RIGHT BIAS
These media sources are moderately to strongly biased toward conservative causes through story selection and/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appealing to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports, and omit information that may damage conservative causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Right Bias sources.
- Overall, we rate Media Research Center strongly right-biased based on advocacy for a conservative agenda and Mixed for factual reporting due to the promotion of propaganda, pseudoscience, and a poor fact-check record by their primary sources.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: RIGHT
Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: USA
Press Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Organization/Foundation
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
History
The Media Research Center (MRC) is a politically conservative content analysis organization based in Reston, Virginia, founded in 1987 by activist L. Brent Bozell III. Its mission is to “prove—through sound scientific research—that liberal bias in the media exists and undermines traditional American values.” According to their about page, “MRC’s sole mission is to expose and neutralize the propaganda arm of the Left: the national news media. This makes the MRC’s work unique within the conservative movement.”
Read our profile on the United States government and media.
Funded by / Ownership
The Media Research Center is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit organization. MRC is funded through donations, with some large donors including the Bradley, Scaife, Olin, Castle Rock, Carthage, and JM foundations. It also receives funding from ExxonMobil due to its skepticism on Climate Change. MRC also owns the Questionable news source CNS News and the factually Mixed right-biased Newsbusters. The Heritage Foundation states that Rebekah Mercer serves on the board of the Media Research Center. Rebekah Mercer is the daughter of right-wing philanthropist Robert Mercer who heavily funded the Trump Campaign.
Analysis / Bias
In review, MRC does not produce original content but links to other websites such as MRCTV, Newsbusters, and CNS News. These sources frequently utilize strong loaded emotional language such as this: The Embarrassing Questions NBC’s Moderators NEVER Asked. Articles are typically properly sourced; however, they use the Questionable CNS News as a primary source. CNS News has failed numerous fact-checks by IFCN fact-checkers.
The primary purpose of MRC is to expose liberal bias in the media. They often claim there is a conspiracy in the media to promote liberalism while suppressing conservatism. Journalist Brian Montopoli of Columbia Journalism Review in 2005 labeled MRC “just one part of a wider movement by the far right to demonize corporate media” rather than “make the media better.” Essentially, MRC is a propaganda outlet for the Republican Party.
When it comes to science, MRC advocates for human-influenced climate denialism as well as creationism.
Failed Fact Checks
- A factual search reveals that both Newsbusters and CNS News have failed numerous fact checks.
- Says there are fewer than 2,000 confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. – False
- “We have been cooling down for the past 4000 years”; the Earth has cooled since the ‘medieval warming’, “It’s all about when you start the measurements” – Inaccurate
Overall, we rate Media Research Center strongly right-biased based on advocacy for a conservative agenda and Mixed for factual reporting due to the promotion of propaganda, pseudoscience, and a poor fact-check record by their primary sources. (7/19/2016) Updated (D. Van Zandt 05/15/2023)
Source: https://www.mrc.org/
Last Updated on June 5, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources