Glossary

Every label, explained simply

Not sure what a word means in SideBySide? You're in the right place. No jargon, no lectures — just plain definitions.

Stance

Where the article stands on its topic.
  • In favor

    The article mostly supports or defends the topic. It tends to highlight the good parts and downplay problems.

    Example: An article about a new law that mainly quotes people who think it'll help.

  • Against

    The article mostly criticizes or pushes back on the topic. It focuses on risks, harms, or what's going wrong.

    Example: An article about the same law that mainly quotes people warning it'll backfire.

  • Mixed

    Shows both sides — some good, some bad. The author is weighing pros and cons rather than pushing one view.

  • Unclear / Neutral

    Hard to tell where the author stands. The piece mostly reports facts without taking a side.

Language

How the writing tries to influence you.
  • Loaded language

    Words chosen to make you feel something — anger, fear, sympathy — instead of just informing you. Often a sign of bias.

    Example: "Slammed", "destroyed", "brave heroes", "radical extremists" — they push emotion before facts.

  • Framing

    The angle the writer chooses. Two articles can describe the same event with completely different framings.

    Example: One calls it a 'protest', another calls it a 'riot' — same event, different framing.

  • Tone

    How the article 'sounds' — calm, angry, sarcastic, dramatic, neutral. Tone shapes how you feel about the topic, separate from the facts.

Trust

Signals that help you judge how reliable a piece is.
  • Source transparency

    Does the article tell you where its info came from? Named experts, linked studies, and quoted documents = high transparency.

  • Evidence level

    How much real proof backs up the claims — data, studies, official records — versus opinion or speculation.

  • Emotional intensity

    How much the article tries to make you feel something. Very high intensity often means the author wants to persuade more than inform.

  • Common ground

    The points that both sides actually agree on, even when they argue about everything else. A great place to start a conversation.

Tools

Features SideBySide gives you to dig deeper.
  • The other side

    How people who disagree with this article would frame the same story. SideBySide finds these alternative views automatically.

  • Steelman

    The strongest, most charitable version of an argument — the opposite of a strawman. Useful for understanding why thoughtful people might disagree with you.

    Example: Even if you disagree with a position, can you state it so well that someone who holds it would say 'yes, that's exactly what I think'?

  • Head-to-head

    Comparing two specific articles directly — what they each claim, where they disagree, and what they share.

  • Bias

    A consistent lean in one direction. Everyone has some bias — the goal isn't to find 'unbiased' news, it's to know which way each source leans so you can balance it out.

Ready to try it?

Paste an article and see these labels in action.