LEFT BIAS
These media sources are moderate 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 information reporting that may damage liberal causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Left Bias sources.
- Overall, we rate MeidasTouch Left Biased based on the negative portrayal of Donald Trump and Republicans and the promotion of Democratic candidates. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to a lack of transparency with funding and the publication of one-sided content that can be misleading.
Bias Rating: LEFT
Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: USA
Press Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
Source: https://www.meidastouch.com/
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources
This rating of Meidas Touch seems plausible and fair to me. The summary at the bottom contains a phrase, however, which reminds me of a wider question I’ve had with many of these ratings: “…Left Bias based on the negative portrayal of Donald Trump and Republicans and the promotion of Democratic candidates.” I copied enough to show that I realize the context — and I agree with the overall reasoning — but the part I’m focused on is: “based on the negative portrayal of Donald Trump.”
Is a negative portrayal of that…person…really an indication of a left lean? I’ll grant that it can be a pretty reliable hint these days, but it’s also extremely possible that any given negative portrayal of him is not about politics at all; it’s about his incessant lies, his petulance, emotional fragility, breathtaking ignorance, dangerous incompetence, and so on. Those traits are not, or at least haven’t historically been, partisan as far as I know, and I speak from a centrist or left-center viewpoint. I’d feel the same if he were still a Democrat, as he once was. According to Politifact, one of MediaBiasFactCheck’s well-regarded sources, Trump himself told MSNBC, “I identify with some things as a Democrat,” years earlier made a similar statement to CNN, and has changed his party affiliation five times! https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2015/aug/24/jeb-bush/bush-says-trump-was-democrat-longer-republican-las/ (Indeed, as an independent myself his lack of party commitment is one of the vanishingly few things I respect about him, although it’s also possible he just keeps flip-flopping in search of the love he so desperately craves from world leaders, voters, and everyone in between.)
I’ll grant that if I think “Democrat” I tend to assume “dislikes/hates Trump” — but if I think “dislikes/hates Trump” I don’t automatically assume “Democrat,” because a lot of Republicans also despised and wanted nothing to do with him until they realized he was a useful idiot. Many of them dislike him still, and see the danger he presents to their own party, but don’t know how to get rid of the monster they helped create.
I’m just questioning the use of the Trump metric; not fully objecting to it. As I think about it, I realize that if I were to substitute “CRITICIZES Trump,” I do automatically think “Democrat / Left” because very few of the GOP in Congress and right-wing media have the integrity, fortitude, and patriotism to do that. Hmm… Maybe I’ve reasoned myself into supporting your use of that metric after all. :-/