MSNBC

About MSNBC's Bias Rating

MSNBC is featured on the AllSides Media Bias Chart™.

MSNBC is a news media source with an AllSides Media Bias Rating™ of Left.

What a "Left" Rating Means

Sources with an AllSides Media Bias Rating of Left display media bias in ways that strongly align with liberal, progressive, or left-wing thought and/or policy agendas. This is our most liberal rating on the political spectrum.

Details

Important Note: This page offers a media bias rating for online content on MSNBC.com only. AllSides does not rate the bias of broadcast TV or radio content.

Table of Contents

• MSNBC Rated Left in Aug. 2023 Blind Bias Survey
• MSNBC Spread False Story About a Capitol Officer's Death
• MSNBC's Self-Proclaimed Progressive Bias
• Pew Research Studies on MSNBC
• Third Party Claims of Bias
• About MSNBC
• Funding, Financing and Ownership

MSNBC Rated Left in Aug. 2023 Blind Bias Survey

MSNBC was rated Left (-5.67) on average in the Aug. 2023 Blind Bias Survey, which had 1,181 participants. This confirmed AllSides' current rating for the source.

MSNBC was rated Left on average across all bias groups - Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, as well as among those who rate their own bias as Left, Lean Left, Center, Lean Right, or Right.

MSNBC Spread False Story About a Capitol Officer's Death

In 2021, MSNBC repeated the false story that Capitol police officer Brian D. Sicknick was beaten to death with fire extinguisher by Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. The story spread rapidly through the press after initially being reported by The New York Times. Some accused the outlet of spreading disinformation. AllSides details the charges of disinformation here.

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MSNBC's Self-Proclaimed Progressive Bias

Beginning in the mid-2000s, MSNBC's opinion programming increasingly reflected its concept of political progressivism. In October 2010, it publicly acknowledged this with a marketing campaign it called "Lean Forward." Further, in September 2013, MSNBC launched its revamped official website under the tagline, "What Progressives Have Been Waiting For." Their current tagline is: "This is who we are.

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Pew Research Center Studies on MSNBC

According to a 2014 Pew Research Center Study, "Where News Audiences Fit on the Political Spectrum," MSNBC's "overall audience composition skews to the left. Those to the left-of-center make up 49% of its audience."

A 2019 Pew Research Center study found that 95% of Americans who named MSNBC as their main political news source identified as Democrats.

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Third Party Claims of Bias

A 2007 New York Times article, "Cable Channel Nods to Ratings and Leans Left," explored the channel's left-leaning nighttime cable lineup. It is important to emphasize that AllSides' media bias ratings are based only on the online/web versions of media outlets. MSNBC's cable lineup is not considered in the AllSides media bias rating.

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About MSNBC

MSNBC (stylized as msnbc) is an American basic cable and satellite channel that provides news coverage and political opinion on current events. It is owned by the NBCUniversal News Group. 

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Funding, Financing and Ownership

Note: Funding and ownership is not taken into account when determining AllSides Media Bias Ratings. While it's true ownership and financial interests can affect what goes to print, our bias ratings are determined by assessing the bias of content only. We provide financial and ownership information as an FYI to our readers.

MSNBC is owned by NBCUniversal. Comcast owns NBC Universal. Brian L. Roberts is the chairman, president, and CEO of Comcast. Comcast is publicly traded.

Financing and ownership information last updated April 22, 2023. If you think this information is out of date or needs to be updated, please contact us.

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Top of Page

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

As of September 2023, AllSides has high confidence in our Left rating for MSNBC. Two or more bias reviews have affirmed this rating or the source is transparent about bias.

Owner: NBCUniversal