University of Kwazulu-Natal

Fact Check Which Us News Sources Have Been Rated As Least Trustwo

Bonisiwe Shabane
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fact check which us news sources have been rated as least trustwo

The American news landscape remains polarized by political party identification, and to some extent age, with few news sources both used and trusted widely among Democrats and Republicans. Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to trust the news in general, as well as to trust most specific major outlets included in YouGov's 2025 poll of trust in media. Democrats and Republicans find common ground on sources for financial news, but hold vastly different opinions on most other news sources, including the two used by the most Americans: CNN and Fox News. In our latest poll, we ask Americans about each of 52 news sources, including their use of it in the past month and its trustworthiness. In doing so, we revisit questions asked on similar surveys in 2024, 2023, and 2022. The results reflect American views on the news media and on specific outlets — including opinions of many people who haven't gotten news from the outlets any time recently.

Some news organizations are used more heavily or elicit opinions from more Americans, and these outlets are more likely to sit at the top and bottom of these charts. Like in last year's survey, we asked Americans in 2025 whether they find news from each of 52 outlets very trustworthy, trustworthy, untrustworthy, very untrustworthy, or neither trustworthy nor untrustworthy. Using these results, we calculate each outlet's net trust score – that is, how much more likely Americans are to say the outlet's news is trustworthy or very trustworthy than untrustworthy or very untrustworthy. The data presented below reflects Media Bias/Fact Check’s (MBFC) longstanding commitment to objectively rating media sources based on factual reporting and political bias. All evaluations are conducted using a consistent and structured methodology developed to reduce subjective influence. The numbers in the table represent live totals that evolve as new sources are added or re-evaluated, but the principles behind those ratings remain constant.

MBFC uses a composite scoring system that rates each source on a scale from −10 (Extreme Left) to +10 (Extreme Right). This score is derived from four weighted categories: Economic Policy (35%), Social Values (35%), Straight News Balance (15%), and Editorial Bias (15%). The intent is to assess the ideological character of the content, not the publisher’s intent or ownership. Scores are based on actual content and sourcing, not affiliation. A left or right-leaning outlet is rated as such only when its output consistently reflects those leanings. Factual reporting is rated using a weighted formula based on four criteria:

The average bias rating of +1.12 reflects a volume effect, not methodological bias. Several interconnected factors contribute to this outcome: The Media Bias Chart at Biasly offers a rating of various news agencies. Biasly is an independent news and bias rating agency and is dedicated to Fighting Fear with Facts. How it Works Government/Non-Profit/Education News Chart

Biasly’s Media Bias Chart is an interactive, two-dimensional visual tool that maps hundreds of news sources based on their political bias (x-axis) and reliability (y-axis). What sets the chart apart is its AI-powered Bias Meter, which combines machine learning with human analyst input to generate objective bias and reliability scores for each outlet. It enables users to quickly see where a source falls on the political spectrum — from Very Left to Very Right — while also evaluating the overall trustworthiness of its reporting. Biasly rates news sources using a methodology that blends artificial intelligence with human analyst review. Each article is scanned for linguistic markers like word choice, tone, framing, headline structure, and source selection — all of which may indicate political leanings. These are then analyzed using Biasly’s proprietary algorithms to assign a bias score and reliability score.

Analysts further validate AI assessments by checking for factual accuracy, source credibility, and patterns in story selection or omission. This combined process ensures the bias ratings are not only data-driven but also contextually sound. Absolutely. Educators frequently use Biasly’s Media Bias Chart as a powerful visual aid to better understand and explain the complex landscape of media bias. It’s an ideal tool for integrating into media literacy curricula, helping students grasp how political leanings and framing influence news coverage. To support classroom and newsroom use, Biasly also offers a downloadable and printable version of the Media Bias Chart, which educators can display during lessons or distribute in workshops.

In addition, Biasly’s Media Literacy Education Platform offers structured courses and resources for both students and professionals to deepen their understanding of bias and media literacy. Explore data on 30 major news sources with our interactive tool Americans now navigate a quickly changing information environment, with a wide variety of news sources across many different platforms and channels. We asked Americans about 30 specific news sources – whether they are aware of each one, whether they regularly get news there and whether they trust or distrust it. Select from the buttons below to explore different questions by age and political party. Read more in the accompanying report.

Refer to the methodology and frequently asked questions for more details, including how we chose these 30 sources. These sources have minimal bias and use very few loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appealing to emotion or stereotypes). The reporting is factual and usually sourced. These are the most credible media sources. See all Least Biased Sources. Bias Rating: LEAST BIASED (-0.3) Factual Reporting: HIGH (1.0) Country: USA MBFC’s Country Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE Media Type: Website Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY

The NewsandNews.com domain was purchased in 1997; however, it is unclear when the current website originated. According to their about page, “News and News is an independent and non-partisan news source that strives to be your antidote to the biased and made-up news epidemic. Our team of real people based in the U.S., Europe, and Asia decides what we post while constantly reviewing news sources across the political spectrum.” The website also features a bias meter that quantifies all the postings’ political leanings, illustrating whether the site as a whole is trending to the left or right. News and News offer 24/7 human-curated news through web and mobile (iOS and Android) applications, using a global organization to curate news. These media sources have a slight to moderate liberal bias.

They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appealing to emotion or stereotypes) to favor liberal causes. These sources are generally trustworthy for information but may require further investigation. See all Left-Center sources. Bias Rating: LEFT-CENTER (-2.6) Factual Reporting: HIGH (1.1) Country: USA MBFC’s Country Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE Media Type: Magazine Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY Founded in 1948, U.S. News & World Report is an American media company that publishes news, opinion, consumer advice, rankings, and analysis.

Founded as a newsweekly magazine in 1933, U.S. News transitioned to primarily web-based publishing in 2010. U.S. News is best known today for its influential Best Colleges and Best Hospitals rankings. Read our profile on the United States government and media. U.S.

News & World Report is owned by media proprietor Mortimor Zuckerman, worth an estimated 2.7 billion. Mortimor Zuckerman donates to both Democrats and Republicans, with more donations going to Democrats. U.S. News generates revenue through advertising. This page hosts daily news stories about the media, social media, and the journalism industry. Get the latest Hirings and Firings, Media Transactions, Controversies, and…

Fact Check, Facts Matter, Least Biased, Original Media Bias Fact Check selects and publishes fact checks from around the world. We only utilize fact-checkers that are either a signatory of the International… Welcome to our weekly media literacy quiz. This quiz will test your knowledge of the past week’s events with a focus on facts, misinformation, bias,… Fact Check, Facts Matter, Least Biased, Original

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