Saskatoon StarPhoenix – Bias and Credibility

These media sources are slightly to moderately conservative in bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal 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.

• The StarPhoenix typically sources poorly as they source through quoting rather than providing links to their assertions in opinion pieces, whereas they utilize credible media sources when publishing national and international news stories such as the Canadian Press and Associated Press, therefore we rate them high for factual news reporting overall, but mixed for local reporting and right-center biased based on editorial and opinion positions.

Detailed Report

Factual Reporting: HIGH
Country: Canada
World Press Freedom Rank: Canada 16/180

History

Founded in 1902 as The Saskatoon Phoenix, The StarPhoenix is a daily newspaper published in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The StarPhoenix delivers breaking news, business, opinion, sports, art, lifestyles and more. Heather Persson is the editor of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

Funded by / Ownership

The StarPhoenix is owned by PostMedia, which owns several right-leaning media outlets throughout Canada. According to a report in the left-leaning CanadaLand, PostMedia has directed its publications to be more “reliably conservative.” The newspaper is funded through advertising and subscription fees.

Chatham Asset Management, a New Jersey-based hedge fund holds a large equity stake in Postmedia and majority ownership of American Media Inc. which owns the National Enquirer. David Pecker, who owns American Media, Inc. joined the Postmedia board, and then resigned from the board of Postmedia in 2018, due to his involvement of hush payments on behalf of his “friends” including President Trump and Harvey Weinstein.

According to the National Observer, PostMedia is in a downward spiral. After Postmedia announced a $1.4M loss for the last quarter of 2018, Paul Godfrey stepped down as CEO of the Postmedia Network and was replaced by Andrew MacLeod, as of 1/10/2019. Godfrey will remain as executive chair. Godfrey was also criticized for cutting 800 full-time jobs across Postmedia in 2016, while earning an annual salary of $1.7 million. For a list of directors and upper management please see here.

Analysis / Bias

In review, the StarPhoenix reports locals news through journalists on the beat and national/international news through the right-leaning National Post and the least biased Associated Press. All information is properly sourced. Editorially, most news articles favor the right.

The StarPhoenix currently has a right-center bias in reporting coverage and story word choices, for example, they publish highly critical Trudeau opinion pieces such as “Trudeau embarrasses Canadians” and they use loaded language such as “As citizens, there is nothing that we can do to prevent Justin Trudeau from behaving like a chump, embarrassing himself and being regarded as an international laughing stock. “  and “Trudeau government’s needless obsession with gender is exhausting.”

The StarPhoenix typically sources poorly as they source through quoting rather than providing links to their assertions in opinion pieces, whereas they utilize credible media sources when publishing national and international news stories such as the Canadian Press and Associated Press, therefore we rate them high for factual news reporting overall, but mixed for local reporting and right-center biased based on editorial and opinion positions. (M. Huitsing 4/15/2018) Updated (11/30/2018)

Source: https://thestarphoenix.com