RIGHT-CENTER BIAS
These media sources are slightly to moderately conservative in 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 conservative causes. These sources are generally trustworthy for information but may require further investigation. See all Right-Center sources.
- Overall, BILD remains Right-Center with Mixed factual reporting. The August 2025 Gaza staging claim—contradicted by CORRECTIV and Snopes—shows framing outpacing evidence. On its own, this case is not sufficient to downgrade, but it supports maintaining Mixed and adds downward pressure if similar failures recur.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: RIGHT-CENTER (3.6)
Factual Reporting: MIXED (4.8)
Country: Germany
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Newspaper
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
History
Founded in 1952 by Axel Springer, Bild is a German tabloid based in Berlin, Germany. Bild also has a sister paper, “Bild am Sonntag,” which is published only on Sundays. Bild focuses on running sensationalist stories with massive headlines, eye-catching images, and minimal content on various topics, including politics, sports, entertainment, lifestyle, celebrity gossip, travel, and more. It is published by Axel Springer SE, whose executive board is led by CEO Mathias Döpfner.
Read our profile on Germany’s media and government
Funded by / Ownership
Bild is owned and published by Axel Springer SE. Its revenue model is based on advertising and subscriptions. For financial statements and annual reports, please see here.
Analysis / Bias
MBFC currently rates BILD Right-Center with Mixed factual reporting (last reviewed September 1, 2024). Our fresh review finds that tone and headline framing remain highly emotive and combative—particularly on migration and law-and-order (e.g., “Ösi-Minister … Grenzkontrollen sind ‘absolut richtig’”, May 16, 2025), reflecting consistent story selection that privileges conservative frames. The piece amplifies Austrian Minister Hattmannsdorfer’s backing of Germany’s border controls as public-safety/sovereignty measures, it quotes him at length with no opposing views or broader migration-policy context. This selective framing reinforces BILD’s typical nationalist bias—amplifying restrictive positions while sidelining legal complexities. This one-sided framing reflects Bild’s typical populist-nationalist bias: favoring strong border measures, amplifying political figures who support restriction, and omitting dissenting views.
The Gaza staging controversy: on Aug. 5, 2025, BILD ran “Gestellte Gaza-Bilder: Dieser Fotograf inszeniert Hamas-Propaganda”, asserting that a Palestinian photojournalist staged imagery. Snopes later concluded there was no hard evidence supporting staging, and CORRECTIV verified the key image as genuine, providing multiple-angle corroboration and metadata. This coverage reflects BILD’s pattern of provocative framing, where bold insinuations are made without the support of clear, verifiable evidence.
Failed Fact Checks
- BILD has a documented history of high-profile walk-backs and debunks by IFCN-aligned fact-checkers. Example: in 2017, BILD ran and then retracted a story alleging “mass sexual assaults” by migrants in Frankfurt; The New York Times summarized police findings citing BILD’s own apology. In 2025, Snopes and CORRECTIV contradicted BILD’s Gaza staging claim (above). These bolster MBFC’s long-standing “Mixed” factual rating.
Overall, BILD remains Right-Center with Mixed factual reporting. The August 2025 Gaza staging claim—contradicted by CORRECTIV and Snopes—shows framing outpacing evidence. On its own, this case is not sufficient to downgrade, but it supports maintaining Mixed and adds downward pressure if similar failures recur. (M. Huitsing 5/12/2020) Updated (08/31/2025)
Source: https://www.bild.de/
Last Updated on August 31, 2025 by Media Bias Fact Check
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources