RumorGuard – Bias and Credibility

These sources have minimal bias and use very few loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using an appeal to emotion or stereotypes).  The reporting is factual and usually sourced.  These are the most credible media sources. See all Least Biased sources.

• Overall, we rate Rumorguard.org as Least Biased based on minimal political bias with fact-checks. We also rate them Very-High for factual reporting due to proper sourcing and a solid methodology.

Detailed Report

Bias Rating: LEAST BIASED
Factual Reporting: VERY-HIGH
Country: USA
Press Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Organization/Foundation
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY

History

RumorGuard.org is a project of the News Literacy Project, a non-profit organization that “teaches students how to be smart, critical consumers of news and information.” The News Literacy Project was founded in 2011 by Alan C. Miller, a former journalist and education reformer.

RumorGuard.org was launched in 2016 as a way to help people identify and avoid misinformation. The website features a database of fact-checks, as well as resources on how to evaluate the credibility of information.

Read our country’s media profile on the USA.

Funded by / Ownership

RumorGuard.org is funded by the News Literacy Project, which is funded by a variety of sources, including foundations, individual donors, and corporate sponsors. The website is fully transparent in listing all funding from sources over $1,000. Notable donors include John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Google News Initiatives, News Corp, and Microsoft.

Analysis / Bias

RumorGuard.org claims to be a nonpartisan fact-checking organization that strives to be objective and impartial in its reporting. The website uses a rigorous methodology to assess the accuracy of claims, and it provides clear and concise explanations of its findings. They rely on five primary criteria for fact-checking: Authenticity, Source, Evidence, Context, and Reasoning.

Rumorguard.org primarily fact-checks conspiracy theories and viral rumors. Headlines sometimes use loaded emotional wording such as this Climate change denialists push doctored video of TV weather map. The use of the word “denialist” may be seen as a way to frame climate change skeptics negatively. In this fact check, they apply their methodology as follows:

• Authentic: No (Fake Clip)
• Source: No (No credible sources reported this)
• Evidence: No (The video clip was altered)
• Reasoning: No (The overwhelming scientific consensus is that human activity has caused the Earth’s temperature to warm in ways that pose serious threats to humanity.)

In general, RumorGuard is a credible fact-checker with a solid methodology. While there is bias present against those who spread conspiracy theories and oppose the consensus of science, there is little political bias demonstrated as they fact-check both left and right politicians.

*Media Bias Fact Check relies on RumorGuard for our curated daily fact checks, and as a resource to fact-check media sources we review.

Failed Fact Checks

• None in the Last 5 years. They are a fact-checker.

Overall, we rate Rumorguard.org as Least Biased based on minimal political bias with fact-checks. We also rate them Very-High for factual reporting due to proper sourcing and a solid methodology. (D. Van Zandt 08/19/2023)

Source: https://www.rumorguard.org/