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 The Freedom Index as right-biased due to its alignment with the ideological positions of the John Birch Society and a rating system that consistently favors conservative lawmakers. We also rate it Mixed for factual reporting due to one-sided selection of voting criteria, lack of context, and alignment with a publisher known for questionable reliability.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: RIGHT (6.4)
Factual Reporting: MIXED (5.1)
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Organization/Foundation
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
History
The Freedom Index is a congressional scorecard produced by The New American, a publication of the John Birch Society. The Index ranks members of Congress based on how closely their votes align with a strict constitutionalist interpretation of government, emphasizing national sovereignty, limited federal power, and non-interventionist foreign policy. The New American describes itself as “the essential news source for freedom-loving Americans” and operates under American Opinion Publishing from Appleton, Wisconsin.
Read our profile on the United States media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
The Freedom Index is funded through The New American and its parent organization, the John Birch Society—a long-standing right-wing advocacy group known for opposing globalism, civil rights legislation, and environmental regulation. The Index is not monetized through advertising but is instead supported via donations and society membership, reflecting a mission-driven financial structure.
Analysis / Bias
The Freedom Index rates U.S. legislators based on a rigid constitutional framework rather than bipartisan benchmarks or policy effectiveness. According to its User Guide, lawmakers receive a percentage score reflecting how often their votes align with the Index’s views of constitutionally appropriate governance. The criteria selected overwhelmingly favor conservative policy stances.
For example, bills supporting federal climate regulation, foreign aid, or LGBTQ+ rights are typically rated as unconstitutional, while votes to reduce government oversight or spending are scored positively. This results in consistently high scores for Republicans, such as Rep. Lauren Boebert—and low scores for Democrats, like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The site does not provide balanced interpretations or alternate constitutional perspectives and uses selective vote analysis to reinforce ideological alignment with the John Birch Society’s goals. While the Index is clear in its methodology, it lacks transparency in how vote selection is determined and does not engage opposing viewpoints or scholarly constitutional interpretation.
Failed Fact Checks
- None specific to the Freedom Index itself. However, its publisher, The New American, has been rated as Right-biased and Mixed for factual reporting due to promotion of conspiracy theories and frequent lack of context (MBFC Review).
Overall, we rate The Freedom Index as right-biased due to its alignment with the ideological positions of the John Birch Society and a rating system that consistently favors conservative lawmakers. We also rate it Mixed for factual reporting due to one-sided selection of voting criteria, lack of context, and alignment with a publisher known for questionable reliability. (D. Van Zandt 06/11/2025)
Source: https://thefreedomindex.org/
Last Updated on June 11, 2025 by Media Bias Fact Check
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources