Here's How AllSides Media Bias Ratings™ Have Changed Over Time

AllSides has been evaluating the political biases of media outlets for a decade. Since 2012, we have rated the media bias of over 1,400 sources.

Our ratings are not set in stone and are subject to change. We continually review the bias of outlets to best reflect the current state of their political leanings. Over the years, some of our ratings have changed – and sometimes by a lot. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as shifts in editorial decisions, changes in ownership, or changes in the political climate.

Here’s an overview of how some AllSides Media Bias Ratings™ have changed over time:

AllSides’ Media Bias Ratings are on a 5-point categorical scale: Left, Lean Left, Center, Lean Right, and Right. Starting in 2022, we also added the AllSides Media Bias Meter™ to our ratings, which adds nuance to the categories.

Some of the shifts involved popular outlets. For instance, from 2017 to 2022, CNN’s online news bias (we don’t rate broadcast or TV content) shifted significantly, from Center, to Lean Left, to Left. Fox News (online news only) went from Right, to Lean Right, and back to Right from 2016 to 2022.

Several other outlets shifted to the left over time, including Insider, The Daily Beast, Bloomberg, and Politico. Others shifted to the Center, such as Newsweek, Deseret News, and Independent Journal Review. And some moved farther right, such as The Daily Caller, One America News Network (OAN), The Federalist, and The American Conservative.

In 2022 alone, there were several notable changes to AllSides’ ratings, including:

• The Associated Press moved from Center to Lean Left
• NPR moved from Center to Lean Left
• Newsmax moved from Lean Right to Right
• The Atlantic moved from Lean Left to Left
• The American Conservative moved from Lean Right to Right
• Insider moved from Center to Lean Left
• Teen Vogue moved from Lean Left to Left

Again, note that all of the above ratings are based on the perspective of political online news content only – not broadcast or TV content. For a complete list of outlets we reviewed in 2022, visit our Bias Verification page.

AllSides uses multiple methods to rate bias, including Editorial Reviews, Blind Bias Surveys, third party data, and independent research. Any time we shift a bias rating, it’s because the outlet has undergone one or more of these methods of review.

RELATED: How to Spot 16 Types of Media Bias

AllSides' ratings are not “accurate” and never can be – bias is largely subjective and in the eye of the beholder. For example, people may disagree with AllSides moving NPR from Center to Lean Left or Newsmax from Lean Right to Right. Someone on the left may see a Center outlet as on the right, and someone on the right may perceive a Center outlet as left. You may disagree with some of our ratings, and that is okay!

This is why we use our patented technology and various methods described above to reflect the average judgment of everyday Americans – not just a single person or group, such as journalists or people on one side of the political spectrum. You can also vote on the bias of any rating – votes don’t determine ratings, but are valuable feedback to us that something may be off.

It’s important to be aware of political biases when reading the news and to consider a range of sources across the political spectrum in order to get a well-rounded understanding of an issue. You can use AllSides’ balanced newsfeed to better evaluate the news of the day and form your own informed opinions.

Our ratings and systems will continue to evolve and improve. You can always provide feedback on our media bias ratings by voting on any rating or by emailing us.