Bias •
July 11th, 2022
Forbes Rated Lean Left in AllSides Blind Bias Survey; AllSides Keeps Center Rating
Forbes’s AllSides Media Bias Rating™ was rated as Lean Left in our May 2022 AllSides Blind Bias Survey. Following an Editorial Review, which allows an AllSides panel to review a larger swath of content, AllSides decided to keep Forbes’s rating as Center.
On average, respondents to the Blind Bias Survey who self-reported being Right rated Forbes as Left. Respondents in all other bias categories – Left, Lean Left, Center, and Right – rated Forbes as Lean Left, on average.
Republicans rated Forbes as Left, on average, while Democrats and Independents rated it as Lean Left.
On a scale of -9 to +9 with 0 representing Center, respondents on average rated Forbes as -2.78, which is solidly in the Lean Left category.
Forbes Rated Center in Editorial Review
The Blind Survey results, which differed from our rating of Center for Forbes, triggered a full Editorial Review by an AllSides expert panel of people on the left, center, and right. Editorial Reviews allow the panel to assess much more content from a media outlet than a Blind Bias Survey does. The panel decided Center is still the best rating for Forbes.
The panel noted that Forbes had a balanced story choice, and determined that Forbes content is generally Lean Left on social issues, such as abortion and LGBTQ issues, and takes a more center-right, libertarian perspective on economic issues. While some articles had a slight Lean Left bent, other content had clear Lean Right indicators, leading to an overall Center rating for Forbes.
Breaking Down Forbes Blind Bias Survey Results
A total of 839 respondents from across the political spectrum – people who identified as Left, Lean Left, Center, Lean Right, or Right – rated the media bias of Forbes.
RELATED: Sign up to participate in the next Blind Bias Survey.
When normalized, 75% of respondents rated Forbes as left of center (37% Left, 38% Lean Left), 11% rated it as in the exact center, and 15% rated it as right of center (5% Right, 9% Lean Right).
This was the first time AllSides conducted a Blind Bias Survey for Forbes.
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