The Columbus Dispatch

About The Columbus Dispatch's Bias Rating

The Columbus Dispatch is a news media source with an AllSides Media Bias Rating™ of Center.

The Columbus Dispatch is a daily newspaper based in Columbus, Ohio. Its first issue was published on July 1, 1871, and it has been the only mainstream daily newspaper in the city since The Columbus Citizen-Journal ceased publication in 1985. (Wikipedia)

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.

October 2023 Independent Review Confirms Center Rating

An independent AllSides reviewer came to the conclusion that a Center bias rating most accurately reflected the Columbus Dispatch's coverage. While the paper's editorial board displayed support for an abortion rights ballot measure, that and other perspectives in news and opinion content appeared to be balanced with contrasting perspectives. Politics coverage in October 2023 tended to focus on hot-button ballot measures on marijuana legalization and abortion. Owned by Gannett, the paper sometimes featured content from USA Today.

Ohio faced a major abortion ballot measure in 2023, and the Columbus Dispatch's editorial board wrote an opinion titled, "Issue 1 opponents want Ohio to have the most extreme abortion ban in US. Don't let them." The reviewer noted several instances of word choices that aligned with language used by abortion rights advocates, like "reproductive freedom" and "anti-abortion," and the opinion labeled a Republican-backed effort to block the ballot measure by raising the voting threshold "sinister." However, it also noted poll data suggesting majorities of Ohioans supported the ballot measure and opposed a previous abortion ban. The same day, the paper published a guest op-ed by a Republican calling for "government restrictions" on abortion and labeling the abortion ballot measure "a radical proposal that is wrong for Ohio."

In "Labor dispute lands at Columbus airport ahead of $2 billion terminal project," perspectives and quotes were balanced between labor leaders, contractor leaders, and the airport authority. 

The Columbus Dispatch Rated on Border of Lean Left, Center in Dec. 2021 Blind Bias Survey

A December 2021 Blind Bias Survey found The Columbus Dispatch was rated on the border of Lean Left and Center.

A total of 1,216 people from across the political spectrum rated the bias of Columbus Dispatch. The raw average of the ratings from the different bias segments was 2.41 on a scale 0 - 6 from left to right. That average is between Lean Left and Center – Lean Left on a Bell Curve range, and barely Center on a Flat Curve range.

A plurality of all respondents rated Columbus Dispatch as Lean Left. A plurality of respondents who identify as Left, Lean Left, Lean Right, and Right rated the outlet as Lean Left, and a plurality of Center respondents rated the outlet as Center. When normalized, the most common rating was Lean Left (31%), followed by Center (24%) and Left (21%).

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As of December 2023, people have voted on the AllSides Media Bias Rating for The Columbus Dispatch. On average, those who disagree with our rating think this source has a Lean Left bias.

As of December 2023, AllSides has low or initial confidence in our Center rating for The Columbus Dispatch. If we perform more bias reviews and gather consistent data, this confidence level will increase.

Owner: Gannett