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 appealing 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.
- The Network Contagion Research Institute is a nonprofit research organization that studies disinformation and extremism. It publishes methodologically detailed reports, often with strong sourcing and data analysis. While it covers threats across the spectrum, an emphasis on adversary-aligned leftist activism and critiques of DEI tilts it slightly to the right of center. NCRI is rated Right-Center Biased and High Factual.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: RIGHT-CENTER (2.5)
Factual Reporting: HIGH (1.4)
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Organization/Foundation
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY
History
The Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2018 by psychologist Joel Finkelstein to study the spread of disinformation, extremism, and online harms. Its early leadership included John Farmer Jr., a former New Jersey attorney general and counsel for the 9/11 Commission. NCRI has produced dozens of reports on extremist narratives and foreign influence operations. Its IRS profile is available via ProPublica.
Read our profile on the United States media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
NCRI is a nonprofit research organization. According to CauseIQ, recent funders include the Motwani Jadeja Family Foundation ($125,000), the Ruderman Family Foundation ($34,750), and CoHNA ($26,000 for Hinduphobia research). Reporting also shows that the Israel on Campus Coalition paid NCRI $335,000 in 2021.
Analysis / Bias
NCRI presents itself as nonpartisan and methods-driven, emphasizing scientific rigor and reproducibility. Its reports cover both left- and right-aligned networks:
- The Intel Brief on the People’s Summit for Korea argued the Democratic Socialist event aligned with DPRK propaganda, mapping ties between ANSWER, Nodutdol, and Singham-linked entities.
- False Flags and Fake MAGA documented how Kremlin- and Iran-linked propaganda nodes infiltrated MAGA spaces with conspiracy narratives and even turned anti-Trump.
- Praise for United Healthcare CEO Assassination Goes Viral analyzed millions of posts glorifying political violence, warning of new “permission structures” for violence online.
While NCRI targets both extremes, it has also criticized DEI programs as producing “hostile attribution bias,” a stance that aligns with conservative critiques. Some scholars have criticized NCRI for echoing government security perspectives and for treating very different left-wing and right-wing groups as if they pose the same kind of threat. This mix of national-security framing and culture-war adjacent research results in a modest Right-Center bias rating.
Failed Fact Checks
- No failed fact checks were located for NCRI.
The Network Contagion Research Institute is a nonprofit research organization that studies disinformation and extremism. It publishes methodologically detailed reports, often with strong sourcing and data analysis. While it covers threats across the spectrum, an emphasis on adversary-aligned leftist activism and critiques of DEI tilts it slightly to the right of center. NCRI is rated Right-Center Biased and High Factual. (D. Van Zandt 08/21/2025)
Source: https://networkcontagion.us/
Last Updated on August 21, 2025 by Media Bias Fact Check
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