LEFT BIAS
These media sources are moderate to strongly biased toward liberal causes through story selection and/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appealing to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports, and omit information that may damage liberal causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Left Bias sources.
- Overall, we rate Off Message as left-biased based on consistent progressive ideological framing, story selection, and adversarial coverage of conservative political actors. We also rate it Mostly Factual due to reliance on credible source material and accurate reporting, tempered by opinion-driven analysis and frequent speculative conclusions.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: LEFT (-6.5)
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL (3.9)
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
History
Off Message is an independent political newsletter authored by Brian Beutler and published via the Substack platform at Off Message. According to the publication’s About Off Message page, the newsletter focuses on U.S. politics, media criticism, and political culture, with the stated goal of challenging mainstream media narratives and confronting right-wing political movements directly.
Beutler draws on nearly two decades of experience in journalism, having previously served as a congressional reporter at TPM, a columnist for The New Republic, and editor-in-chief of Crooked Media. His work has appeared in major outlets, including the New York Times.
Read our profile on the United States media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
Off Message is owned and operated solely by Brian Beutler. The newsletter is funded through paid Substack subscriptions, with additional revenue generated through podcast appearances and related media work.
Analysis / Bias
Off Message is a left-leaning political commentary outlet that combines reported material with strong opinion and predictive analysis. Content frequently portrays Donald Trump and Republican leadership as authoritarian, corrupt, or criminal, using forceful and often speculative language. An example is My Non-Prediction Predictions for 2026, which anticipates impeachment efforts, judicial conflicts, economic decline, and foreign military actions framed as illegal or colonial.
Similar framing appears in Impeachment, 25th Amendment, Or Fire The Help, which argues that Trump administration actions constitute impeachable offenses, relying on Vanity Fair reporting supplemented by Beutler’s interpretation.
Foreign policy commentary is explicitly anti-interventionist, as seen in No Kings Means No Colonial Wars, which criticizes U.S. military actions against Venezuela and frames them as imperial aggression. While articles often reference mainstream reporting and primary-source material, the publication consistently presents events through a one-sided ideological lens, blending factual reporting with advocacy and conjecture.
Failed Fact Checks
- We found no failed fact checks from IFCN-approved fact-checkers directly involving Off Message or Brian Beutler within the last five years.
Overall, we rate Off Message as left-biased based on consistent progressive ideological framing, story selection, and adversarial coverage of conservative political actors. We also rate it Mostly Factual due to reliance on credible source material and accurate reporting, tempered by opinion-driven analysis and frequent speculative conclusions. (D. Van Zandt 01/03/2026)
Source: https://www.offmessage.net/
Last Updated on January 3, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources