Forbes

AllSides Media Bias Rating™: Center
16765/11678
The bias meter value for Forbes is -0.50. -6 is the furthest "Left" value and 6 is the furthest "Right" value.
-0.50
Center What does this mean?

How we determined this rating:

  • Independent Review
  • Editorial Review: Jul 2022
  • Community Feedback:   ratings
  • Blind Survey: May 2022
  • 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
Forbes
Bias Rating Center
Type News Media
Region National
Owner Forbes Media LLC
Established 1917
Website forbes.com
Twitter @forbes
Facebook forbes
Wikipedia Forbes
What a Center Bias Rating Means

The source either does not show much media bias, displays a balance of articles with left and right biases, or equally balances left and right perspectives in its reporting.

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
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About Forbes's Bias Rating

Forbes is featured on the AllSides Media Bias Chart™.

Forbes is a news media source with an AllSides Media Bias Rating™ of Center.

Note: This rating is for online content on Forbes.com only. AllSides does not rate the bias of print content.

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

Bias Reviews

We use multiple methods to analyze sources. Learn how we rate media bias.

Forbes Rated Center in July 2022 Editorial Review

Forbes was rated Center in a July 2022 Editorial Review by an AllSides expert panel of reviewers on the left, center, and right. After Forbes had recently been rated clearly Lean Left in a Blind Bias Survey, the AllSides team employed an Editorial Review, which allows a smaller group to view a much larger amount of content than a Blind Bias Survey does. The panel was unanimous in issuing a Center rating.

Forbes had a balanced story choice. The team 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.

Some analysis stories were not clearly labeled as analysis, and there was sometimes word choice bias.

Articles showcasing a Lean Right or Center perspective or story choice included:

Other articles were more Lean Left, either in story choice or via other bias indicators:

Forbes Rated Lean Left in May 2022 Blind Bias Survey

Forbes was rated Lean Left in a May 2022 AllSides Blind Bias Survey.

On average, respondents who self-report 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.

A total of 839 people from across the political spectrum rated the bias of Forbes. The weighted average was -2.78, which is in the Lean Left category, and close to Left. The middle 50% of responses lied between -5.20 (Left) and -1.40.

During a Blind Bias Survey, people from all sides of the political spectrum and a diverse array of ages and geographic locations rate the bias of content from a media outlet blindly, meaning all identifying branding information is removed. Sign up for a Blind Bias Survey here.

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Community Feedback

Feedback does not determine ratings, but may trigger deeper review.

As of March 2024, people have voted on the AllSides Media Bias Rating for Forbes. On average, those who disagree with our rating think this source has a Center bias.

Confidence Level

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

As of March 2024, AllSides has low or initial confidence in our Center rating for Forbes. If we perform more bias reviews and gather consistent data, this confidence level will increase.

Additional Information

Forbes is an American business magazine. Published eight times a year, it features original articles on topics such as finance, industry, investing, marketing, technology, communications, science, and law. As of 2020, its tagline is "Change The World."

On its Who We Are webpage, (retrieved June 29, 2022), Forbes writes that it is "driving systemic change in business, culture and society." It continues:

Forbes’ key values are purpose, integrity, innovation, respect and being bold. Our employees, just like the global audiences we serve, know that Forbes is the global champion of free-market enterprise and entrepreneurial capitalism.

Under its "Mission" section, Forbes writes that it is focused on "diverersity," "sustainability," and "giving back." Under its "diversity" mission, Forbes writes:

Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a critical focus for Forbes and the entire leadership team. We understand the value and importance of building more diverse teams, while also ensuring we’re creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace together.

Forbes notes that it has developed "a strategic partnership with the Journalism Diversity Fund to create a robust source for diverse editorial interns and entry-level reporters for our UK office," and that it has "continuing partnerships with organizations including the National Association of Black Journalists, Asian American Journalist Association, The Association of LGBTQ Journalists,  National Association for Hispanic Journalists and New York Women in Communications."

Forbes says its commitment to diversity also includes "convening communities and leading conversations through live events like the 30/50 Summit to mark International Women’s Day (held internationally in Abu Dhabi), Equal Pay & Equity In Action event, Power Women’s Summit, A Toast to Equity: Reviewing Our Progress and Recommitting to a Fairer Future event, and #CultureTalks." It also notes it has created "a business resource group, Forbes+, to support the LGBTQIA+ employee base. Both of our BRGs, Forbes+ and ForbesBLK are key resources for creating belonging, supporting inclusivity, as well as offering our employees a safe community to amplify their voices, while providing education and programming to Forbes."

 

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Forbes Ownership and Funding

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

Owner: Forbes Media LLC

In 2014, Forbes Media sold a majority stake to Hong Kong-based Integrated Whale Media Investments. The Forbes family still owns an undisclosed stake. Steve Forbes serves as the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media. Mike Federle is the current CEO.

Articles from Forbes

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