hundreds loses contact

Indonesian rescuers have launched a search operation after a passenger ship carrying more than 240 people lost contact in the Java Sea while traveling from East Java to South Kalimantan on...

Open source
Center-leftHigh
CBS NewsNews report · Sep 13, 3:56 AM

Search underway after Indonesian passenger ship loses contact

Indonesian rescuers launched a search operation after authorities lost contact with a passenger ship carrying more than 240 people in the Java Sea.

Open source
Center-rightMostly Factual
Fox News WorldNews report · Sep 13, 3:55 AM

Indonesian passenger ship carrying 240 people loses contact in Java Sea, search underway

The Virgo Transport 8 vanished crossing the Java Sea with 240 people aboard en route from Surabaya to Banjarmasin, triggering an urgent search.

Open source
Show all 13 sources
Center-leftMixed
The Mirror UKNews report · Sep 13, 3:34 AM

Urgent search as huge passenger ship with 240 people on board missing in Indonesia

The Virgo Transport 8 experienced a communication failure in the Java Sea on Sunday - an operation is now underway to try and located the ship and the 241 people on board

Open source
Center-rightHigh
Sky NewsNews report · Sep 13, 3:34 AM

Search for Indonesian passenger ship after it loses contact

Indonesian officials have launched a search for a passenger ship carrying more than 240 after it lost contact in the Java Sea during bad weather.

Open source
CenterHigh
WDSU New Orleans (Hearst)News report · Sep 13, 3:34 AM

Search underway for Indonesian passenger ship

Indonesian rescuers have launched a search operation after a passenger ship carrying at least 240 people lost contact in the Java Sea

Open source
CenterMostly Factual
South China Morning PostNews report · Sep 13, 3:29 AM

Missing Indonesian passenger ship found, 103 people rescued

Indonesian rescuers were searching on Sunday for 140 people from a passenger ship that was earlier reported missing in the Java Sea after 103 others were evacuated, one of whom ⁠died, a sea...

Open source
CenterMixed
Arab NewsNews report · Sep 13, 3:21 AM

Search underway for Indonesian passenger ship carrying at least 240 people after it loses contact

Indonesian rescuers launched a search operation Sunday after a passenger ship carrying at least 240 people lost contact in the Java Sea while traveling from East Java to South Kalimantan on...

Open source
Center-leftMostly Factual
NDTVNews report · Sep 13, 3:08 AM

Indonesian Ship Carrying 240 Passengers Loses Contact In Java Sea, Search On

Initial information indicated the vessel's last known position was in the Java Sea, about 148 kilometres (92 miles) from a pier in Banjarmasin.

Open source
Details36/99 Wording Gap · High confidence · 13 sources
36/99 Wording GapHigh confidence13 sources · 3 bias bucketsStable · 27 sources · all three buckets · comparable news formatFormats: News report

SOURCE MAP CHANGES

Sep 13, 2:53 AM: The Seattle Times joined the source map.

Sep 13, 3:07 AM: The Times of India joined the source map.

Sep 13, 3:08 AM: NDTV joined the source map.

Sep 13, 3:21 AM: Arab News joined the source map.

Now: Wording Gap is 36/99 and story health is stable · 27 sources · all three buckets · comparable news format.