Columbus Free Press is rated Left with Mixed factual reporting by Media Bias Fact Check.
LEFT BIAS
These media sources are moderate to strongly biased toward liberal/progressive causes through story selection and/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports and omit reporting of information that may damage liberal/progressive causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Left Bias sources.
- Overall, we rate FreePress.org Left Biased based on strongly progressive story selection, activist advocacy, and consistently negative framing of conservative politics. We rate it Mixed for factual reporting due to uneven sourcing and continued promotion of unsupported election-fraud narratives despite some legitimate original reporting.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: LEFT (-6.8)
Factual Reporting: MIXED (5.5)
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
History
FreePress.org, also known as the Columbus Free Press, is a progressive nonprofit news and commentary website based in Columbus, Ohio. Its roots date to the Columbus Free Press alternative newspaper founded in 1970, while the Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism (CICJ) has operated FreePress.org since 2000. The former ColumbusFreePress.com website has now been merged into FreePress.org.
The publication is edited by Bob Fitrakis, who has led the Free Press since the early 1990s, with Harvey Wasserman serving as Senior Editor and Suzanne Patzer as Executive Director. It focuses on progressive politics, election integrity, peace activism, environmental issues, civil rights, labor, and local Columbus activism.
Read our profile on the United States government and media.
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Funded by / Ownership
FreePress.org is published by the Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism (CICJ), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization managed largely by volunteers. CICJ also operates CICJ Books and supports other journalism and civic-media projects.
Revenue comes primarily from donations, fundraising, book sales, and related nonprofit support. The organization publicly identifies its board, editor, senior editor, and executive director.
Analysis / Bias
FreePress.org demonstrates a strong left-wing progressive perspective through story selection, activist content, and commentary. The site regularly promotes anti-war activism, environmental causes, progressive economic policies, election reform, opposition to Donald Trump, and criticism of conservative institutions and Republican politicians.
For example, current coverage includes articles such as Free Press committed to reporting on Trump-Epstein efforts to subvert elections, which describes Donald Trump as an “Orange King” and “wannabe fascist” while alleging efforts to undermine future elections. The site also publishes anti-war commentary, activist announcements, and strongly progressive opinion pieces with limited ideological balance.
Factual reliability is weakened by persistent election-conspiracy content. FreePress.org has long maintained that George W. Bush stole the 2004 presidential election in Ohio, despite later analyses disputing that conclusion. More recently, Update: Third Whistleblower—Israel, the Stolen 2024 Election, and the Epstein Files alleges a broad transnational operation involving cyberattacks, financial manipulation, satellites, foreign interference, and the 2024 election without providing evidence sufficient to establish that the election was stolen.
The site does publish original local reporting and sometimes relies on government records, interviews, and primary documents. However, extensive advocacy content, weak sourcing in some articles, and repeated presentation of disputed election-fraud claims as established fact significantly reduce reliability.
Failed Fact Checks
- None found from major fact-checking organizations within the current five-year review period.
- However, FreePress.org continues to publish unsupported claims that U.S. presidential elections, including 2004 and 2024, were stolen or manipulated.
Overall, we rate FreePress.org Left Biased based on strongly progressive story selection, activist advocacy, and consistently negative framing of conservative politics. We rate it Mixed for factual reporting due to uneven sourcing and continued promotion of unsupported election-fraud narratives despite some legitimate original reporting. (D. Van Zandt 9/22/2018) Updated (11/2/2026)
Source: https://freepress.org/
Last Updated on November 2, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check
Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources