LEFT BIAS
These media sources are moderately to strongly biased toward liberal 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 reporting of information that may damage liberal causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Left Bias sources.
- Overall, we rate The Washington Spectator Left Biased based on story selection and editorial positions that consistently favor the left. We also rate them High for factual reporting due to strong sourcing and a clean fact check record.
Detailed Report
Factual Reporting: HIGH
Country: USA
World Press Freedom Rank: USA 45/180
History
Founded in 1974 by veteran Capitol Hill reporter and Vietnam War critic Tristram Coffin, The Washington Spectator is a monthly liberal independent political periodical that is based in New York City. According to their about page, “the Spectator delivers a unique blend of sharp-edged investigative reporting, informed social and political commentary, and cultural criticism and essays on topics ranging from popular cinema to the new women’s movement, to the recent advances in artificial intelligence.” The current editor and publisher is Hamilton Fish.
Read our profile on United States government and media.
Funded by / Ownership
The Washington Spectator is published by The Public Concern Foundation, which is a “nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to the study of current political and social issues, the dissemination of those findings, and the expansion of the public discourse on political and social values and ideals.” Revenue for The Washington Spectator is derived through print subscription sales and donations.
Analysis / Bias
In review, the print edition of the Washington Spectator, generally in “every issue covers a single topic—most often, one that its editors believe is not receiving sufficient coverage in the mainstream media outlets.” The website publishes articles related to politics, world, culture, and economy. Articles and headlines utilize strongly loaded language that favors a left-leaning perspective such as this Anatomy of Deceit: Team Trump Deploys Doctors with Dubious Qualifications to Push Fake Cure for Covid-19. This story, like most, is thoroughly sourced to credible media outlets such as Politifact, New York Times, and the CDC.
Editorially, The Washington Spectator promotes left-leaning policies such as environmentalism and support for the consensus of science regarding climate change, Event: Mobilizing to Defeat Climate Change. Other policies supported are LGBTQ rights, Black Lives Matter, and negative reporting on conservatives and President Donald Trump. In general, they report the news factually and with a consistent left-leaning bias.
Failed Fact Checks
- None to date
Overall, we rate The Washington Spectator Left Biased based on story selection and editorial positions that consistently favor the left. We also rate them High for factual reporting due to strong sourcing and a clean fact check record. (D. Van Zandt 9/27/2020)
Source: https://washingtonspectator.org/
Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources