This is a little different than my normal reviews. This is a review of a review (sort of). I have been watching/using this chart for several years now. The Ad Fontes media Bias Chart.
Click here to look at the chart for yourself: https://adfontesmedia.com/ (I tried to link to the image but they have it VERY locked down and since I am more interested in writing than hacking, I’m not going to try to figure it out).
I really enjoy looking at this chart semi-regularly and putting up my favorite sources to see where I am I getting my information. I noticed this past time… a weird, weird thing. You can kind of see it in the basic chart, but when I entered my 5 sources (all I can put in for free) it jumped out.
Do you see it too? The LINE. There is a line right on that “middle bias” which exists. Now, go look at the big chart again (all sources). There IS a line there. Not as stark, and if you hover over some of data points in that green box (reliable for news) to the right, some of those sources… I mean there was Brietbart and OAN up there, despite the fact that their logos are way down in the yellow (skewed to opinion). So they HAVE a few data points of real news, but a lot of opinions?
Don’t get me wrong, I am pleased that my news sources are predominantly up in that green box. The ones I put in are Washington Post (almost in the yellow and a bit difficult to see their logo), NPR, AP, and Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC). WP has the biggest variety of opinions vs fact-based points. The AJC hovers a lot of dots right on that line. You can’t see them unless you zoom way in (or take off the other sources). NPR and AP are almost entirely in the green box.
I do look at Wall Street Journal sometimes (skews right), but I added these four first and went “wait, that line.” I didn’t add some of the “big” players like NBC, CBS, or CNN – I’d be curious if this line persists. I’ll try to check (if I remember). I only get to look up 5 sources per day for free.
I highly recommend you put in your favorite news sources. Is there a clear bias? Is there a source on the “other side” you would be willing to add to your news rotation? I like AP because they are HIGH in that green box. I am confused by this “right/left” skew thing, and I wish I had a source that really straddled that line. But that line dude, I’m so confused why everyone is sticking the line like that…
Dream by Day 