BackChannel – Bias and Credibility

These media sources have a slight to moderate liberal bias.  They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appeals to emotion or stereotypes) to favor liberal causes.  These sources are generally trustworthy for information but may require further investigation. See all Left-Center sources.

• Overall, we rate BackChannel as Left-Center biased in wording and report choices and factually high due to proper sourcing and a clean fact-check record.

Detailed Report

Bias Rating: LEFT-CENTER
Factual Reporting: HIGH
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY

History

Based in San Francisco, California, BackChannel is a part of Wired Magazine launched in 1993 by avid libertarian Louis Rossetto and Jane Metcalfe, his partner in business and life. Wired covers the tech industry, such as the internet and digital culture, science, and security. In 1998, Louis Rossetto and Jane Metcalfe sold Wired Magazine to Conde Nast, a unit of Advance Publications Inc., for about $80 million. Former editor of the New Yorker, Nicholas Thompson, was named editor in chief of Wired in 2017. Thompson is also a contributor for CBS News and regularly appears on CBS This Morning and CBSN. He is a co-founder of The Atavist.

Read our profile on the United States government and media.

Funded by / Ownership

Advance Publication subsidiary Condé Nast Inc. is the current owner of Wired Magazine/BackChannel. Wired’s business model is primarily built on advertising. However, since January 2018, Wired, like other Condé Nast publications, is subscription-based, allowing subscribers unlimited access without display advertising.  All readers have access to the homepage, section front pages, and four articles per month at no charge before being asked to subscribe.

Analysis / Bias

BackChannel (BC) is a technology reporting site that reports primarily on the internet and social media. The articles on the site are factual and well-sourced. What political news BC carries is tech-centric, such as the article concerning Ajit Pai, President Trump’s pick to head the FCC. While the reporting on BC is solid, there is a slightly left bias in the overall tone. Much of that bias is inherent in the subject matter, but it doesn’t account for all of it. For this reason, Back Channel is rated Left Center.

Failed Fact Checks

• None in the Last 5 years

Overall, we rate BackChannel Left-Center biased in wording and report choices and factually high due to proper sourcing and a clean fact-check record.  (D. Kelley 3/14/2017) Updated (11/18/2023)