RIGHT-CENTER BIAS
These media sources are slight to moderately conservative in bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appealing 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, we rate Focus Online as a Right-Center, High Factual German news outlet owned by Hubert Burda Media. It combines factual reporting from reputable wire sources with conservative-leaning opinion and commentary. While occasionally sensational in tone, its content is generally accurate, well-sourced, and corrected transparently when errors occur.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: RIGHT-CENTER (2.8)
Factual Reporting: HIGH (1.5)
Country: Germany
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website/Magazine
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY
History
Focus Online is the digital edition of Focus, one of Germany’s major weekly news magazines. It was launched by Hubert Burda Media in 1996 as part of the publisher’s digital expansion. The print magazine was founded in 1993 as a centrist and business-friendly alternative to Der Spiegel. Focus Online covers national and international politics, finance, science, culture, technology, and health. Its headquarters are located in Munich, Germany.
Read our profile on the German media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
Focus Online is owned by BurdaForward GmbH, a digital subsidiary of Hubert Burda Media Holding KG, one of Germany’s largest privately held publishing companies. The parent company also publishes Bunte, InStyle, and Freundin, and operates other major digital properties such as Chip Online, The Weather Channel, NetMoms, and BestCheck. The site is funded primarily through advertising, sponsored content, and affiliate marketing. Burda also owns the employer review site Kununu and the professional networking platform Xing.
Analysis / Bias
Focus Online’s editorial stance is Right-Center, featuring a mix of centrist reporting and opinion columns with conservative commentary. The news division relies heavily on wire services such as dpa, Reuters, and Associated Press, maintaining factual consistency and strong sourcing standards.
For example, The planned US missile defense dome harbors a dangerous weakness, republished from The Economist, offers balanced foreign policy analysis about U.S. missile defense planning, showing Focus’s use of reputable international content. In contrast, EU in crisis? “They need to understand what’s going on out there: The house is on fire” covers internal European Union tensions with interviews and quotes from EPP leader Manfred Weber, reflecting factual and moderate reporting.
Focus also publishes openly opinionated columns such as Fleischhauer confesses his “green” past by conservative columnist Jan Fleischhauer and SPD voters are more sensible than the pedantic politicians at the top by veteran journalist Helmut Markwort, which emphasize right-leaning editorial perspectives.
While its news pages generally maintain neutrality, Focus’s opinion section tends to criticize left-wing parties, particularly the Greens and Social Democrats, aligning more closely with conservative political thought. Headlines can be somewhat sensational, but the German Press Council has found that Focus presents mostly accurate, responsibly sourced reporting, despite some past ethical reprimands over imagery and headline phrasing.
Failed Fact Checks
- None in the Last 5 years
Overall, we rate Focus Online as a Right-Center, High Factual German news outlet owned by Hubert Burda Media. It combines factual reporting from reputable wire sources with conservative-leaning opinion and commentary. While occasionally sensational in tone, its content is generally accurate, well-sourced, and corrected transparently when errors occur. (D. Van Zandt 11/09/2025)
Source: https://www.focus.de/
Last Updated on November 9, 2025 by Media Bias Fact Check
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources