LEFT BIAS
These media sources are moderate 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 appealing to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports, and omit information that may damage liberal causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Left Bias sources.
- Overall, we rate the University Network for Human Rights as Left-Biased based on its editorial and advocacy positions, which consistently favor progressive perspectives. We also rate them as Mostly Factual rather than High due to one-sided reporting that leaves out context.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: LEFT (-7.3)
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL (3.6)
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Organization/Foundation
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
History
The University Network for Human Rights (UNHR) was formally established in 2019 by James Cavallaro and Ruhan Nagra following years of collaboration between undergraduate students and Stanford Law School’s Human Rights Clinic. Initially developed as an informal training model for undergraduates interested in human rights advocacy, the program expanded into a structured institution that engages students in supervised fieldwork and research across the United States and globally.
UNHR now partners with grassroots organizations, communities, and legal institutions to document human rights abuses and support movement-based advocacy.
Read our profile on the United States government and media.
Funded by / Ownership
UNHR is a nonprofit organization. While it discloses extensive academic and advocacy partnerships with institutions such as Harvard Law School, Yale, Earthjustice, and Our Children’s Trust (Community Partners), it does not list specific donors or grant providers on its website. Despite the lack of financial transparency, the organization clearly identifies its leadership, mission, and collaborative model across its site.
Analysis / Bias
The University Network for Human Rights positions itself within a distinctly progressive framework. Its mission and beliefs emphasize the primacy of social movements, participatory justice, and the redistribution of power, particularly centering communities directly impacted by human rights abuses.
UNHR advocates for environmental justice, economic and social rights, and climate equity alongside traditional civil liberties. In “Climate Change in the Americas and the Rights of Children”, the group helped file an amicus brief before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, calling on states to implement binding protections for children affected by climate change. Similarly, in its “Environmental Injustice” projects, UNHR collaborates with marginalized communities facing systemic environmental harms.
Perhaps most indicative of its editorial lean is the May 2025 report, “Apartheid in Israel,” which argues that Israel is committing the crime of apartheid under international law. The report not only adopts this position but further claims U.S. universities are complicit in supporting apartheid by disciplining pro-Palestinian student activists. Though the report cites over two dozen reputable human rights organizations and legal experts, it lacks counter-perspectives and frames its findings in charged legal and moral terms. Across its content, UNHR generally avoids outright misinformation and supports claims with documentation; however, its heavy ideological framing and omission of opposing viewpoints limit its neutrality.
Failed Fact Checks
- None in the Last 5 years
Overall, we rate the University Network for Human Rights as Left-Biased based on its editorial and advocacy positions, which consistently favor progressive perspectives. We also rate them as Mostly Factual rather than High due to one-sided reporting that leaves out context. (D. Van Zandt 08/02/2025)
Source: https://www.humanrightsnetwork.org/
Last Updated on August 2, 2025 by Media Bias Fact Check
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