Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
Reality has a liberal bias
Executive summary
Claims that “reality has a liberal bias” map onto a long-running debate about whether news media tilt left. Empirical work finds many journalists identify as liberal yet detects little or no systematic liberal bias in which stories get covered (Sci. Adv.; PMC) [1] [2]. Other outlets and watchdogs continue to rate mainstream outlets as left-leaning and commentators assert growing liberal slants driven by staffing, audience, or market forces (Dallas News; Media Bias/Fact Check; Ground News) [3] [4] [5].
1. There’s a distinction between journalists’ views and measured coverage
Multiple studies document that political journalists skew liberal in surveys and social networks, but careful experiments and content analyses reported in Science Advances and the PubMed Central copy conclude that journalists’ ideology does not translate into systematic bias in the stories political journalists choose to cover; the authors state “there is no liberal media bias in which news stories political journalists choose to cover” [1] [2].
2. Perception of liberal bias remains widespread
Public perceptions strongly diverge from those academic findings: a 2017 Gallup figure cited in the PMC report found 64% of Americans believed media favored Democrats, and commentators and partisan outlets continue to assert a liberal slant in mainstream coverage [2]. Opinion pieces — for example a Dallas News commentary — argue conservatives correctly perceive liberal tilt in today’s outlets and point to newsroom demographics, hiring patterns, and generational differences as drivers [3].
3. Methodology matters: what “bias” means changes conclusions
Scholars note bias can be measured in multiple ways: story selection, framing language, who gets airtime, placement, omission, and editorial/opinion pages. The Science Advances study specifically assessed story choice and found no liberal skew in selection [1]. Other approaches — rating outlets by tone, word choice, or audience reaction — can produce different results and underpin the ratings on platforms such as Ground News and Media Bias/Fact Check that label many outlets as having slight-to-moderate liberal bias [5] [4].
4. Media ecosystem fragmentation and audience sorting amplify impressions
Research and commentary emphasize that audience self-selection — people choosing outlets that match their views — and increasingly fragmented media markets make perceived bias more salient. The University of Michigan guide and Harvard Political Review note that people’s trust in outlets tracks their partisan identity, and the hostile-media effect causes partisans to see balanced coverage as biased against them [6] [7].
5. Partisan watchdogs and advocacy sites push competing narratives
Conservative groups like NewsBusters and the Media Research Center compile examples they say show liberal coverage and push a corrective narrative; meanwhile, pro- or neutral watchdogs and academic teams highlight null findings on systematic coverage bias [8] [9]. These actors have explicit agendas—NewsBusters seeks to “expose and combat liberal media bias,” while academic teams aim to measure and contextualize bias scientifically [8] [9].
6. Mixed evidence on specific outlets and formats
Some studies and rating services find center-left slants among many mainstream outlets, while others report surprising results—UCLA work cited in one summary found public radio and television could be conservative relative to other mainstream media [10]. Differences across outlets, beats, and formats (news reporting vs. opinion) mean blanket statements like “reality has a liberal bias” collapse important nuance [10] [11].
7. What the major empirical claim does and doesn’t say
The headline finding from the Science Advances team is narrow: political journalists’ liberalism does not appear to bias which political stories they choose to cover [1]. Available sources do not claim that every metric of bias (tone, framing, source selection, editorial pages) was exhaustively settled by that study; other forms of bias or selective emphasis remain debated in the literature and among rating services [1] [5].
8. Practical takeaways for readers evaluating the claim
If you encounter the assertion “reality has a liberal bias,” separate competing meanings: (a) journalists’ personal politics (documented liberal tilt), (b) measurable coverage choices (Science Advances finds no systematic liberal bias in story selection), and (c) outlet tone or perceived slant (rated as left-leaning by some services and perceived as biased by many citizens) [1] [2] [5]. Decide which meaning matters for your question and favor methods-based evidence over anecdote.
Limitations: this summary relies on the provided sources and does not attempt to adjudicate every metric of bias; available sources do not mention a single, definitive measure that resolves all forms of alleged liberal or conservative media bias [1] [5].