GBTimes – Bias and Credibility

These sources have minimal bias and use very few loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes).  The reporting is factual and usually sourced. These are the most credible media sources. See all Least Biased sources.

Update: This source officially retired on 6/5/2020

Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: China
World Press Freedom Rank: China 177/180

Founded in 1994 and named initially Tradepoint Ltd. Finland, it later was named GBTimes, which is an international media company, registered and headquartered in Finland. Mr. Zhao Yinong is the founder of GBTimes. GBTimes is a joint venture by Guoguang Century Media Consultation Co. owned by China Radio International (CRI). According to a Reuters Investigation: “An investigation spanning four continents has identified at least 33 radio stations in 14 countries that are part of a global radio web structured in a way that obscures its majority shareholder: state-run China Radio International, or CRI. Many of these stations primarily broadcast content created or supplied by CRI or by media companies it controls in the United States, Australia, and Europe. GBTimes CEO Zhao Yinong, who spearheads the European arm of the expatriate radio operation, confirmed that he receives several million euros a year from CRI. In an interview in Beijing, Zhao said he was “not interested in creating a false China” and he had “nothing to hide.”

According to their about page, GBTimes states its mission as “To bring people and businesses, from different countries and cultures together, improving communication between them and China, and they benefit across international markets in the most cost-efficient way.”

GBTimes focuses on cross-cultural communication fostering better understanding between China and the rest of the world, providing daily coverage of Current Affairs, Business and Technology, Economics, Sport, Sci-Tech, Life, and Culture.

Reporters without Borders has reported China as the “World’s leading prison for citizen journalists” According to reporters without borders 2017 report, China ranks 176 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index.  Although their headquarters are in Finland, the content is controlled by the Chinese government.

In review, the content of headlines and articles use minimal loaded words pertaining to national news such as “China’s outbound Belt and Road investment decreases in January-February”  or “Xi jinping, Macron hold free trade phone call”. Their US coverage also utilizes minimally loaded headlines and least biased coverage such as  “China strikes back after Trump announces US$60bn sanctions” and they provide credible sources such as Center for Global Development (CGD), mofcom.gov  (Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China) as well as national sources which we have not verified such as chinanews.com, news.ifeng.com. Although GBTimes demonstrates minimal left-right bias in reporting, they are heavily biased in favor of China as almost all stories show China in a positive light. Overall, we rate GBTimes Least Biased from a right-left political perspective, but highly pro-China biased. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to the promotion of pro-state propaganda. (M. Huitsing 3/26/2018)

Source: https://gbtimes.com