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 Newsguard Least Biased based on neutral wording and the use of a credible methodology. We also rate them High for factual reporting based on proper sourcing of all information.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: LEAST BIASED
Factual Reporting: HIGH
Country: USA
Press Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY
History
Founded in 2018, Newsguard is a browser extension that displays the credibility and transparency of media sources. Steven Brill and Gordon Crovitz are the Co-Founders. Brill founded The American Lawyer, Court TV, and the Yale Journalism Initiative. Gordon was the publisher and columnist of The Wall Street Journal.
Read our profile on the United States Media and Government.
Funded by / Ownership
Newsguard is a for-profit company that began with 6 million dollars of seed funding. Investors include the two co-founders and notable groups such as the Knight Foundation and Cox Investment Holdings. A complete list of the seed donors can be found here. Newsguard generates revenue by licensing its ratings to advertisers, who use them to determine what sites are safe to advertise. They have also formed a partnership with Microsoft by having their extension built into the Edge Browser. Newsguard is currently seeking more partnerships and licensing agreements.
Analysis / Bias
Newsguard reviews and rates media and information sources using a 100-point scale. Each source is rated on 9 different criteria and with each criterion having a different weight that totals 100 for a perfect score. Any score of 60 or above will be given a green shield, and those below 60 will receive a red shield. Newsguard also provides a “Nutrition Label” to explain how they came to their conclusions. The nutrition label is well-sourced and offers examples to support its claims.
In review, Newsguard reviews media websites and rates them according to the criteria listed above. The information provided on their nutrition labels is thorough and appropriately sourced. They also do not use loaded words and maintain a neutral tone in their reviews. We found that many sources are given a green shield rating that we rate Mixed for factual reporting. This indicates that they have a different standard in their ratings.
Perhaps a yellow shield would be appropriate for transparent sources that occasionally publish misleading information, or as we rate them, “Factually Mixed.” Newsguard does not factor bias into their ratings, though they will mention it on their nutrition label. The primary focus of the ratings is on transparency and lack of deception, such as labeling advertising and separating opinions from news pieces.
Newsguard has faced both criticism and praise. The number one criticism of Newsguard is that some sites that many perceive as being untrustworthy were given a green shield, and some sources that people find trustworthy were given a red shield (Al Jazeera). Breitbart News has criticized NewsGuard as “the establishment media’s latest effort to blacklist alternative media sites” Newsguard denies this claim.
In general, Newsguard provides well-sourced evidence-based information and adheres to established criteria.
Overall, we rate Newsguard Least Biased based on neutral wording and the use of a credible methodology. We also rate them High for factual reporting based on proper sourcing of all information. (D. Van Zandt 2/20/2019) Updated (12/18/2022)
Source: https://www.newsguardtech.com/
Last Updated on December 18, 2022 by Media Bias Fact Check
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