RIGHT-CENTER BIAS
These media sources are slightly to moderately conservative in bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal 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 Mercatus Right-Center Biased based on Free-Market economic positions and minimally loaded language that align with the right and High for factual reporting due to proper sourcing and a clean fact check record.
Detailed Report
Factual Reporting: HIGH
Country: USA
World Press Freedom Rank: USA 45/180
History
Founded in 1980, The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is an American non-profit free-market-oriented research, education, and outreach think tank directed by Tyler Cowen. The Center was founded by Richard H. Fink as the Center for the Study of Market Processes at Rutgers University. After the Koch family gave more than $30 million to George Mason University, the Center moved there in the mid-1980s. It took its current name in 1999.
The mission of Mercatus is to be “the world’s premier university source for market-oriented ideas” and says it aims to bridge “the gap between academic ideas and real-world problems.”
Read our profile on United States government and media.
Funded by / Ownership
According to their about page “The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization and is supported by foundations (58%), individuals (40%), and businesses (2%) from around the country. The Center does not receive financial support from George Mason University or any federal, state, or local government.” Corporate donations include 9 million from Koch Industries from 1985 to 2014 and $330,000 from ExxonMobil.
Analysis / Bias
According to their about page “Mercatus researchers conduct research, work with graduate students to apply ideas to problems in the world, and make research findings available to the media and to policymakers to connect academic learning with real-world practice.”
In review, the Mercatus Center does not use emotional language in headlines or articles such as this: Strengthening the US Economy through a US-UK Trade Agreement. This article is properly sourced to highly credible sources such as the World Trade Organization, the Census Bureau, and the US International Trade Commission. Story selection takes a strongly free-market position such as this: 0%: The Correct Corporate Tax Rate. This story is directly republished from The Hill. Mercatus also endorses Austrian Economic Theory, with the Austrian School of Economics first coining the term anarcho-capitalism.
When it comes to science, Mercatus is skeptical of Government based solutions for climate change but does not deny that it is human-caused and in line with the consensus of science.
In general, Mercatus always favors Free-Market solutions but is evidence-based in their research.
Failed Fact Checks
- None in the Last 5 years
Overall, we rate Mercatus Right-Center Biased based on Free-Market economic positions and minimally loaded language that align with the right and High for factual reporting due to proper sourcing and a clean fact check record. (D. Van Zandt 1/12/2019)
Source: https://www.mercatus.org
Last Updated on October 10, 2020 by Media Bias Fact Check
Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources
