LEFT-CENTER BIAS
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 appeals 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 404 Media as Left-Center biased based on story selection that slightly favors the left. We also rate them as Mostly Factual in reporting due to occasional sensational and clickbait-type stories.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: LEFT-CENTER
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY
History
Founded by journalists, 404 Media is a digital media company that focuses on investigative reports, long-form features, blogs, and scoops. The website covers a wide range of topics, including hacking, cybersecurity, cybercrime, sex, artificial intelligence, consumer rights, surveillance, privacy, and the democratization of the internet.
Read our profile on the United States government and media.
Funded by / Ownership
404 Media is journalist-founded and led by Jason Koebler, Sam Cole, Joseph Cox, and Emanuel Maiberg—revenue is generated through subscriptions and advertising.
Analysis / Bias
The website specializes in investigative journalism, focusing on technology and societal issues. The articles and titles generally use emotionally loaded language and strong wording. For example, an article titled “White Supremacists Are Hijacking City Council Meetings All Over America” uses emotionally loaded terms like “White Supremacists,” “Hijacking,” and “white f*cking power.” It presents facts about hate speech and extremism in local government by citing reputable sources such as KFMB – San Diego News, Vice Media, NBCsandiego, KXTV – Sacramento News, and Bangor Daily News.
Another article, “I Joined an Exclusive Club of YouTube Porn Hunters.” discusses how people find explicit content on YouTube and describes their methods. While offering some investigative insights, it leans more towards sensationalism, focusing on shock value rather than critically analyzing YouTube’s moderation policies. The title uses sensational and provocative wording to attract attention and generate controversy.
Similarly, the body of the article uses emotionally loaded language. Terms like “Exclusive Club” and “YouTube Porn Hunters” are used to spark interest and highlight the controversial nature of the content. Phrases such as “feeding trash content to kids” and “awful shit” offer strong criticism of YouTube’s moderation policies. Additional terms like “exclusive Discord channel” and “hardcore porn” further sensationalize the subject. The article cites sources such as Reddit and YouTube. In general, 404 Media is left-leaning and mostly factual based on the sensational nature of its stories.
Failed Fact Checks
- None in the Last 5 years
Overall, we rate 404 Media as Left-Center biased based on story selection that slightly favors the left. We also rate them as Mostly Factual in reporting due to occasional sensational and clickbait-type stories. (M. Huitsing 10/04/2023)
Source: https://www.404media.co/
Last Updated on October 4, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources