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.

• Overall, we rate the StarPhoenix as Right-Center biased based on editorial positions that slightly favor the right. We also rate them High for factual reporting due to proper sourcing and a clean fact-check record.

Detailed Report

Bias Rating: RIGHT-CENTER
Factual Reporting: HIGH
Country: Canada
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: EXCELLENT
Media Type: Newspaper
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY

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.

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 local 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.”

Failed Fact Checks

• None in the Last 5 years

Overall, we rate the StarPhoenix as Right-Center biased based on editorial positions that slightly favor the right. We also rate them High for factual reporting due to proper sourcing and a clean fact-check record.  (M. Huitsing 4/15/2018) Updated (09/27/2023)

Source: https://thestarphoenix.com