QUESTIONABLE SOURCE
A questionable source exhibits one or more of the following: extreme bias, consistent promotion of propaganda/conspiracies, poor or no sourcing to credible information, a complete lack of transparency, and/or is fake news. Fake News is the deliberate attempt to publish hoaxes and/or disinformation for profit or influence (Learn More). Sources listed in the Questionable Category may be very untrustworthy and should be fact-checked on a per-article basis. Please note sources on this list are not considered fake news unless specifically written in the reasoning section for that source. See all Questionable sources.
- Overall, we rate Townhall Right Biased and Questionable based on consistent one-sided reporting that always favors the right and numerous failed fact checks.
Detailed Report
Questionable Reasoning: Conspiracy, Propaganda, Numerous Failed Fact Checks
Bias Rating: RIGHT
Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: USA (45/180 Press Freedom)
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
Founded in 1995, Townhall is an American politically conservative website and print magazine that the Heritage Foundation previously published. In 2006, Salem Media Group purchased Townhall. According to their about page, “Townhall.com is the #1 conservative website. Townhall.com pulls together political commentary and analysis from over 100 leading columnists and opinion leaders, research from 100 partner organizations, conservative talk-radio, and a community of millions of grassroots conservatives.” TownHall.com features commentary by various conservative columnists and guest commentary by politicians. Weekly contributors include Ben Shapiro, Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, Marina Medvin, John Stossel, Dennis Prager, and others. Guest contributors have included Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Lara Trump. The current editor is Jonathan Garthwaite.
Read our profile on the United States government and media.
Funded by / Ownership
Townhall is owned by Salem Media Group, which owns numerous right-leaning Christian-based radio stations across the USA. According to Open Secrets, Salem Media Group donates 100% to Republicans and right-leaning PACS. Online advertising generates revenue for Townhall.
Analysis / Bias
In review, Townhall almost exclusively publishes news articles that favor conservatives and utilizes strongly loaded language such as this: Shove It, House Democrats: Another Trump-Russia Story Blows Up. This story is sourced from the left-leaning Axios and right-leaning Fox News. In another article with loaded language, by Rush Limbaugh’s brother David: Abortion Extremism Exposing Left’s Moral Contradictions, there is not a single source listed to support Mr. Limbaugh’s claims.
In general, Townhall presents story selection that always favors the right and uses negative wording to describe the left. There is little balance in story presentation, with all information favoring the right without presenting a left perspective or counter-argument. The opinion columnists associated with Townhall have poor fact check records, such as Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, and Ben Shapiro. Straight news reporting is generally sourced properly and factual, though worded in favor of the right, while guest blog posts have an abysmal track record with fact-checkers.
Failed Fact Checks
- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau “passed a rule giving the agency unprecedented power to shut down businesses, no matter what the reason, at any time it wishes.” – Pants on Fire
- There were more people on welfare than working in 2013. – False
- Many Somali teenagers used hammers to physically attack and injure several passersby at a train station in Minneapolis in May 2019. – Mostly False
- “Ninety-four percent of small businesses will face higher taxes under the Democrats’ plan.” – Pants on Fire
- Says Ronald Reagan “got the Saudis to flood the market with cheap oil.” – Mostly False
- “The mayor of Livermore California explains Trump’s popularity and success.” – False
- Muslim organizations or a mosque kept most of the $238,634 raised for the victims of an October 2018 mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. – False
- Scientific evidence doesn’t support the wearing of face masks; “why do you care if I don’t wear a mask? Doesn’t your mask protect you?” – Inaccurate
Overall, we rate Townhall Right Biased and Questionable based on consistent one-sided reporting that always favors the right and numerous failed fact checks. (7/19/2016) Updated (D. Van Zandt 4/12/2021)
Source: https://townhall.com/
Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources