Daily Kos – Bias and Credibility

These media sources are moderately 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 using appeal 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 the Daily Kos strongly Left Biased based on story selection that almost exclusively favors the left. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to non-vetted content and a few failed fact check and misleading claims.

Detailed Report

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

History

Founded in 2002 by Markos Moulitsas, Daily Kos is an outlet for Political Blogging. It functions as a discussion forum and group blog for a variety of netroots activists whose efforts are primarily directed toward influencing and strengthening progressive policies and candidates. In addition to being a blogging, news, and digital media platform, Daily Kos is a political organization that has raised money for Democratic candidates.

Daily Kos is based in the United States. Read our profile on the USA government’s influence on media.

Funded by / Ownership

Kos Media, LLC owns the Daily Kos and funding provided through advertising, sponsored content, donations, fundraising, and subscription fees for ad-free browsing.

Analysis / Bias

In review, Daily Kos reports news through bloggers, who generally lean strongly left. There is the moderate use of loaded language in headlines such as this: Voting Rights Roundup: Michigan GOP attempts to sabotage redistricting reform by withholding funding. This particular article is properly sourced from credible mainstream media outlets and newspapers. In some articles, there is a very strong use of emotional wording such as this: This is how Republicans get away with their lies: The media lets them do it, again and again.

Most articles are written by community members, with the rest written by staff members. Editorially, there is a very strong left bias with mostly positive articles in favor of left-leaning positions and denigration of conservatives. In general, all information tends to favor the left. Most articles are sourced; however, some of the information written by community members is not vetted by Daily Kos and may contain factual errors or extreme bias.

Failed Fact Checks

• President Trump posthumously pardoned notorious 1960s criminal Charles Manson. – FALSE
• U.S. President Donald Trump brandished his middle finger as a gesture of disdain, disrespect, or anger towards an astronaut who publicly corrected him. – FALSE
• Says video shows Mike Pence quoting the Bible as justification for “Congress not to fund Katrina relief effort.” – PANTS ON FIRE
• Jeb Bush, Oliver North and the Murder of CIA Drug Smuggler Barry Seal in 1986 – FALSE

Overall, we rate the Daily Kos strongly Left Biased based on story selection that almost exclusively favors the left. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to non-vetted content and a few failed fact check and misleading claims. (5/13/2016) Updated (D. Van Zandt 12/09/2022)

Source: https://www.dailykos.com/