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Has Factually.co been rated by media watchdogs like Media Bias/Fact Check or Ad Fontes Media?

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Checked on November 9, 2025
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Executive Summary

Factually.co is not shown to have an authoritative rating from major media‑watchdogs such as Media Bias/Fact Check or Ad Fontes Media; searches and the site’s own content reference those watchdogs but do not indicate that Factually.co itself has been evaluated by them. Independent checks turned up only a limited trust score from Scamadviser and multiple fact‑check pages noting the absence of a watchdog rating, so no verifiable MBFC or Ad Fontes rating exists in the available evidence [1] [2] [3].

1. What people are asking — “Has Factually.co been rated?”

The central claim under scrutiny is whether Factually.co has been formally rated by established media‑bias and fact‑checking watchdogs such as Media Bias/Fact Check (MBFC) or Ad Fontes Media. The available materials show Factually.co publishes fact‑checks and cites these watchdogs in coverage about other outlets, but this is not the same as being evaluated by them. Multiple analyses of Factually.co note that while the site references MBFC and Ad Fontes when discussing other organizations, there is no documentation that MBFC or Ad Fontes have themselves assigned a classification, bias score, or reliability grade to Factually.co [1] [4]. This distinction is central because citing a watchdog’s work in one’s articles does not equate to being the subject of that watchdog’s assessment [5].

2. What the watchdogs’ publicly available footprints show

Media Bias/Fact Check and Ad Fontes Media both maintain public lists and methodologies for rating outlets; however, searches and the fact‑check pages provided do not list Factually.co among rated organizations. The MBFC search and database results provided to the analysis contained no entry for Factually.co, and Ad Fontes’ materials likewise do not include Factually.co in its published charts or rated source lists as of the dates available [6] [7]. Factually.co’s own articles sometimes reference MBFC and Ad Fontes when assessing other media outlets, but the absence of a listing in MBFC’s searchable database and Ad Fontes’ published ratings supports the conclusion that neither watchdog has publicly rated Factually.co [5] [8].

3. Independent signals and third‑party trust metrics

Where formal watchdog ratings are absent, other tools can provide signals about an outlet’s online footprint. The available analysis found Factually.co registered with Scamadviser and given a trust score of 67, which the checker interprets as a medium‑to‑low risk flag rather than a comprehensive editorial reliability assessment [2]. This single trust metric does not substitute for a methodological editorial rating by MBFC or Ad Fontes, which evaluate bias and reliability through editorial sampling and standardized criteria. The presence of a Scamadviser score indicates there is some third‑party scrutiny of site trust and technical factors, but it does not establish the editorial credibility or fact‑checking robustness that MBFC or Ad Fontes ratings are designed to convey [2].

4. Why the absence of a rating matters — interpretation and caveats

The lack of an MBFC or Ad Fontes rating for Factually.co leaves a gap that matters differently to different audiences. Researchers and news consumers rely on watchdog ratings to summarize editorial tendencies using transparent methods; without such ratings, readers must evaluate Factually.co through direct sampling of its methodology, sourcing, and corrections policy, which the provided analyses indicate is not comprehensively documented in third‑party reviews [3]. The absence could reflect a choice by those watchdogs not to include every small or niche site, a recent emergence of the site, or insufficient third‑party attention; it does not by itself prove high reliability or unreliability. The documentation therefore supports a cautious stance: no watchdog endorsement exists, and independent evaluation remains necessary [1] [3].

5. Bottom line and what to watch next

As of the latest available analyses, there is no verifiable record that Media Bias/Fact Check or Ad Fontes Media have rated Factually.co; the site references those watchdogs when assessing other outlets, but it has not been the subject of their published ratings. A single technical trust score from Scamadviser offers limited insight and cannot replace a structured editorial assessment [1] [2]. Users seeking confirmation should periodically check MBFC’s searchable database and Ad Fontes’ published ratings for updates and review Factually.co’s own transparency about methodology, corrections, and sourcing. For accountability, a future MBFC or Ad Fontes listing would be the clearest resolution to this question [5] [7].

Want to dive deeper?
What is Factually.co and its purpose as a news source?
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What methodology does Ad Fontes Media use for bias ratings?
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Which other media watchdogs evaluate online news platforms like Factually.co?