The discovery that Politico (Lean Left), Associated Press (Left) and potentially other major news outlets have been receiving taxpayer money has resulted in much controversy this week — including concerns about taxpayer money going to biased news sources, and concerns about what truly constitutes independent media.

A review by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) found government departments paid Politico $8.2 million between fiscal year 2016 and fiscal year 2025, according to usaspending.gov, the official source of government spending data. The funds reportedly included subscriptions to Politico Pro, a premium product that provides news and analysis and is used by lobbyists, legislators, and businesspeople. AP was also a recipient of millions of dollars from agencies like the US Department of State, US Agency for Global Media, Department of Air Force, and more.

Bias in Government-Funded Media Outlets

Some social media commenters took issue with sending U.S. taxpayer money to biased publications — and it’s true that Politico and AP’s reporting has a partisan bent. We at AllSides have been monitoring media bias for over a decade. The American people have repeatedly rated Politico’s bias as Lean Left in reviews conducted by a balanced panel of Americans on the left, center, and right, and in Blind Bias Surveys. Likewise AP, which has been rated between Left and Lean left in numerous surveys and reviews over the past few years. During our reviews of these outlets, a multi-partisan panel trained to spot bias found numerous instances of bias, including slant, story choice bias, and word choice bias reflecting a lean left perspective. 

Ultimately, USAID accounted for just $44,000 of the $8.2 million paid to Politico — less than 1% — so initial social media posts claiming that USAID was the primary funder are incorrect. But news funding sources should be transparent — AllSides began adding Funding and Ownership information to our bias ratings pages in 2021, responding to overwhelming user demand. At the same time, we’ve been very clear that we don’t rate bias based on a publication’s funding or ownership — we rate the bias of content only. Otherwise, AllSides would easily insert its own subjective opinions about motivations and intent, making our own ratings less reliable. With our approach, we can more credibly answer the question: What political perspective does this content reflect, and how would Americans across the political spectrum rate it?

While the question of whether any media outlet should receive public money is open for debate — and something the left and right tend to disagree on — media outlets that do receive public funds ought to make efforts to be balanced. 

AllSides offers Media Bias Audits that are currently employed by over 40 newsrooms nationwide to help outlets measure their bias, including Newsweek. We helped newsrooms previously perceived as Lean Left achieve a Center bias rating in under two years. We also award Balance Certification to outlets that are doing a good job of balance and nonpartisanship, such as startup Straight Arrow News.

News outlets should also be transparent about their funding. Whether media bias is due to money or personal bias, the motivations of news sources can be hard to uncover, but our analysis reveals to readers any bias or political leanings in news content — whether intentional or not, hidden or not, driven by financial ties or not.

A Mission-Driven, Public Benefit Company

And what about the issue of media independence? Is a media organization truly independent if it receives funds from the government? Is AllSides truly independent?

Government officials, analysts, and legislators need access to news and information in order to make the best decisions they can. That’s why the media outlets they rely upon need to take pains to remain truly independent — something AllSides has established a model for.

With a multi-partisan team — both our founding team and our editorial staff span the left, center, and right — and our business structure as a C Corp, AllSides is uniquely designed to avoid some of the pitfalls of partisan journalism. 

AllSides is a for-profit company, but unlike traditional media organizations, we are a Public Benefit Corporation. This means we don’t just focus on profit—we are legally committed to our mission of reducing polarization and empowering people to think for themselves. If a billionaire or government entity wanted to buy us out, we can legally say no if it would compromise that mission.

AllSides would accept government money only under the same transparent terms as any other subscriber or client. We would not accept special government contracts or funding that could influence our editorial integrity. Transparency and balance are at the core of how we operate.

Independent Ownership and a Business Model that Rewards Integrity, Not Clickbait

Many media outlets rely heavily on ad revenue, which incentivizes audience retention through sensationalism, outrage, and polarization. While ad revenue makes up about 10% of our revenue, we mainly generate revenue through:

• Sustaining Memberships – Readers support us directly and gain access to additional features and technologies.
• Professional Services – We help media organizations analyze and balance their content. We help businesses and nonprofits engage in conversations that strengthen understanding. 
• Schools – Educational institutions pay for ad-free access to allsides.com, and premium tools and resources for teaching news literacy.

AllSides is also owned by over 500 investors, including our WeFunder community, employees, and the three co-founders. John Gable (Lean Right), Joan Blades (Left), and Scott McDonald (Center) own over two-thirds of the company, and come from diverse political backgrounds. This structure ensures that no single viewpoint or funder can control our editorial direction.

As the media landscape becomes increasingly polarized and influenced by external forces, AllSides remains committed to its mission: helping people escape filter bubbles, see multiple perspectives, and think for themselves.

Our multipartisan co-founding team, leadership, staff, and remarkably balanced audience ensures that we stay true to our mission.

Watch this video from our CEO and co-founder, John Gable, for more about how AllSides addresses the issues of bias and independence. 

John Gable is CEO and Co-founder of AllSides. He has a Lean Right bias.

This blog was reviewed and edited by Julie Mastrine, Director of Marketing and Media Bias Ratings (Lean Right)