Name: Royal Examiner Bias and Credibility Review
Item: Royal Examiner
Author: Media Bias Fact Check

Royal Examiner is rated Right-Center with Mostly Factual factual reporting by 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 appealing 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 Royal Examiner Right-Center Biased based on the repeated publication of conservative Christian and socially conservative viewpoints, while its local news reporting remains comparatively balanced. We rate it Mostly Factual due to generally reliable local reporting and transparent ownership, while deducting for unverified contributed commentary and opinion pieces that sometimes rely on weak sourcing or make unsupported claims.

Detailed Report

Bias Rating: RIGHT-CENTER (3.8)
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL (3.9)
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY

History

Royal Examiner is a local news and opinion website serving Front Royal, Warren County, and the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. According to its About page, publisher Mike McCool founded the site in 2016 to provide detailed coverage of local government and community affairs under the slogan “The News Behind The News.”

The newsroom identifies its reporters and contributors, including longtime Virginia journalist Roger Bianchini, who serves as a staff reporter and editorial consultant.

Read our profile on the United States media and government.

Funded by / Ownership

Royal Examiner is owned by Mike McCool through National Media Services, Inc. Revenue is generated through advertising and related publishing services. The site provides named staff, contact information, and ownership information.

Analysis / Bias

Royal Examiner’s local news reporting is generally factual and politically neutral, with extensive coverage of government meetings, schools, public safety, elections, and community events. However, its Viewpoint section frequently publishes socially conservative and explicitly Christian commentary.

For example, VIEWPOINT: Presidential Message on Holy Week, 2025 praises government promotion of Christian values, while VIEWPOINT: Jesus and Mohammed Compared presents Christianity favorably while making sweeping and sometimes poorly sourced claims about Islam.

However, Royal Examiner also publishes opposing perspectives. Its editorial, An American or Christian ‘taking back’ of our nation? argues against Christian political dominance and defends religious pluralism. Letters to the Editor likewise represent a variety of political viewpoints.

Overall, the straight-news operation is relatively balanced, but recurring conservative Christian Viewpoint content and right-leaning social commentary result in a Right-Center rating. The site’s disclosure that contributed opinion pieces are not independently fact-checked, combined with occasionally weak sourcing in Viewpoint content, lowers the factual rating.

Failed Fact Checks

None to date.

Overall, we rate Royal Examiner Right-Center Biased based on the repeated publication of conservative Christian and socially conservative viewpoints, while its local news reporting remains comparatively balanced. We rate it Mostly Factual due to generally reliable local reporting and transparent ownership, while deducting for unverified contributed commentary and opinion pieces that sometimes rely on weak sourcing or make unsupported claims. (D. Van Zandt 09/18/2026)

Source: https://royalexaminer.com/

Last Updated on September 18, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check