LEAST BIASED
These sources have minimal bias and use very few loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appeals to emotion or stereotypes). The reporting is factual and usually sourced. These are the most credible media sources. See all Least Biased Sources.
- Overall, we rate Austria Presse Agentur (APA) as Least Biased due to its consistently neutral, fact-centered wire reporting, balanced source attribution, and lack of editorial framing. We rate APA as High for factual reporting based on its adherence to journalistic standards, transparent sourcing, and operation of an IFCN-certified fact-checking division.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: LEAST BIASED (-0.5)
Factual Reporting: HIGH (1.0)
Country: Austria
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: News Agency
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY
History
APA – Austria Presse Agentur is Austria’s national news agency, founded in 1849 and reorganised after the Second World War as a cooperative owned by the country’s daily newspapers and the public broadcaster ORF. From its Vienna newsroom, APA regularly distributes text, photo, audio, and video stories in German, as well as, for some services, in English. Most of APA’s content is republished by Austria’s leading daily newspapers, the national public broadcaster ORF, and various online news platforms across the country.
Read our profile on Austria’s media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
APA is jointly owned by twelve Austrian daily newspapers and the public broadcaster ORF. It operates independently, without government subsidies, and discloses its revenue in annual financial reports.
Analysis / Bias
Austria Presse Agentur (APA) functions as a national wire service, similar to Reuters, AFP, and AP. Its editorial approach prioritizes speed, accuracy, and political neutrality. APA’s reporting is concise and fact-based, typically free of partisan language. Articles are structured around verifiable information and direct quotations, with minimal interpretation or editorial commentary.
For example, in domestic political coverage, such as “FPÖ has appealed to the Constitutional Court over the investigative committee“, APA outlines who filed an appeal, what action was taken, when it occurred, and why—quoting both the Freedom Party (FPÖ) and parliamentary officials without inserting opinion. Similarly, in its international coverage, the article “Trump sends nuclear submarines towards Russia” presents a neutral tone while quoting statements from Donald Trump and Dmitry Medvedev, detailing submarine movements, and providing factual context about the Russia–Ukraine conflict without inflammatory rhetoric.
APA also operates APA-Faktencheck, a dedicated fact-checking division and verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). The platform publishes source-linked assessments with transparent methodologies. No partisan slant is evident in APA’s wire content, and Austrian outlets across the political spectrum regularly cite APA without challenging its neutrality.
Failed Fact-Checks
- None in the Last 5 years. They are a verified fact checker.
Overall, we rate Austria Presse Agentur (APA) as Least Biased due to its consistently neutral, fact-centered wire reporting, balanced source attribution, and lack of editorial framing. We rate APA as High for factual reporting based on its adherence to journalistic standards, transparent sourcing, and operation of an IFCN-certified fact-checking division. (M. Huitsing 08/04/2025)
Source: https://apa.at/
Last Updated on August 4, 2025 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