AllSides conducted research into the perceived bias of CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and NewsNation in Nov. 2023. The bias of all four of these outlets appear on the AllSides Media Bias Chart™.
During an AllSides Blind Bias Survey, participants from all sides of the political spectrum are asked to rate the content of a media outlet blindly, so they are not influenced by preconceived notions of a brand's bias. Sign up to take part in the next survey.
Survey Results
CNN Rated Lean Left
CNN was rated Lean Left (-1.40) in the survey. AllSides compiled a weighted average that combined CNN's previous numerical rating (-1.2) with this new BBS result (-1.40), and moved CNN's AllSides Media Bias Meter™ rating to -1.30 (Lean Left).
Overall, 54% of respondents to the Nov. survey rated CNN as left of center, 23% rated it in the exact center, and 23% rated it as right of center.
Fox News Rated Lean Right; Further Review Underway
Fox News was rated Lean Right (1.08). This differed from AllSides' current rating of Fox News as Right. An Editorial Review is scheduled to take place in order to determine if Fox News' rating should be amended.
Overall, 20% of respondents rated the outlet as left of center, 33% rated it in the exact center, and 47% rated it as right of center.
NewsNation Rated Center
NewsNation's Center bias rating was confirmed; it was rated -0.14. AllSides created a weighted average from -0.14 and .88, the rating from the June 2023 Blind Survey, to arrive at a new AllSides Media Bias Meter™ rating of 0.37 for NewsNation.
In the Nov. 2023 survey, the normalized average for NewsNation was -0.14 on a scale from -9 to +9, with 0 representing Center. That average is in the Center category.
Overall, 31% of respondents rated the outlet as left of center, 48% rated it in the exact center, and 21% rated it as right of center.
MSNBC Rated Lean Left; AllSides Keeps Left Rating
MSNBC was rated Lean Left (-1.74). AllSides took MSNBC's Left (-5.67) rating from the previous Aug. 2023 Blind Bias Survey and created a weighted average. The new rating for MSNBC is -3.71 — still in the Left category.
Overall, 55% of respondents to the Nov. 2023 survey rated the outlet as left of center, 22% rated it in the exact center, and 24% rated it as right of center.
About The Survey
A total of 806 people across the political spectrum took the survey. Each survey participant was asked to self-report their personal political bias – 96 participants with a self-reported Left bias; 194 with a Lean Left bias; 246 with a Center bias; 195 with a Lean Right bias, and 75 with a Right bias took the survey. These responses were normalized so that unequal sizes of these groups would not skew the final results in favor of one bias group over another.
Results are not assessed by majority rule; we calculate pluralities and averages, both within respondent groups and across all respondent groups, to arrive at final determinations.
For this survey, AllSides collected 10 pieces of content from media outlets: top headlines taken on two different days at the same time of day, and top stories the outlet ran around two major national news stories. Stories and headlines were stripped of branding and any information that would allow participants to identify the outlet. Participants were asked to rate the bias of the source on a scale of Left, Lean Left, Center, Lean Right, and Right.
Results are represented on a scale of -9 to +9, with 0 representing dead Center, -9 representing Left and +9 representing Right:
Left: -9.00 to -3.00
Lean Left: -2.99 to -1.00
Center: -0.99 to +0.99
Lean Right: +1.00 to +2.99
Right: +3.00 to +9.00
Note About Blind Bias Surveys
Blind surveys are robust, but do have limitations. They alone do not always determine our ratings. These surveys ask respondents to assess a relatively small snapshot of the source's content in time. The surveys don't include photos, content published over a long period of time, or other crucial elements for determining bias. Therefore, we often use blind survey data in conjunction with other methods to arrive at a final bias rating, such as Editorial Reviews, third party data and independent reviews by AllSides reviewers.
AllSides uses multiple methods for calculating media bias ratings.
Our Blind Bias Survey, described in the graphic below, represents one of our most robust media bias rating methods, but it is not the only method we use. A source might openly share its bias, or it may be determined by third party research, an independent review, or an Editorial Review. Take a look at the multiple methods AllSides uses to measure and rate media bias.
