Is the times left oriented
Executive summary
The short answer is: it depends which “Times” is meant. The Times of London is widely characterized as centre‑right or conservative by multiple profiles [1] [2] [3], whereas The New York Times is routinely rated left‑leaning or slightly left by several media‑bias trackers and analysts [4] [5] [6], though that assessment is disputed by commentators who say such labels oversimplify the paper’s editorial choices [7]. Time Magazine (the weekly) is separately assessed as left‑center by fact‑checking sites and bias auditors [8] [9].
1. Which “Times” are we talking about — the key ambiguity
“Is the Times left oriented?” is an ambiguous query because multiple major publications use the name “Times”: The Times (London), The New York Times, and Time magazine are distinct entities with different ownerships and editorial histories, and each is judged differently by bias auditors and commentators [2] [6] [8].
2. The Times (London): centre‑right historical and contemporary placement
Profiles of The Times of London consistently place it on the centre‑right or conservative side of the British press spectrum; Media Bias/Fact Check rates The Times and The Sunday Times as right‑center and notes story selection and editorial positions that favor the right [1], Wikipedia summarizes its political position as centre‑right and documents its history of shifting alignments while noting a contemporary conservative outlook [2], and Europe‑focused summaries describe it as generally conservative and Eurosceptic with a history of switching allegiances [3].
3. The New York Times: generally rated left or left‑center but contested
Major bias‑rating projects give The New York Times a leftward tilt: Ad Fontes classifies the NYT as skewing left while finding it reliable in analysis/fact reporting [4], library and media‑chart guides often rate it as slightly left‑leaning [5], and Media Bias/Fact Check lists it in the left‑center category [6]. Those empirical ratings are countered by critics who argue that labeling the NYT as simply “liberal” or “left” ignores nuance in agenda setting, editorial heterodoxy, and specific cases where the paper takes oppositional or conservative stances [7].
4. Time magazine and other “Time” — separate assessments
Time magazine (the weekly) has its own bias profile distinct from the others: Media Bias/Fact Check finds Time to favor left‑leaning causes and places it at left‑center in story selection while grading its factual reporting as high [8], and AllSides’ meter puts Time modestly left on its scale [9]. Conflating Time magazine with The Times (London) or The New York Times produces misleading conclusions because each outlet’s editorial choices and audience expectations differ [8] [9] [2].
5. Why ratings differ and what those ratings mean for readers
Bias meters and academic studies use different methods—story selection, language, political position comparisons, and agenda‑setting analysis—so outlets can score differently depending on what’s measured [4] [10]; some services express low confidence for particular ratings (AllSides’ low confidence on The Times) while others signal stronger confidence or placement [11] [4]. Commentators warn that automated or summary bias labels can obscure internal diversity of columnists and editorial pages, so the practical conclusion for readers is that “The Times” is not monolithic: The Times (London) trends centre‑right in independent profiles [1] [2], The New York Times is commonly assessed as left or slightly left by several charts and audits though voices dispute that framing [4] [6] [7], and Time magazine is judged left‑center [8] [9].