AlterNet – Bias and Credibility

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 appealing to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports, and omit information that may damage liberal causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Left Bias sources.

• Overall, we rate AlterNet far-Left Biased based on story selection and wording that favors the left. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to a failed fact check and the promotion of pseudoscience.

Detailed Report

Bias Rating: LEFT
Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: USA
Press Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY

History

AlterNet is a liberal activist news service and is a non-profit Independent Media Institute project that was Launched in 1998. According to their about page, “AlterNet has developed a unique model of journalism to confront the failures of corporate media, as well as the vitriol and disinformation of right-wing media, especially “hate talk” media.” The current editor is Roxanne Cooper.

In 2018, AlterNet was bought by the owners of the left-leaning Raw Story under the newly created company AlterNet Media. According to John Byrne, one of the owners of Raw Story, “AlterNet will continue to carry content from the Independent Media Institute, its prior owner.”  According to Fairness.com, the “Independent Media Institute has served the public by creating and distributing content about political and social issues.”

Read our profile on the United States government and media.

Funded by / Ownership

The owners of Raw Story own AlterNet under the name AlterNet Media. The website is funded through online advertising.

Analysis / Bias

In review, AlterNet publishes news with a far-left bias through story selection and the use of emotionally loaded words such as these: Trump goes off in an all-caps New Year’s Eve Twitter meltdown: ‘MEXICO IS PAYING FOR THE WALL’ and The F Word: The Craven Right-Wing Is Now Smearing Teenage School Shooting Survivors. The website also features a separate news category that focuses on negative reports about Donald Trump. AlterNet typically uses known mainstream sources such as the New York Daily News and NBC News when it comes to sourcing.

AlterNet also frequently delves into pseudoscience to promote anti-GMO propaganda, which is not consistent with the consensus of science. AlterNet has consistently reported on the connection between cell phones and cancer, which is misleading as there is not a scientific consensus on whether radiation for cell phones causes cancer or not.

AlterNet consistently publishes pro-Left news stories and those that denigrate the right.

Failed Fact Checks

• AlterNet, a left-leaning news website, claims the State Department’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board currently does not have any female members. – False

Overall, we rate AlterNet far-Left Biased based on story selection and wording that favors the left. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to a failed fact check and the promotion of pseudoscience. (5/13/2016) Updated (D. Van Zandt 2/06/2022)

Source: https://www.alternet.org/