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 UrduPoint as right-center biased and questionable based on a lack of transparency, the use of poor sources, and failed fact checks.
Detailed Report
Questionable Reasoning: Lack of Transparency, Poor Sourcing, Failed Fact Checks
Bias Rating: RIGHT-CENTER
Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: Pakistan
Press Freedom Rating: LIMITED FREEDOM
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
Founded in 1997, UrduPoint is a Pakistan-based Urdu and English language web portal covering a wide range of topics, including news, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle content. In partnership with Ziff Davis, UrduPoint launched Mashable Pakistan, a dual-language edition of Mashable. Its headquarter is in Lahore, Pakistan.
Read our profile on Pakistan media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
UrduPoint operates on an advertising-based funding model, displaying ads to generate revenue. It is owned by Ali Chaudhry through UrduPoint Network; however, information regarding the company’s ownership is not mentioned on their “About Us” page.
Analysis / Bias
UrduPoint publishes articles with emotionally loaded language, such as “Today’s Challenges Have Roots In Failed Policies Of Imran Khan: PM.” PTI leader Imran Khan is known as a right-wing populist, while Shehbaz Sharif (brother of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif), current center-right PM, leads PML-N. The article mentions, “Earlier, a larger number of PTI workers and supporters took part in the party’s power show at Minar-e-Pakistan despite blockage of roads in the city.” This emphasis on PTI supporters’ dedication suggests a subtle pro-Imran Khan bias. However, UrduPoint references the social media posts of both leaders, presenting their statements directly and quoting them verbatim.
Another article titled “Imran Khan Asks Nation To Continue Struggle, Efforts To Uproot Corruption, Restore Rule Of Law,” uses large quotes from Imran Khan and sources from his social media account. The article reports the content of Imran Khan’s speech but does not present contrasting opinions or statements from opposition parties, which could lead to a perception of slight bias towards Imran Khan and the PTI party.
When it comes to sourcing, they either use social media sources or quotes, and for world news, they often use Russian propaganda outlet, Sputnik, such as here and here. In general, Urdupoint holds a moderate right-leaning editorial bias and is not always factual, as evidenced by failed fact checks and the use of low-credibility sources.
Failed Fact Checks
- Imran Khan, a former cricket star who leads the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has appointed Mufti Abdul Qavi as an advisor for religious affairs. – False
- A photo of a dead bird lying near its nest – False
Overall, we rate UrduPoint as right-center biased and questionable based on a lack of transparency, the use of poor sources, and failed fact checks. (M. Huitsing 04/07/2023)
Source: https://www.urdupoint.com/en/
Last Updated on July 1, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
Do you appreciate our work? Please consider one of the following ways to sustain us.
or
Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources