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Des Moines Register

CenterCenter biasWhat does this mean?

How we determined this rating:

  • Independent Review
  • AllSides has low or initial confidence in this bias rating.

Unless otherwise noted, this bias rating refers only to online news coverage, not TV, print, or radio content.

Learn about our bias rating methods
Contents
  1. About Des Moines Register's Bias Rating
  2. What a "Center" Rating Means
  3. Details
  4. Confidence Level
  5. Ownership & Funding

About Des Moines Register's Bias Rating

Des Moines Register 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.

Learn more about Center ratings

Details

The Des Moines Register is a daily newspaper based in Des Moines, Iowa. Originally founded in 1848 as the Iowa Star, it's the largest newspaper in the state, with a circulation of 101,91. In 1985, the Register was purchased by the Gannett Company and in 2014 joined the publishing company's USA TODAY Network, which includes both national and local brands across the country. The paper's mission is "strongly local – we know [Iowans] care about what’s happening in your neighborhood, at your schools and at the statehouse." Like its national counterpart, USA TODAY, the Des Moines Register has a center bias. Its news articles do not reliably favor opinions on either side of the political aisle, and its editorial board often exhibits both conservative and liberal bias.The paper endorsed Mitt Romney for president in 2012, Republican Senator Marco Rubio for the GOP nomination in 2016, and Hillary Clinton for president the same year. Before it was sold to Gannett in 1985, it had won more Pulitzer Prizes for national reporting than any other newspaper except The New York Times. Sources: Wikipedia

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Confidence Level

Confidence is determined by how many reviews have been applied and consistency of data.

As of June 2026, AllSides has low or initial confidence in our Center rating for Des Moines Register. If we perform more bias reviews and gather consistent data, this confidence level will increase.

Des Moines Register Ownership and Funding

Funding and ownership do not influence bias ratings. We rate the bias of content only.

Owner: Gannett Company