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About Media Bias / Fact Check
Founded in 2015, Media Bias/Fact Check (MBFC) is an independent website that has promoted awareness of media bias and misinformation by rating the bias, factual accuracy, and credibility of media sources, large and small. Media Bias/Fact Check relies on human evaluators to determine the bias of media sources and the level of overall factual reporting through a combination of objective measures and subjective analysis using our stated methodology.
Dave Van Zandt is the founder and primary editor for sources. He is assisted by a collective of volunteers and paid contractors who provide research for many sources listed on these pages. Finally, MBFC also provides occasional fact-checks and original articles on media bias and publishes daily curated fact-checks from around the world.
Mission
The mission of MBFC is to educate the public on media bias and deceptive news practices. We inspire action and a rejection of overtly biased media resulting in a return to an era of straightforward fact-based news reporting. Our purpose is to give people the resources and tools needed to understand the bias and credibility of the sources they consume.
The AI Era (Not at MBFC)
The AI era is here. It is everywhere. Most likely, the last news article you read was partially or maybe fully generated with AI. Please note that MBFC does not use AI to generate our bias and credibility ratings. We believe bias is unique to humans and that only humans can accurately determine bias. While AI is a powerful tool with great potential, it cannot replicate a human’s ability to read between the lines and interpret intent. Sites that claim to use AI to rate bias should be double-checked with a human-based evaluator.
Funding
Media Bias/Fact Check funding comes from reader donations, third-party advertising, and membership subscriptions. We use third-party advertising to prevent influence and bias, as we do not select the ads you see displayed. Ads are generated based on your search history, cookies, and the current web page content you are viewing. We receive $0 from corporations, foundations, organizations, wealthy investors, or advocacy groups. See details on funding.
Credibility
The credibility of a website/media source is not determined by who owns them but rather by its track record. Everybody starts as a beginner and, through experience, becomes an authority in their field. MBFC is no different. Over the last 8 years, we have proven to be a trusted authority on the rating of bias and the credibility of media sources. For example, MBFC is trusted by major media outlets and IFCN fact-checkers. This is evidenced by frequently being referenced by sources such as USA Today, Reuters Fact Check, Science Feedback, Washington Post, and NPR, among dozens of others. We are also frequently used as a resource in libraries, high schools, and universities across the United States.
Media Bias/Fact Check has also been used as a resource for research by the University of Michigan and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Further, we have been utilized by numerous print books such as these:
- The Rise of the Alt-Right
- Fake News, Propaganda, and Plain Old Lies: Find Trustworthy Information in the Digital Age
- Raising Humans in a Digital World
- Everyday Media Literacy An Analog Guide for Your Digital Life
- Hate Groups and Extremist Organizations in America: An Encyclopedia
About Dave Van Zandt
Dave Van Zandt is a registered Non-Affiliated voter who values evidence-based reporting. Since High School (a long time ago), Dave has been interested in politics and noticed as a kid the same newspaper report in two different papers was very different in their tone. This curiosity led him to pursue a Communications Degree in college; however, like most 20-year olds he didn’t know what he wanted and changed to a Physiology major midstream. Dave has worked in the healthcare industry (Occupational Rehabilitation) since graduating from college but never lost the desire to learn more about bias and its impacts.
The combination of being fascinated by politics, a keen eye to spot bias before he even knew what it was called, and an education/career in science gave Dave the tools required for understanding Media Bias and its implications. This led to a 20-year journey where Dave would read anything and everything he could find on media bias and linguistics. He also employed the scientific method to develop a methodology to support his assessments.
After years of people telling him to launch a website, in late 2015, Mediabiasfactcheck.com was born from a combination of many different experiences and exhaustive research. For the last 8 years, Dave and his team have refined their methods and improved their reviews to the point where the website receives consistently high traffic levels and is considered a top authority in rating media bias and credibility.
The Team
Dave Van Zandt – Editor/Founder
Mike Crowe – Extensions – Filtered Search – Factual Search – API (Mike creates all of our cool tools for free. Please send him some love by donating to him.) Donate directly to Mike.
Aaron O’Leary – Writer/Contributor
Kenneth White – Writer/Contributor
Jim Fowler – Writer/Contributor
Dennis Kelley – Research
Michael Allen – Research
McKenzie Huitsing – Research
Jemal Corliss – Research
And all the people who submit sources and question our ratings. Your feedback is vital.
Learn more on our Frequently Asked Questions Page.
Please submit questions and concerns to: editor@mediabiasfactcheck.com
Last Updated on May 25, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check