Daily Source Bias Check: Accuracy in Media (AIM)

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 using appeal to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports and omit reporting of information that may damage conservative causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Right Bias sources.

• Overall, we rate Accuracy in Media (AIM) a borderline Questionable Right Biased source based on story selection and political advocacy that always favors the right. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to the occasional promotion of right wing conspiracy theories and pseudoscience.

Detailed Report

Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: USA
World Press Freedom Rank: USA 48/180

History

Accuracy In Media (AIM) is an American non-profit news media watchdog founded in 1969 by economist Reed Irvine. AIM describes itself as “a non-profit, grassroots citizens watchdog of the news media that critiques botched and bungled news stories and sets the record straight on important issues that have received slanted coverage.” It has been described as having a politically conservative stance. The current Director is conservative political activist Cliff Kincaid.

Funded by / Ownership

Accuracy in Media is non-profit organization that receives funding through individual donations as well as corporate, political and organizational donations. Although AIM discloses their 990 Tax forms they do not openly list donors. Through research we have found that the bulk of funding comes from right-wing think tanks and the fossil fuel industry such as Exxon, Getty Oil and Phillips Petroleum. 

Analysis / Bias

In review, Accuracy in Media reports news with very strong right wing bias in the hopes of refuting the mainstream media (their perceived left). Most stories contain loaded emotional language that always favor the right such as this: CNN Hypes Yield Inversion Curve in 2019 – But in 2005, Was More Cautious. This story is appropriately sourced to credible information. AIM also frequently promotes the Trump administration through rarely criticizing and regularly praising the President: Associated Press Undercuts Trump-is-Racist Argument in Article about Virginia Ceremony. The website also provides a link to their sister site, Accuracy in Academia, which Media Bias Check has rated as Right Biased and Mixed for factual reporting. Finally, the website has a section titled “Bias Watch” that show cases of perceived left wing bias in the media.

Editorially, AIM promotes a conservative agenda while consistently denigrating the left. They also promote conspiracies such as plan for a world socialist government, Vince Foster murdered by the Clintons, Obama Birtherism and AIDS as a phony crisis. When not promoting debunked conspiracy theories they routinely advance pseudoscience such as Climate Denialism (very frequently), promoting Intelligent Design in favor of Evolutionary Theory and reporting negatively on LGBTQ. Further, the current Director of AIM has been called an “unrepentant propagandist for extremist right-wing causes who knows few boundaries in his attempts to smear liberal foes.”

Overall, we rate Accuracy in Media (AIM) a borderline Questionable Right Biased source based on story selection and political advocacy that always favors the right. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to the occasional promotion of right wing conspiracy theories and pseudoscience. (D. Van Zandt 8/9/2016) Updated (D. Van Zandt 8/22/2019)

Source: https://www.aim.org