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Which major US TV networks are generally seen as left-leaning or right-leaning?
Executive summary
Major U.S. broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) are generally viewed as more centrist or left-leaning in audience trust and usage patterns, while cable networks show clearer partisan slants — Fox News to the right and CNN/MSNBC to the left — based on multiple studies and audience surveys [1] [2] [3]. Media-rating projects such as AllSides, Ad Fontes and university research map outlets across a left–center–right spectrum, but methods and results vary and debate continues about what “bias” precisely means [4] [5] [6].
1. Big three broadcast networks: “mainstream” and often viewed as center-left by audiences
ABC, CBS and NBC — the traditional nightly-news broadcasters — tend to register as broadly mainstream and are more trusted and used by Democrats and independents who lean Democratic than by Republicans, according to Pew’s 2025 survey, which shows roughly a quarter of Americans turn to those networks but that larger shares of Republicans distrust them [1]. Library guides and bias charts commonly list those networks nearer the center or center-left compared with partisan cable outlets, although exact placements differ by rating service [7] [4].
2. Fox News: the clearest right-leaning cable brand in the evidence
Multiple studies and public-opinion measures identify Fox News as a right-leaning force in U.S. media. Pew’s 2025 reporting finds Fox dominates Republican audiences and is trusted by a majority of Republicans; academic analyses have linked Fox viewership to measurable shifts toward Republican voting in local markets [1] [8]. Scholarly network-analysis work and cable-news content studies characterize Fox as part of a more conservative media “ecosystem” and show Fox moving further right over the last decade [8] [2].
3. CNN and MSNBC: generally placed to the left of the major broadcast networks, especially in cable primetime
Research that quantified cable-news content over time finds CNN and MSNBC drifting leftward relative to the past and becoming more distinct from Fox, particularly in primetime programming; the same research documents growing polarization among the three major cable channels [2] [3]. Audience data show Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are more likely to both use and trust CNN and MSNBC than Republicans [1].
4. Methodology matters: ratings differ across AllSides, Ad Fontes and academic studies
Neutral placement is elusive because organizations use different methods: AllSides emphasizes crowd-sourced and panel-based ratings (patented methodology), Ad Fontes employs analyst-driven evaluations and a visual “Media Bias Chart,” and academic teams use content-analysis and guest-ideology scoring to quantify lean [4] [5] [2]. University librarians and guides synthesize those charts but note differing outcomes — so a network’s placement depends on whether you measure audience trust, topics covered, language used, or ideological lean of guests [7] [3].
5. Cable vs. broadcast: fragmentation increased partisan exposure
Scholarly work measuring nearly a decade of TV news indicates cable news has become more polarized and audience segregation means viewers encounter divergent topic choices and language across networks; broadcast network news historically served a more common set of topics but the gap between broadcast and cable has grown [3]. The practical effect: people on different sides of the political spectrum often operate with different “news diets,” reinforcing partisan interpretations [2].
6. What viewers mean by “bias” — and why people disagree
Different parties and critics interpret bias through distinct lenses. Conservatives and media-watch groups such as NewsBusters argue legacy networks and some broadcast outlets have liberal slants, while some research and watchdogs highlight a right-leaning, self-segregating conservative media ecosystem centered on Fox [9] [8]. The Atlantic and Reuters pieces referenced in the provided results show political actors also contest network behavior and regulatory scrutiny, demonstrating bias charges are frequently political as much as analytical [10] [11].
7. Takeaway and how to read the maps yourself
If you want quick orientation: most mainstream lists and surveys put ABC/CBS/NBC near center or center-left, Fox on the right, and CNN/MSNBC to the left — but check the methodology behind any chart or study before treating placements as definitive [7] [4] [5]. For empirical depth, read the Pew audience-trust numbers and the academic content analyses to see whether you prioritize audience composition, topic selection, or linguistic/guest-ideology measures [1] [3] [2].
Limitations: available sources do not provide a single authoritative ranking agreed by all experts; different methodologies produce different placements, and partisan actors dispute findings in public debate (noted in the cited materials) [4] [2] [10].