Daily Source Bias Check: The Inquisitr

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 using appeal 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 Inquisitr, Left-Center biased due to story selection that moderately favors the left and factually Mixed due to the use of questionable sources and a few failed fact checks.

Detailed Report

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

History

The Inquisitr was launched in 2008 by former TechCrunch writer Duncan Riley, as a blog that covers the topics of pop culture, entertainment/celebrity gossip, technology, sports, news, lifestyle, science, and politics. In 2011, Israeli Businessman Daniel Treisman purchased the website for $330,000.

The Inquisitr states its mission as “The Inquisitr aims to publish quality news articles and make them accessible to readers worldwide while providing the best possible quality and experience to those seeking useful and timely news information.”

Read our profile on United States government and media.

Funded by / Ownership

The Inquisitr was originally owned by Duncan Riley and is currently owned by Israeli businessman Daniel Treisman. Inquisitr is a news aggregation site that employs online, freelance writers who are considered subcontractors. The Inquisitr’s primary source of revenue is digital advertising.

Analysis / Bias

In review, Inquisitr publishes celebrity gossip such as “Cardi B, Nicki Minaj Put An End To Their Bitter Feud.” The Inquisitr also tends to republish stories by rehashing articles published by different sources such as this Hill article: “Republicans Beginning To Believe Donald Trump ‘Unfit’ To Be President, Says Watergate Reporter”. When it comes to sourcing, they typically mention the original source and provide hyperlinks to outside sources, as well as frequently sourcing to themselves. The Inquisitr has also referenced sources that have a poor track record with fact-checkers, such as the right-leaning conspiracy/pseudoscience website Natural News. They have also been criticized for inaccuracy in reporting by Slate and Psychology Today. In general, the majority of stories lean left in story selection and wording, though there is an occasional article that is slightly negative toward the left.

Failed Fact Checks

• Did Costco remove a dinosaur cake from their online ordering system because a customer complained that it bore a hidden “demonic” symbol? – FALSE
• Florida Man Turns Himself in for Murdering Imaginary Friend? – FALSE
• Doctors Kill More People Than Guns? – FALSE

Overall we rate Inquisitr, Left-Center biased due to story selection that moderately favors the left and factually Mixed due to the use of questionable sources and a few failed fact checks. (10/16/2016) Updated (M. Huitsing 04/27/2020)

Source: https://www.inquisitr.com/news/