Christian Science Monitor

About Christian Science Monitor's Bias Rating

Christian Science Monitor is featured on the AllSides Media Bias Chart™.

Christian Science Monitor is a news media source with an AllSides Media Bias Rating™ of Center.

What a "Center" Rating Means

Sources with an AllSides Media Bias Rating of Center either do not show much predictable media bias, display a balance of articles with left and right biases, or equally balance left and right perspectives.

Center doesn't mean better! A Center media bias rating does not necessarily mean a source is totally unbiased, neutral, perfectly reasonable, or credible, just as Left and Right don't necessarily mean extreme, wrong, unreasonable, or not credible. AllSides encourages people to read outlets across the political spectrum.

Christian Science Monitor Rated Center in Aug. 2022 Small Group Editorial Review

An AllSides March 2023 Editorial Review returned a bias rating of Center for Christian Science Monitor. Each reviewer on the multipartisan panel gave a rating of Center for Christian Science Monitor overall, citing balanced writing, though with a slight Lean Left story choice. 

AllSides panelists noted that coverage was largely balanced and nonpartisan. A reviewer from the center said, “There is not always an equal number of sources from each side of an argument on political issues, but differing views appear to be highlighted in good faith, even on highly contentious issues.” For example, the article, Biden signs a historic climate bill. So what will it actually do?, included opinions and criticism from the other side, did not bury alternative viewpoints, and was noted as center by reviewers on the right and left. Another article, Mar-a-Lago warrant unsealed. What we know and what’s next, was perceived as balanced, including a neutral description of events that gave each side equal coverage. Coverage of abortion was also seen to be balanced with viewpoints from each side. A reviewer from the left said, “I think they do a pretty good job of balancing their news, and seems to highlight stories of bipartisanship, common ground, and bridging divides.”

All panelists agreed that Christian Science Monitor’s story choice more often appealed to left-leaning concerns. Examples of this include: 

• Midterm matchup: When it comes to fundraising, so far Democrats lead
• Trump pleads the Fifth as probe into his business intensifies
• Can abortion be a question of religious liberty? These faiths say yes.
• Are social media checks an answer to gun violence? NY says yes.
• Roe v. Wade: U.S. Supreme Court ends constitutional right to abortion
• 'An uphill battle': states slow to observe Juneteenth
• ‘Incremental progress’: Biden signs executive order on policing
• Lawmakers target LGBTQ issues in school, this time in Hungary
• Why Nayyab Ali puts her life on the line to protect trans Pakistanis

Even though left-leaning story choice outweighed stories of interest to the right, panelists were in agreement that there were almost no instances of slant, sensationalism, or viewpoint omission in Christian Science Monitor’s content. 

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As of December 2023, people have voted on the AllSides Media Bias Rating for Christian Science Monitor. On average, those who disagree with our rating think this source has a Lean Right bias.

As of May 2016, The Christian Science Monitor’s AllSides media bias rating remained the same, despite a small majority of nearly 2,500 community members disagreeing with our Center rating. Seventy of those who disagreed produced an average bias score of 62 in a follow-up survey, which barely falls in the range of a Lean Left media bias, not enough to change its rating from Center.

In December of 2013, the AllSides community overwhelmingly agreed that the Christian Science Monitor has a Center media bias rating by more than a 3 to 1 ratio.

As of December 2023, AllSides has high confidence in our Center rating for Christian Science Monitor. Two or more bias reviews have affirmed this rating or the source is transparent about bias.

Additional Information

The Christian Science Monitor is an independent international news organization. Its stated aim is to "help you to see news events as starting points for constructive conversations. We seek to cut through the froth of the political spin cycle to underlying truths and values. We want to be so focused on progress that together we can provide a credible and constructive counter-narrative to the hopelessness-, anger-, and fear-inducing brand of discourse that is so pervasive in the news."

"We are not about promoting any specific set of policies, actions or ideologies," The Christian Science Monitor writes on its About page. "The founder of the Monitor was convinced that what reaches and affects thought ultimately shapes experiences and moves our world forward. News, therefore, should be thought-provoking, trustworthy, and engaging. We seek to give our readers the information and multiple perspectives they need in order to develop their own constructive conclusions."

Currently, the Christian Science Monitor offers coverage via its website, a weekly magazine, daily news briefings and email newsletters. Despite its name, it does not claim to be religious-themed or to promote the doctrine of its patron church, though it does include a daily religious feature on “The Home Forum” page.

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Owner: The First Church of Christ, Scientist

The Monitor is owned by a church – The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Mass. Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the church, also founded the Christian Science Monitor in 1908. The newspaper’s inception was, in part, Eddy's response to sensationalist media practices at the time. Baker Eddy said the object of the publication was "To injure no man, but to bless all mankind."

The Christian Science Monitor describes themselves as an “independent international news organization”. The Christian Science Monitor is owned by the Christian Science Publishing Society. The Christian Science Publishing is run by a board of trustees.

Financing and ownership information last updated February 22, 2021. If you think this information is out of date or needs to be updated, please contact us.