One America News Network (OAN) – Bias and Credibility

• Overall, we rate One America News Questionable based on far-right bias, lack of sourcing, promotion of conspiracy theories, and propaganda, as well as numerous failed fact checks. OAN is not a credible news source.

Detailed Report

Questionable Reasoning: Poor Sourcing, Conspiracy Theories, Propaganda, Numerous Failed Fact Checks
Bias Rating: FAR RIGHT
Factual Reporting: LOW
Country: USA
Press Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: TV Station
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY

History

Founded in 2013, One America News Network (OANN), also referred to as One America News (OAN), is an American right-wing pay television news channel and website. According to the Washington Post, since the election of Donald Trump, OAN has become pro-Trump in coverage and a favorite news source. The founder of OAN is Charles Herring, who has said, “Fox News has done a great job serving the center-right and independent audiences…But those who consider themselves liberal have a half dozen or more choices on TV each day from which to get their news.” OAN has been criticized for biased content that favors Donald Trump.

On 10/10/2019, President Trump thanked OAN For Providing ‘Fair Coverage And Brilliant Reporting’.

After the 2020 Presidential election, OAN frequently promoted election fraud conspiracies that resulted in lawsuits. On 05/10/2022, they announced that there was no widespread election fraud and settled a suit Pro-Trump OAN network admits there was no widespread fraud in Georgia in the 2020 election after extensively pushing the claim.

Read our profile on the USA government’s influence on media.

Funded by / Ownership

According to their about page, “One America News Network is owned by Herring Networks, Inc. Herring Networks, Inc. is a family-owned and operated, an independent media company focused on providing high-quality national television programming to consumers via its national cable networks.” Herring Networks is owned by Robert Herring Sr., who is a Republican donor. One America News receives funding through advertising and television subscription fees.

Analysis / Bias

In review, OAN is a far-right biased news channel and website that uses moderately loaded words in headlines and articles such as this: Sen. Schumer Refuses To Back Down On Border Wall Funding. This article does not offer sourcing at all. In another article, Senate Floats Restrictions On Detentions Of Illegal Aliens In Government Spending Bill, there is a lack of sourced information.

One America News writes articles that are very short and easy to read. They aim to keep stories under 1 minute long. Story selection almost always favors the right and, in particular, President Donald Trump. An article in AdWeek describes how the owner of Herring Networks directs his newsroom to favor Trump: “According to internal emails, Herring has directed his channel to push Trump’s candidacy, scuttle stories about police shootings, encourage antiabortion stories, minimize coverage of Russian aggression, and steer away from the new president’s troubles, according to more than a dozen current and former producers, writers and anchors, as well as internal emails from Herring and his top news executives.”

OAN has also promoted right-wing conspiracies such as the Seth Rich Murder and no evidence of chemical attacks in Syria. Further, during the Coronavirus outbreak of 2020, they have frequently promoted misinformation, as evidenced by the failed fact checks below. Is OAN right biased? Yes.

Failed Fact Checks

• Would a Proposed Law ‘Ban the Bible’ in California? – FALSE
• Recorded Crime in England and Wales Linked to ‘Radical Islamic Terror’? – MOSTLY FALSE
• Says Adam Schiff is “under investigation for Ukrainian Burisma oil connections.” – PANTS ON FIRE (12/10/2019)
• In January 2020, FBI Director Christopher Wray said that the bureau had illegally wiretapped Donald Trump and apologized for it. – FALSE (1/12/2020)
• Is it true that all non-emergent or so-called elective surgeries are banned due to the lockdowns in place to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus? – MOSTLY FALSE (4/23/2020)
• “According to doctors with the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, over 90 percent of patients treated with hydroxychloroquine successfully recover from coronavirus.” – FALSE (5/11/2020)
• “The mainstream media pretended there was a deadly surge in COVID cases thanks to Wisconsinites voting.” – PANTS ON FIRE (5/12/2020)
• “Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75-year old Martin Gugino has pushed away after appearing to scan police communications to blackout the equipment … Was aiming scanner. Could be a setup?” – FALSE (6/9/2020)
• Does a “new” scientific paper definitively show that people aged 50-64 have a 1-in-19.1 million chance of dying from COVID-19? – FALSE (9/4/2020)
• “Another study has confirmed hydroxychloroquine to be effective in the treatment of COVID-19.” – False
• Suggests ivermectin is an effective treatment for COVID-19 – False
• Pfizer tries to hide 2.4K full-time hires handling vax injuries. – Mostly False
• Biden set to sell America’s sovereignty to globalists at WHO on May 22 – False
• “there is an international medical crisis due to the diseases and deaths co-related to the administration of products known as ‘COVID-19 vaccines’” – Unsupported

Overall, we rate One America News Questionable based on far-right bias, lack of sourcing, promotion of conspiracy theories, and propaganda, as well as numerous failed fact checks. OAN is not a credible news source. (10/12/2016) (D. Van Zandt 09/20/2022)

Source: https://www.oann.com