Bias •
October 19th, 2022
Survey: How Americans Rated the Bias of BBC News
The bias of BBC News’ online news reports was rated as Lean Left in the August 2022 AllSides Blind Bias Survey. Following an Editorial Review, which allows an AllSides panel to review a larger swath of content, AllSides decided to keep the rating for BBC News’ online reporting as Center (AllSides does not rate broadcast content, except for bias audit clients).
On a scale of -9 to +9 with 0 representing Center, respondents on average rated BBC News as -1.31, which is in the Lean Left category.
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BBC News Rated Center in Editorial Review
The Blind Bias Survey results, which differed from our rating of Center for BBC News, triggered a full Editorial Review by an AllSides expert panel of six people, including people on the left, center, and right. Editorial Reviews allow the panel to assess much more content from a media outlet than a Blind Bias Survey does. The panel decided Center is still the best rating for BBC News’ online reporting.
The panel determined that the bias of BBC's online news remains Center, with some slight Lean Left bias indicators. The AllSides panel did not detect types of bias like spin or slant. BBC News' online news did not include much subjective analysis in its writing, and story choices were balanced, with topics of interest to both the left and right. Many articles equally quoted both sides.
Breaking Down BBC News Blind Bias Survey Results
On average, Lean Left respondents perceived BBC News as Center. Respondents in all other bias categories – Left, Center, Lean Right, and Right – all perceived the bias of BBC News as Lean Left.
Democrats rated the bias of BBC News as Center, and close to Lean Left. Independents and Republicans rated BBC News as Lean Left.
A total of 796 people from across the political spectrum rated the bias of BBC News. When normalized, 55% of respondents rated BBC News as left of center (19% Left, 36% Lean Left), 27% rated it as in the exact center, and 18% rated it as right of center (7% Right, 11% Lean Right).
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