LOADED WORDS

“crisis” — what this word changes.

"Crisis" frames an event as an emergency demanding action. The contrast term "situation" frames the same event as manageable.

“crisis” makes the story feel like

emergency, urgent, government must act.

The contrast: “situation”

The other side's framing of the same event: manageable, routine, no urgency required.

See the “situation” page →

Live headlines using “crisis”

Different SpinTexas aviation expert weighs in on 'communication issue' that caused nationwide ground stop

Used the word:

  • “DHS says nationwide ground stop was not a cyberattack: 'We are built to handle crisis like this'” — NBC News - US News (Center-left)

Other outlets covered the same event:

  • “Trump Admin Addresses Cause Of Ground Stop, Possibility Of Cyber Attack” — Trending Politics (Right)
  • “Texas aviation expert weighs in on 'communication issue' that caused nationwide ground stop” — KXAN (Nexstar, Austin) (Center)
5 sources · 1L / 2C / 2R

How Optics uses these words

Optics doesn't decide which framing is “right.” It surfaces them so a reader can see, in one glance, that the same event is being labeled completely differently depending on which outlet picked the verb. See the full loaded-word catalog or read the methodology.