The Atlantic
The Atlantic's media bias rating is featured on the AllSides Media Bias Chart™.
The Atlantic has a Left bias.
The Atlantic Bias Rating Moved from Lean Left to Left in October 2022 Small Group Editorial Review
In October 2022 an AllSides Small Group Editorial Review of The Atlantic was conducted by reviewers from the left, right, and center. They rated the Atlantic Left. Across the panel, they noticed consistent sensationalism in word choice and slant. AllSides changed The Atlantic’s AllSides Media Bias Rating™ from Lean Left to Left following this review.
One reviewer noted that many of the headlines on the homepage were sensationalist (emphasis ours):
- The Climate Economy Is About to Explode
- Is This the End of ‘Socialism for the Rich'?
- Russia’s Nuclear Bluster Is a Sign of Panic
- Doug Mastriano’s Lunatic Appeal
- The United States of Confederate America
Reviewers on the left and center noticed several articles favored Democrats and criticized Republicans as “election-deniers”:
- The Next Presidential Election Is Happening Right Now in the States
- ‘Stop the Steal’ Is a Metaphor
- Bad Losers
The reviewer on the left pointed out that the story choice could be mixed at times – citing a story on boys and men, which is a topic more often covered by the right.
The story choice of The Atlantic overall demonstrated story choice bias by focusing on the climate, long COVID, policing, and Trump-era policies. Reviewers from the left and center saw significant slant in the Atlantic’s reporting on policing. The article says, “Sometimes cops lie. Sometimes they shoot a man in the back and leave him facedown on the ground but tell the public something else,” without presenting any opposing, favorable views of the police.
About The Atlantic
The Atlantic is an American magazine (founded as The Atlantic Monthly) in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it has held for more than 150 years. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets, and encouraging major careers. It published leading writers' commentary on abolition, education, and other major issues in contemporary political affairs.
Funding, Financing and Ownership
Note: Funding and ownership is not taken into account when determining AllSides Media Bias Ratings. While it's true ownership and financial interests can affect what goes to print, our bias ratings are determined by assessing the bias of content only. We provide financial and ownership information as an FYI to our readers.
In 1999, David G. Bradley became the owner of The Atlantic, Bradley owns other media outlets and journals under the umbrella of Atlantic Media. On July 28, 2017 the Emerson Collective, owned by Laurene Powell Jobs, acquired a majority stake of The Atlantic from David Bradley. David Bradley still owns a minority share of the Atlantic.
Financing and ownership information last updated February 22, 2021. If you think this information is out of date or needs to be updated, please contact us.
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Getty; The Atlantic
In a bid to keep the coronavirus out of the country, Australia’s federal and state governments imposed draconian restrictions on its citizens. Prime Minister Scott Morrison knows that the burden is too heavy. “This is not a sustainable way to live in this country,” he recently declared. One prominent civil libertarian summed up the rules by lamenting, “We’ve never seen anything like this in our lifetimes.”
Up to now one of Earth’s freest societies, Australia has become a hermit continent. How long can a country maintain emergency restrictions on its citizens’ lives while still calling itself a liberal democracy?
Australia has been testing the limits.
Before 2020, the idea of Australia all but forbidding its citizens from leaving the country, a restriction associated with Communist regimes, was unthinkable. Today, it is a widely accepted policy. “Australia’s borders are currently closed and international travel from Australia remains strictly controlled to help prevent the spread of COVID-19,” a government website declares. “International travel from Australia is only available if you are exempt or you have been granted an individual exemption.” The rule is enforced despite assurances on another government website, dedicated to setting forth Australia’s human-rights-treaty obligations, that the freedom to leave a country “cannot be made dependent on establishing a purpose or reason for leaving.”