Agencia Ocote is rated Left-Center with High factual reporting by Media Bias Fact Check.
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 appealing 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.
- In summary, Agencia Ocote is rated Left-Center biased due to its editorial focus on human rights, gender, democracy, environmental issues, and anti-corruption. It is rated High for factual reporting because of its transparency, disclosed funding, IFCN affiliation, named authors, investigative journalism, and reliable fact-checking.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: LEFT-CENTER (-2.8)
Factual Reporting: HIGH (0.5)
Country: Guatemala
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: LIMITED FREEDOM
Media Type: Organization/Foundation
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY
History
Agencia Ocote is a Guatemalan digital media outlet with a regional focus on Central America and Mesoamerica. According to its Who We Are page, Ocote was developed beginning in 2017 and launched in March 2019 by Alejandra Gutiérrez, Lucía Reinoso, and Julio Serrano.
Ocote publishes investigative journalism, narrative reporting, audio journalism through Radio Ocote Podcast, cultural work, and fact-checking through its unit Fáctica. It covers women and diversity, human rights, historical memory and justice, the environment, culture, citizenship, democracy, corruption, and impunity. Ocote states that it is the only Central American media outlet that is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network.
Read our profile on Guatemala’s media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
Agencia Ocote is operated by Asociación Ocote, a nonprofit organization. It uses a mixed sustainability model that includes foundation and international organization grants, earned income, services, training, events, programmatic advertising, sponsored spaces, crowdfunding, and community donations through Cómplices de Ocote.
Ocote discloses funders and donor organizations, including the Central American Women’s Fund, Foundation for a Just Society, Seattle International Foundation, The Fund for Global Human Rights, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, CS Fund / Tides Foundation, Global Fund for Women, IFCN SUSTAIN, Google AI Product Lab, Reporters Without Borders, AECID, the Embassy of the United States in Guatemala, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, and others. Ocote states that funders, donors, advertisers, sponsors, and service clients do not influence editorial decisions.
Analysis / Bias
Agencia Ocote is rated Left-Center due to its editorial focus on human rights, gender and diversity, historical memory, environmental issues, democracy, anti-corruption, and intersectional journalism. The outlet approaches these topics from a civic and rights-based perspective that emphasizes accountability. Its reporting is evidence-based and does not consistently support any political party, which supports a Left-Center rather than a Left rating.
For example, The power of Usac: a democratizing effort that ended up co-opting the State investigates the influence of the University of San Carlos over public institutions and nominating commissions in Guatemala. The article examines allegations against rector Walter Mazariegos, institutional co-optation, criminal complaints, public budgets, and the university’s role in state power. The framing is anti-corruption and pro-democracy, with sourcing from academics, investigations, public records, and political analysis.
In A fake alert about thieves who are impersonating an INE survey is circulating on WhatsApp, Fáctica debunks a viral WhatsApp message claiming thieves were posing as statistics officials in Guatemala. The fact check cites Guatemala’s INE, compares similar viral claims in Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia, and Spain, and references prior work by Chequeado and Newtral. This demonstrates solid verification practices and regional fact-checking collaboration.
Ocote is transparent regarding its mission, leadership, nonprofit structure, funding sources, editorial priorities, and fact-checking activities. Its affiliation with the IFCN, disclosure practices, public-interest investigations, and verification work support a High factual rating. The main source of bias is topic selection and rights-based framing, not factual inaccuracy.
Failed Fact Checks
- None found. They are an IFCN Fact-Checker
In summary, Agencia Ocote is rated Left-Center biased due to its editorial focus on human rights, gender, democracy, environmental issues, and anti-corruption. It is rated High for factual reporting because of its transparency, disclosed funding, IFCN affiliation, named authors, investigative journalism, and reliable fact-checking. (D. Van Zandt 07/26/2026)
Source: https://www.agenciaocote.com/
Last Updated on July 26, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check
Do you appreciate our work? Please consider one of the following ways to sustain us.
or
Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources