What does a “Left” media bias rating mean?

Sources with a Left AllSides Media Bias Rating™ display bias in ways that strongly align with liberal, progressive, or left-wing thought and/or policy agendas. Some of these sources may be considered "left-wing news."

A Left media bias rating from AllSides doesn't necessarily mean the source is extreme, wrong, not credible, or unreasonable, just as a Center rating doesn't necessarily mean the source is the most fair, credible, or reasonable. We encourage people to read outlets across the political spectrum to get multiple perspectives.

Outlets with a Left AllSides Media Bias Rating™ fall between and -6.00 to -3.00 on the AllSides Media Bias Meter™. 

The numerical rating categories are as follows:

Left: -6.00 to -3.00

Lean Left: -2.99 to -1.00

Center: -0.99 to +0.99

Lean Right: +1.00 to +2.99

Right: +3.00 to +6.00

Sources with a Left media bias rating are most likely to show favor for:

• Generous government services (food stamps, social security, Medicare, student-loans, unemployment benefits, healthcare, education, etc.)
• A rejection of social and economic inequality
• A belief in systemic oppression and a need for the government to step in and rectify the wrongs it has committed
• Federal laws to protect consumers and the environment
• Federal laws against discrimination
• Federal laws protecting equal rights
• Tax increases on the wealthy
• Government regulation of corporations
• Keeping abortion legal and accessible
• A belief that some groups of people suffer disproportionately greater amounts in society due to identity characteristics, including race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion
• Decreasing military spending and intervention
• A belief in individualism and the protection of personal freedoms
• A belief in generous immigration policies
• A belief that the role of government is not just to protect rights, but to provide for its people and end suffering
• A belief that government should prevent wealth from concentrating in the hands of a few
• A belief that all humans have a right to healthcare, housing, clean water, a living wage
• A belief that all people deserve help when they have fallen on hard times
• An embrace of empathy, compassion, and tolerance as guiding values
• A belief in the importance of multiculturalism and representation of diverse cultures and races in media, positions of political power, and corporations
• Concerns about hate speech
• A belief in “live and let live,” i.e, that the government should not intervene just because someone is acting in ways someone else does not approve of, provided they have harmed no one else
• A belief that corporations, if left unregulated, may do harm to workers, society and the environment in the pursuit of profit

Learn more about media bias

What does a “Lean Left” media bias rating mean?

Sources with a Lean Left AllSides Media Bias Rating™ display bias in ways that moderately align with liberal, progressive, or left-wing thought and/or policy agendas. A Lean Left bias is a moderately liberal rating on the political spectrum.

Outlets with a Lean Left AllSides Media Bias Rating™ fall between and  -2.99 to -1.00 on the AllSides Media Bias Meter™.

The numerical rating categories are as follows:

Left: -6.00 to -3.00

Lean Left: -2.99 to -1.00

Center: -0.99 to +0.99

Lean Right: +1.00 to +2.99

Right: +3.00 to +6.00

Sources with a Lean Left rating may moderately show favor for at least some of the following:

• Government services (food stamps, social security, Medicare, student-loans, unemployment benefits, healthcare, education, etc.)
• Federal laws to protect consumers and the environment
• Federal laws protecting equal rights
• Tax increases on the wealthy
• Government regulation of corporations
• Keeping abortion legal and accessible
• A belief in identity politics, i.e., that some groups of people suffer disproportionately greater amounts in society due to identity characteristics, including race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion
• A belief in systemic oppression and a need for the government to step in and rectify the wrongs it has committed
• Decreasing military spending and intervention
• A belief that the role of government is to provide for its people, to end suffering and contribute to human prosperity
• A belief that government should prevent wealth from concentrating in the hands of a few
• A belief that all humans have a right to healthcare, housing, clean water, a living wage
• A belief that all people deserve help from the state when they have fallen on hard times
• An embrace of empathy, compassion, and tolerance as guiding values
• A belief in the importance of multiculturalism and representation of diverse cultures and races in media, positions of political power, and corporations
• A rejection of social and economic inequality
• Bans on hate speech, i.e., a belief that words can be violent
• A belief in “live and let live,” i.e, that the government should not intervene just because someone is acting in ways someone else does not approve of, provided they have harmed no one else
• A belief that corporations, if left unregulated, may do harm to workers, society and the environment in the pursuit of profit

Learn more about media bias