LEFT BIAS
These media sources are moderate 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 reporting that may damage liberal causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Left Bias sources.
- Overall, we rate HuffPost as Left based on consistent editorial framing, headline language, and story selection that favor progressive viewpoints. We also rate HuffPost as Mostly Factual due to reliance on credible sources and only one failed fact check within the past five years, despite a history of opinion-driven excess and past promotion of questionable health content.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: LEFT (-6.4)
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL (3.6)
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
History
Founded in 2005, HuffPost, formerly known as The Huffington Post, is a news and opinion website headquartered in New York City. The outlet was founded by Andrew Breitbart (founder of Breitbart), Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti (CEO of BuzzFeed).
In March 2011, AOL acquired The Huffington Post for $315 million. Arianna Huffington was named president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, which included AOL properties such as Engadget.
In 2015, Verizon acquired AOL, placing HuffPost under Verizon Media. In 2016, Arianna Huffington resigned as editor-in-chief, and former New York Times Johannesburg bureau chief Lydia Polgreen assumed the role. In 2017, the outlet officially shortened its name to HuffPost.
Read our profile on the United States government and media.
Funded by / Ownership
HuffPost is owned by BuzzFeed, Inc., a publicly traded digital media company based in New York. In November 2020, BuzzFeed acquired HuffPost from Verizon Media Group, with Verizon becoming a minority shareholder. In February 2021, BuzzFeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti took charge of the combined properties. HuffPost generates revenue primarily through advertising and sponsored content.
Analysis / Bias
HuffPost is a left-leaning news and opinion website that combines original reporting with commentary and aggregation. During the 2016 presidential election, Politico reported that HuffPost appended editorial notes to Donald Trump-related articles, labeling him as “racist,” “xenophobic,” and “misogynistic,” a practice HuffPost later dropped after the election.
A review of headlines shows frequent use of emotionally framed and politically charged language, such as “Comey Flips: ‘Vote for Democrats This Fall’” and “Trump Calls Female Reporter ‘So Obnoxious,’ Tells Her To Be Quiet.” Story selection and framing consistently favor progressive viewpoints, particularly on U.S. politics and social issues.
In terms of sourcing, HuffPost regularly relies on credible outlets such as CBS News, The New York Times, Politico, and the Associated Press, particularly for national and international reporting. However, HuffPost has also cited lesser-known blogs, such as queensjewelvault.blogspot.com, in lifestyle-related coverage.
Additionally, Science-Based Medicine has criticized HuffPost for promoting implausible or unscientific medical claims in the past, though such content appears less prevalent in recent years.
A Pew Research survey found that 59% of HuffPost’s audience identifies as consistently or mostly liberal, compared to 23% mixed and 17% conservative. Additionally, a Reuters Institute survey found that 36% of respondents trust HuffPost’s news coverage, placing it mid-tier among major U.S. news providers. Overall, editorial review shows coverage that favors the left while remaining generally grounded in factual reporting.
Failed Fact Checks
Overall, we rate HuffPost as Left based on consistent editorial framing, headline language, and story selection that favor progressive viewpoints. We also rate HuffPost as Mostly Factual due to reliance on credible sources and only one failed fact check within the past five years, despite a history of opinion-driven excess and past promotion of questionable health content. (5/13/2016) Updated (M. Huitsing 01/19/2026)
Source: https://www.huffpost.com/
Last Updated on January 19, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources