The Guardian

In 2004, a features editor asserted that "it is no secret we are a centre-left newspaper." 

• The Guardian Moved from Lean Left to Left: Nov. 2024 AllSides Editorial Review
• The Guardian Rated Lean Left in July 2021 AllSides Blind Bias Survey

The Guardian Moved from Lean Left to Left: Nov. 2024 AllSides Editorial Review

The Guardian was moved from Lean Left (-2.4) to Left (-3.5) following a Nov. 2024 AllSides Editorial Review.

Reviewers on the left, center, and right noted that there was much evidence of Left bias in The Guardian. The panel noted:

• Story choice was not just leaning left, but actively demonizes American conservatives/Republicans
• consistent sensational language
• Analysis of President Trump cabinet picks was clearly Left; it described Tulsi Gabbard in the following slanted way, while not including links to sources to back up the claims: "Gabbard, the proposed director of national intelligence, has been accused of having links to the Kremlin while spouting pro-Russian views – an allegation that could complicate her being cleared to oversee sensitive national secrets."
• Middle East coverage often has anti-Israel slant
• At the time of review, a new newsletter was titled, "Fighting Back: a pop-up newsletter on defending democracy under Trump"; The Guaridan is actively opposed to/biased against Trump
• The Guardian's Call to Action asking for donations was clearly against the right, reading, "This is what we're up against," with photos of figures like Elon Musk and others aligned with Trump looking sinister. "From Elon Musk to the Murdochs, billionaire owners control much of the information that reaches the public. Meanwhile, increasing numbers of bad actors are spreading disinformation that threatens democracy."
• Lots of sensationalism in stories about Trump, e.g. a piece that noted a "flurry of lawsuits" and actively tried to negatively polarize the reader against Washington Post when bringing up its nonendorsement of a 2024 presidential candidate.

Pieces reviewed included but were not limited to:

• Pete Hegseth, Trump’s Pentagon pick, sparks alarm over far-right extremism
• Trump skips FBI background checks for controversial cabinet picks – report
• (Opinion) How to survive the broligarchy: 20 lessons for the post-truth world
• Trans Americans brace for Trump’s ‘sinister’ return: ‘It’s almost intolerable’
  • A reviewer on the left noted of this piece, "This story is worth covering, but this leaves out any attempt to figure out what Trump and Republicans want to do specifically that will put trans people in "danger," as implied here. My guess is they'll push hard for [prohibiting trans women in women's sports], but I'm not sure they're looking to roll back civil rights. Classic case of getting away with inaccurate criticism because your audience already thinks the object of criticism is contemptible and beyond the pale, so it's "not helpful" to correct the misconception."
• First Thing: RFK Jr condemned as ‘clear and present danger’ after Trump nomination
• Environmental groups alarmed as Doug Burgum picked for US interior secretary
• RFK Jr could have disastrous global impact on public health, experts fear
• ‘We all have our eyes wide open’: Trump critics brace for dark time of retribution
• Electoral reform was on the ballot in several states this election. Why did these measures fail?

The Guardian Rated Lean Left in July 2021 AllSides Blind Bias Survey

In the July 2021 AllSides Blind Bias Survey, The Guardian was rated Lean Left on average. People across the political spectrum rated content from The Guardian's news section without knowing the source.

A total of 1,331 people rated The Guardian. A plurality of people who have a Left, Lean Left, Center, and Lean Right bias rated The Guardian as Lean Left. A very slight plurality of people who have a Right bias rated The Guardian as Left, with the second most common response from the Right being Lean Left.

The second most common response for people on the Left, Lean Left, and Center was a rating of Center. For people who Lean Right, the second most common response was Left.

About The Guardian

The Guardian is a British national daily newspaper founded in reaction to the closure of a radical workers’ newspaper in 1821. The paper publishes content on its UK online edition, as well as its two international web sites, Guardian Australia and Guardian US. The newspaper’s print edition has an average daily circulation of 189,000 copies, behind the Daily Telegraph and The Times, and ahead of The Independent. Its online edition was the fifth most widely read in the world as of October 2014, with over 42.6 million readers.

History of The Guardian: Founded As Left-Wing Newspaper

The Guardian was founded in 1821 to promote liberal interests during a turbulent time characterized by massive worker movements and growing anti-Corn Laws campaigns. It maintained its role as the voice of the left despite facing several financial hurdles over the years. By the 1970s and 1980s, a period of polarized politics in Great Britain, The Guardian’s opinion pages helped spawn the center-left SDP party. Meanwhile, its letters page was where the battle for the future direction of the Labour Party played out.

When The Independent was launched in 1986, it solidified its position as a centrist British newspaper alongside The Guardian on the left and the Times and Telegraph on the right. A large majority of current readers vote for either the Labour or Liberal Democratic Parties, while the paper has traditionally endorsed one of those two parties during general elections.

Political Leaning of The Guardian's Audience

According to the 2014 Pew Research Study, Where News Audiences Fit on the Political Spectrum, the majority (72%) of The Guardian’s readers hold political values to the political left or left-of-center. 9% of The Guardian's audience is right or right-of-center (compared with 26% of all respondents to the survey). Roughly 20% of The Guardian's audience is considered mixed or center (compared with 36% of all respondents to the survey).

The Guardian is owned by the Guardian Media Group. The Guardian Media Group is wholly owned by Scott Trust Limited. The current chair of the Scott Trust Board is Alex Graham.

The Guardian's "Democracy and Justice" section, which reports on threats to democracy and racial and climate justice issues, is supported by Open Society Foundations, owned by George Soros.

From 1993 to December 2024, the Guardian Media Group also owned the British newspaper The Observer.

Financing and ownership information last updated April 9, 2025. If you think this information is out of date or needs to be updated, please contact us.