LEAST BIASED
These sources have minimal bias and use very few loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using an appeal to emotion or stereotypes). The reporting is factual and usually sourced. These are the most credible media sources. See all Least Biased sources.
- Overall, we rate Voice of America Least Biased based on balanced story selection and minimal use of loaded words. We also rate them High for factual reporting due to proper sourcing and a clean fact-check record.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: LEAST BIASED
Factual Reporting: HIGH
Country: USA
Press Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Radio Station
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY
History
Founded in 1942, Voice of America (VOA) is a United States government-funded multimedia news source and the official external broadcasting institution of the United States. VOA provides programming for broadcasts on radio, TV, and the Internet outside of the U.S., in English and some foreign languages. Some consider the Voice of America to be a form of pro-USA propaganda. However, VOA journalists are governed by its Best Practices Guide, which says that “The accuracy, quality, and credibility of the Voice of America are its most important assets, and they rest on the audiences’ perception of VOA as an objective and reliable source of U.S., regional and world news and information.”
Surveys show that 84% of VOA’s audiences trust VOA to provide accurate and reliable information. A similar percentage (84%) say that VOA helps them understand current events relevant to their lives. VOA is produced in 47 languages.
Read our profile on the United States government and media.
Funded by / Ownership
The U.S. Agency owns VOA for Global Media (USAGM), formerly the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent agency of the United States government. The United States Government funds Voice of America.
Analysis / Bias
In review, VOA presents the USA and world news from a United States perspective. There is minimal use of loaded language in news stories such as this: Officials Hope for Strife-Free Trump Visit to London and this Pompeo Seeks Common Ground on Iran, Huawei in Europe. Both of these stories are sourced from official videos or credible sources. Some stories tend to lean slightly left through portraying President Trump negatively, such as this: Trump Unleashes Again on Special Counsel Who Didn’t Charge Him. When it comes to science, the VOA follows the consensus model and therefore is pro-science.
Voice of America has been called a propaganda arm of the US Government, and perhaps it was at the start. Today, it is a straightforward journalism outfit that might lean slightly left but is mostly least biased on a whole
Failed Fact Checks
- None in the Last 5 years
Overall, we rate Voice of America Least Biased based on balanced story selection and minimal use of loaded words. We also rate them High for factual reporting due to proper sourcing and a clean fact-check record. (8/15/2016) Updated (D. Van Zandt 11/01/2022)
Source: https://www.voanews.com
Last Updated on October 11, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
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