LEAST BIASED
These sources have minimal bias and use very few loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appeals to emotion or stereotypes). The reporting is factual and usually sourced. These are the most credible media sources. See all Least Biased sources.
- Overall, we rate Münchner Merkur as Least Biased based on balanced story selection and editorial positions. We also rate them High for factual reporting due to a clean fact check record.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: LEAST BIASED
Factual Reporting: HIGH
Country: Germany
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Newspaper
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY
History
The Münchner Merkur is a German daily newspaper that covers a wide range of topics, including world news, politics, sports, and lifestyle. Merkur.de is the online portal of the Münchner Merkur, which was founded in 1946. The newspaper is located in Munich.
Read our profile on German media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
The Münchner Merkur is part of the Merkurtz Media group owned by The Ippen Media Network (Dirk Ippen). Advertising and subscription fees generate revenue.
Analysis / Bias
Merkur.de is a German news platform that covers various subjects, ranging from investigative background reports to current local, national, and international topics. In this analysis, we highlight three articles we reviewed.
The first article, titled “Unwetter Burning Man: Three-eyed Crabs Emerge from the Mud in Nevada Desert,” primarily sources its information from social media accounts of festival attendees and cites hna.de as an additional reference. It’s worth noting that the credibility of hna.de has yet to be assessed in this report. While the article is straightforward and factual, relying on social media as a primary source raises questions about its accuracy.
The second article, “Gegen Putins Panzerraketen: Ukrainer rüsten Leopard-2 nach – und geben Russen Hinweis,” discusses the Ukrainian army’s use of German-made Leopard-2 tanks in their conflict with Russia. The article highlights a video posted by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, and Münchner Merkur primarily relies on social media posts from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry for its information. The other hyperlinks in the article lead to other articles on Münchner Merkur, making the sourcing largely circular, which could raise questions about the depth of the article’s research and its reliance on primary sources.
The last article we analyzed, titled “Chancellor: AfD is “demolition command for our country,” reports on the center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz‘s critique of the far-right AfD political party in Germany. The article cites the reputable German news agency DPA as its source but only presents a strong critique of the AfD, as articulated by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, without counter-arguments. Given the reputable sourcing and the focus on Chancellor Scholz’s statements, the article is a factual report of the parliamentary debate, albeit from the perspective of the Chancellor.
Münchner Merkur was once known as a conservative paper; however, our review indicates minimal bias and generally balanced op-eds that align just right of center on our least biased scale.
Failed Fact Checks
- None in the Last 5 years
Overall, we rate Münchner Merkur as Least Biased based on balanced story selection and editorial positions. We also rate them High for factual reporting due to a clean fact check record. (M. Huitsing 09/08/2023)
Source: https://www.merkur.de/
Last Updated on September 8, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
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