RIGHT BIAS
These media sources are moderately to strongly biased toward conservative causes through story selection and/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports, and omit information that may damage conservative causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Right Bias sources.
- Overall, we rate Public – Michael Shellenberger as right-biased and Mixed in Factual Reporting. The site publishes investigative and contrarian content with transparency, but repeated fact-check failures, selective sourcing, and one-sided right-biased editorial framing reduce overall reliability.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: RIGHT (6.4)
Factual Reporting: MIXED (5.0)
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
History
Public was founded by Michael Shellenberger, an author, journalist, and political commentator. Launched as a Substack platform, it focuses on censorship, climate change, energy, social policy, and intelligence leaks. In 2023, Public shared the Dao Journalism Prize with Racket and The Free Press for work on the Twitter Files.
Read our profile on the United States media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
Public is entirely subscriber-funded via Substack. It has no outside investors or advertising revenue. Ownership is held by Michael Shellenberger, who also leads the work of the platform. He has ties to Nuclear Energy.
Analysis / Bias
Public positions itself as a corrective to mainstream media, highlighting topics like COVID origins, intelligence overreach, climate skepticism, and criticism of progressive cultural movements. Articles such as “Why Trump’s Victory is Cathartic” and “Left’s Dehumanization of MAGA” illustrate a consistent critique of the left, progressive cultural narratives, and mainstream journalism. Environmental coverage frequently downplays climate risks or challenges consensus science (e.g., sea level rise article), which has drawn multiple fact-check rebuttals.
The outlet is transparent in its funding and authorship, but its content exhibits a Right bias with libertarian and contrarian tendencies. While Shellenberger often cites peer-reviewed sources or insider documents, he frequently misrepresents context, selectively uses evidence, and frames designed to delegitimize the political left and consensus science.
Failed Fact Checks
- On Behalf Of Environmentalists, I Apologize For The Climate Scare. – Misleading
- New documentary proves building offshore wind farms is responsible for the increase in whale deaths off the U.S. East Coast since 2016. – Unsupported
- The FBI’s influence campaign may have been helped by the fact that it was paying Twitter millions of dollars for its staff time. – False
Overall, we rate Public – Michael Shellenberger as right-biased and Mixed in Factual Reporting. The site publishes investigative and contrarian content with transparency, but repeated fact-check failures, selective sourcing, and one-sided right-biased editorial framing reduce overall reliability. (D. Van Zandt 09/21/2025)
Source: https://www.public.news/
Last Updated on September 21, 2025 by Media Bias Fact Check
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources