McLean High School Library Website: Media Bias

What is Media Bias?

Bias is an inclination towards a position or conclusion, often manifesting in a prejudice. Media bias, then, is simply when media outlets show an inclination towards a particular position or conclusion. 

The problem with biased media is that biased news reports present the public with unbalanced, inaccurate or unfair views of the world around them, which leads to deeper rooted biases. 

How Can I Identify Media Bias?

• Use the tools below, and the Ad Fonte Media Bias Chart to learn more about the source.  You should also do a SIFT analysis of the source (need help, check out this tutorial).

• Is the article balanced?  Are multiple perspectives represented?  If so, how are they presented?

• Read or listen to the news source, paying attention to the language used.  How are groups described?  How are facts presented?  

• Form an overall opinion--what groups are most positively presented?  What is the author's relationship to this group?  

Websites & Tools for Determining Media Bias

• All Sides compares news coverage from left, center and right perspectives.  News sources are rated and justifications are provided.  

• Ground News: Every article on Ground News is accompanied by a bias and factuality rating system derived from independent news monitoring organizations like All Sides, Ad Fontes Media, and Media Bias/Fact Check. 

• Media Bias Fact Checker evaluates bias and credibility of news sources and rates outlets polticial leanings and accuracy of their reporting. 

About the Ad Fontes Media Bias Rating Chart

What is it?  The Ad Fontes Media Bias Rating Chart is an infographic that rates news sources on two axes: political bias and reliability. It is created by the public-benefit corporation Ad Fontes Media, which uses a team of analysts with varying political views to manually rate content. 

How to read the chart

• Vertical axis (Reliability): indicates the quality and trustworthiness of a news source, ranging from original, fact-based reporting at the top to inaccurate or fabricated information at the bottom. 

• Horizontal axis (Political Bias): This axis shows a source's political slant, running from most extreme left to most extreme right.

There is an interactive version on Ad Fontes' website lets users search for thousands of sources across different media formats, including web, podcasts, and TV. 

Key zones and categories
Green: Sources in the top, middle green zone are considered the most reliable and least biased, focusing primarily on factual reporting. Examples often include the Associated Press (AP) and Reuters.
Yellow: Sources in the yellow zone may contain more opinion and analysis than hard facts or may have a wider variation in reliability. Some sources with a strong bias but still a high degree of reliability also fall here.
Red: Sources in the red zone are flagged for low reliability. They are more likely to contain misleading information, propaganda, or even fabricated content.
Inverted-U shape: The chart is often concentrated in an inverted-U shape, reflecting Ad Fontes' finding that sources closer to the political center tend to be more reliable in their reporting, while extreme-bias sources are often more unreliable.