RIGHT BIAS
These media sources are moderately to strongly biased toward conservative 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 that may damage conservative causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Right Bias sources.
- Overall, we rate the National Association of Scholars as right-biased based on advocacy for conservative educational perspectives. We also rate them as Mixed for factual reporting due to poor sourcing, deviating from the consensus of science, and one-sided subjective criticism of education policies.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: RIGHT
Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Organization/Foundation
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
History
The National Association of Scholars (NAS) was established in 1985 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It was co-founded by Stephen Balch with the aim of promoting a liberal arts education that fosters intellectual freedom, truth-seeking, and virtuous citizenship. NAS achieves this mission through individual advocacy, research reports, and public advocacy. NAS is headquartered in New York.
Read our profile on the United States media and government.
Funded By / Ownership
The Association of Scholars (NAS) is a 501©(3) non-profit organization that publicly disclosed its financial information for 2020. NAS is supported by various funding sources such as individuals, foundations, and politically conservative foundations such as the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, Sarah Scaife Foundation, John M. Olin Foundation, Bradley Foundation, and Castle Rock Foundation. Please note that in their financial report, the National Association of Scholars (NAS) lists some donors as “anonymous.” Peter W. Wood is the President of the National Association of Scholars, supported by a board and staff.
Analysis / Bias
NAS articles often frame issues in higher education from a conservative perspective. For instance, a ‘Curriculum of Liberty’ report proposes a curriculum to educate American college students about ” freedom, the pursuit of truth, and virtuous citizenship.” The article paints a picture of declining American education, citing issues such as the alleged failure to educate students in scientific and engineering disciplines, dependence on foreign talent, and a focus on bureaucratic professions over technical or scientific fields. While these concerns may resonate with some individuals, the article lacks concrete evidence or statistical data to support these assertions.
The author asserts a dire state of American higher education, claiming deficiencies in scientific education, the production of managerial personnel, and the cultivation of undesirable societal values. He cites references such as “China vs. the U.S.” (2) for scientific education, “After Liberalism” (3) for personnel production, and “Liquid Modernity” (5) for societal values related to “diversity and social justice.” However, these references don’t directly support the author’s specific claims in the three paragraphs about the decline in scientific education, the mass production of administrators, or the encouragement of tyranny and depravity in academia. They appear more as symbolic references than empirical evidence substantiating the depicted issues.
Another article we analyzed is ‘Our Perspective’ on ‘The 2020 Election’ by Peter Wood, which indirectly questions the legitimacy of the 2020 election due to concerns about COVID-19-related irregularities, media bias, election rules, and voter fraud. It calls for open debate but criticizes higher education’s ability to facilitate it due to politicization. Here are some debunked conspiracies related to the 2020 election.
Also, the article seems to contradict the stated core mission of the National Association of Scholars (NAS). NAS’s mission is to support liberal arts education that promotes virtuous citizenship, intellectual freedom, and truth-seeking. The critique lies in the article’s heavy emphasis on partisan politics, election-related controversies, and predictions about policy changes under different administrations rather than focusing on educational reform, intellectual inquiry, and fostering a climate of open debate and truth-seeking within higher education.
Further, while the organization purports to support science, it frequently questions the consensus of science on topics like Climate Change and Covid-19 vaccine hesitation. They also hold strongly conservative views as it relates to Critical Race Theory, DEI, and opposition to wokeness. Finally, NAS links to other news stories from right-biased and/or factually mixed sources like Minding the Campus and the American Conservative.
Failed Fact Checks
- None in the last 5 years.
Overall, we rate the National Association of Scholars as right-biased based on advocacy for conservative educational perspectives. We also rate them as Mixed for factual reporting due to poor sourcing, deviating from the consensus of science, and one-sided subjective criticism of education policies. (M. Huitsing 05/02/2024)
Source: www.nas.org/
Last Updated on May 2, 2024 by Media Bias Fact Check
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