Newsweek - Bias and Credibility - Media Bias/Fact Check

RIGHT-CENTER BIAS

These media sources are slight to moderately conservative in bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appeals 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 Newsweek Right-Center Biased based on editorial positions that slightly favor the right. We also rate them as Mostly Factual in reported rather than high due to having to make corrections on false information after publication.

Detailed Report

Bias Rating: RIGHT-CENTER
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Magazine
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY

History

Thomas J. C. Martyn founded Newsweek in 1933 as a weekly magazine headquartered in New York City. Today, Newsweek is a news magazine and website covering news and analysis, international issues, technology, business, culture, and politics. Newsweek was bought by The Washington Post Company in 1961 and eventually sold to audio magnate Sidney Harman in 2010. The Daily Beast and Newsweek merged in a joint venture and were named The Newsweek Daily Beast Company, which lasted for 2 years.

In 2013, Etienne Uzac and Johnathan Davis acquired Newsweek and IBT Media, re-branding themselves as Newsweek Media Group in 2017. Newsweek Media Group also owns the Latin Times and Medical Daily. Newsweek reported that Etienne Uzac, co-owner of Newsweek Media Group, and Marion Kim, the company’s finance director, both stepped down due to a long-term financial fraud probe.

On 4/14/2022, Newsweek settled a copyright dispute with Instagram.

Read our profile on the United States government and media.

Funded by / Ownership

Newsweek is owned by Newsweek Publishing LLC, which is co-owned by Dev Pragad and Johnathan Davis. Newsweek is funded through a paid subscription and advertising model.

Analysis / Bias

In review, Newsweek publishes national and world news with minimal bias in wording, such as this Republicans Lay Ground for Battle in Congress over Biden Stimulus Plan. News stories often use credible sources such as the Washington Post and New York Times. Political news coverage tends to use more loaded language such as this Republicans Attack Joe Biden Stimulus Plan, Laying Ground for Congressional Battle.

Editorially, Newsweek features a wide variety of op-eds that range from right to left; however, in our review, more aligned with the right, such as this Kyrsten Sinema Tells the Democratic Party to Go to Hell | Opinion and this How Wokeness Hurts Philanthropy | Opinion. They do present liberal voices as well, such as Trump is Going Down in Flames and He’s Taking the GOP With Him | Opinion.

In November 2022, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote an article titled Newsweek Embraces the Anti-Democracy Hard Right. In this article, they report:

“Newsweek positioned political activist Josh Hammer to run their opinion pages during the runup to the 2020 presidential election, and since that time, the publication has taken a marked radical right turn by buoying extremists and promoting authoritarian leaders.”

While this update finds Newsweek moving right editorially, there is still a reasonable balance on the Op-Ed page, but clearly, more favor the right as of this review. In general, Newsweek is fact-based but has failed fact checks requiring corrections resulting in a Mostly Factual rating.

Failed Fact Checks

Did Poland’s First Lady Refuse to Shake President Trump’s Hand? – FALSE (Corrected)
Amazon Doesn’t Produce 20% of Earth’s Oxygen – FALSE (Corrected)
Iran has sentenced around 15,000 protesters to death. – FALSE (Corrected)

Overall, we rate Newsweek Right-Center Biased based on editorial positions that slightly favor the right. We also rate them as Mostly Factual in reported rather than high due to having to make corrections on false information after publication. (5/18/2016) Updated (M. Huitsing 05/28/2023)

Source: https://www.newsweek.com/