Daily Source Bias Check: Cosmopolitan Magazine

These media sources are moderately to strongly biased toward liberal 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 liberal causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Left Bias sources.

• Overall, we rate Cosmopolitan Left Biased based on story selection and editorial positions that routinely favor the left. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to the promotion of pseudoscience, One-sided reporting, and a failed fact check.

Detailed Report

Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: USA
World Press Freedom Rank: USA 45/180

History

Founded in 1886, Cosmopolitan is an international fashion magazine for women that is printed in 35 different languages and distributed in over 110 countries. Cosmo’s primary focus is on fashion, sex, and relationship tips for a millennial audience. The current editor is Jessica Pels.

Read our profile on USA media and government.

Funded by / Ownership

Cosmopolitan is owned by Hearst Television a subsidiary of Hearst Communications, which owns more than 300 media outlets across the United States, including the San Francisco Chronicle, the Houston Chronicle, and Esquire Magazine. Cosmo generates revenue through advertising and sale of the print magazine.

Analysis / Bias

In review, Cosmopolitan Magazine and the website feature stories on relationships, sex, health, careers, self-improvement, celebrities, fashion, horoscopes, and beauty. Article and headlines often contain loaded emotional language such as this I’m Moving My Family to Canada to Save My Black Son From America. They also regularly publish pseudoscience such as horoscopes and information on Astrology.

Editorially, Cosmopolitan reports negatively on conservatives and President Donald Trump such as this Julia Louis-Dreyfus Fully Roasted Trump During the DNC. They also endorse political candidates with the criteria that they are pro-choice. Other criteria for endorsement include equal pay laws, legal abortion, free contraceptives, gun control, and opposition voter identification laws. In general, Cosmo reports news and information with a strong left-leaning bias that sometimes promotes pseudoscience and is not always factual.

Failed Fact Checks

• A picture depicts a paralyzed man’s groomsmen holding him up so he could marry his bride. – False

Overall, we rate Cosmopolitan Left Biased based on story selection and editorial positions that routinely favor the left. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to the promotion of pseudoscience, One-sided reporting, and a failed fact check. (D. Van Zandt 11/21/2016) Updated (9/19/2020)

Source: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/