Fox NewsRight
“Rioters torch federal courthouse in Portland — federal officers deployed”
LOADED WORDS
“rioters” — what this word changes.
Outlets that pick "rioters" frame the event as criminal violence. Outlets that pick "protesters" frame the same event as legitimate civic action.
“rioters” makes the story feel like
a violent mob, criminal, lawless.
The contrast: “protesters”
The other side's framing of the same event: civic, lawful, citizens exercising rights.
See the “protesters” page →Live headlines using “rioters”
No live headlines using “rioters” right now. Optics scans 600+ feeds every 5 minutes — check back as new stories appear. Memorable historical examples below.
The New York TimesCenter-left
“Protests in Portland continue for 50th night as crowds clash with federal officers”
Historical examples chosen to show how the word changes the first impression of the same event. Live matches will replace these as soon as outlets use “rioters” again.
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.