Newsweek

AllSides Media Bias Rating™: Center
6681/12180
The bias meter value for Newsweek is -0.04. -6 is the furthest "Left" value and 6 is the furthest "Right" value.
-0.04
Center What does this mean?

How we determined this rating:

  • Independent Review
  • Editorial Review: May 2023, Dec 2020, Nov 2020
  • Community Feedback:   ratings
  • Blind Survey: Feb 2022
  • AllSides has high 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
Newsweek
Bias Rating Center
Type News Media
Region National
Owner IBT Media
Established 1933
Website newsweek.com
Twitter @Newsweek
Facebook Newsweek
Wikipedia Newsweek
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
Go to Newsweek
Possible Paywall
Some content from this source may be limited or behind a paywall.

About Newsweek's Bias Rating

Newsweek is featured on the AllSides Media Bias Chart™.

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

Newsweek's bias has shifted significantly in recent years, and was rated Left prior to 2020. 

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.

Newsweek Rating Confirmed as Center in May 2023 Editorial Review

An AllSides panel of reviewers on the left, center, and right returned a Center rating (-0.29) for Newsweek in a May 2023 Editorial Review, confirming AllSides' existing rating for the outlet.

Newsweek was reviewed following concerns from AllSides reviewers and readers that Newsweek was beginning to Lean Left. However, a review of Newsweek's content found a Center bias.

The panel noted that story choice was relatively balanced — some stories appealed to the left (such as articles about beauty inclusivityclimate change, many stories casting Donald Trump negatively, and criticism of Republican governors) while others appealed to the right (such as articles that cast the Biden family in a negative light and Bud Light backlash amid its transgender marketing campaign). All but one member of the panel agreed there were, however, more Lean Left than Lean Right news story choices.

Newsweek's Opinion section had a variety of views on the left and right, though slightly more on the right at the time of review. There was some discussion as to whether AllSides should rate Newsweek Opinion separately as Lean Right; further review is needed. Newsweek's "The Debate" section nicely balances opposing views; however, the team noted it is not updated weekly, but rather, a few times per month. Examples of both left and right perspectives on Newsweek's opinion pages at the time of review included:

Lean Right:

Lean Left:

Newsweek Rated Center in Feb. 2022 Blind Bias Survey

Respondents across the political spectrum rated Newsweek as Center on average (0.47) in a Feb. 2022 AllSides Blind Bias Survey. This confirmed AllSides' current rating for Newsweek.

Democrats perceived Newsweek as Lean Right while Republicans perceived Newsweek as Lean Left, on average. Independents viewed the outlet as Center.

On a scale of -9 to +9, with 0 representing Center, -9 representing farthest Left and +9 representing farthest Right, respondents on average rated Newsweek as 0.47, which is on the right side of center, but still in the Center category. The middle 50% of responses lied between -2.78 (Lean Left) and 4.13 (Right).

When normalized, 35% of respondents rated Newsweek as left of center and 50% rated Newsweek as right of center.

On average, people who self-reported as having a Left or Lean Left bias perceived Newsweek as Lean Right, people in the Center perceived Newsweek as Center, and people on the right (Lean Right, Right) perceived Newsweek as Center, though on the left side of center.

Newsweek Rated Center in 2020 Editorial Reviews

The AllSides team conducted two separate Editorial Reviews of Newsweek's online publication on Nov. 20, 2020 and on Dec. 17, 2020. Both times, the editorial team determined that Newsweek had a Center bias — a significant departure from our previous rating of Left. Newsweek did not predictably publish perspectives or articles favoring either end of the political spectrum — conservative or liberal. Its Opinion section was particularly balanced, featuring left- and right-wing views.

News section: Newsweek's news articles did not include many of the common types of media bias, such as spin, subjectivity, or sensationalism.

Newsweek published some articles we didn't typically see in left-wing media outlets, such as articles about apparent hypocrisy on the part of politicians around Covid-19 restrictions: "Rhode Island Governor Attends Wine and Paint Event After Urging People to Avoid Nonessential Activities", as well as headlines from people who are skeptical of government-mandated covid measures, such as, "Alleged Nurse Says She Doesn't Believe in Masks in MAGA Rally Viral Video." Our team member pointed out that Newsweek did not give credence to or dismiss the video and perspective, but rather, illustrated facts (the video) without taking a stance. Other articles, meanwhile, focused on the views of left-wing politicians, such as, "Sanders Says $900 Billion Stimulus Deal is Too Small, Should Be Doubled," and "Tax Hikes For Wealthy May Be Biden's Answer to Foot COVID Bill: Research". Meanwhile, a piece on the unknown effects of the covid vaccine on pregnancy was something not commonly seen in other outlets, left or right; another article reported on the Navy saying China is the number 1 threat to American maritime dominance; concerns over China's influence is an issue more often highlighted on the right.

We found Newsweek articles were generally balanced in terms of using full quotes, not partial snippets, and interviewing both sides, though this wasn't always the case. An article we reviewed titled “Democrats Win Court Battle Over Texas Drive-Thru Ballots” quoted the judge and Texas Democrat Party, but did not quote Texas Republicans, and did not indicate the journalist reached out for comment.

Still, some examples of the types of bias could be found. For example, the team noted some sensationalism in imagery, word choice and story choice — and a few articles were lurid in nature.

Newsweek appeared to stay away from common spin words and phrases used widely in media outlets in the aftermath of the 2020 election, such as “voter fraud claims made with no evidence” or “baseless claims.”

The AllSides team was in unanimous agreement that Newsweek's story choices reflected topics that would be of interest or importance to readers on both the left and the right.

Opinion section: We found much balance in Newsweek's Opinion section, which showcased distinct left-wing and right-wing views, often side-by-side. Newsweek stands out in its willingness to provide a balance of views. It's uncommon to see Center sources cover such a breadth of opinion on both sides. Opinion pieces were clearly labeled distinct from news pieces. We were particularly impressed by Newsweek's "The Debate" section, which shows two clearly opposing views on particular issues side by side.

Newsweek opinion pieces usually have a very clear left or right bias, and Newsweek published left and right-wing perspectives relatively equally.

For example, on Nov. 17, these opinion pieces could all be found on Newsweek's site. Both right-wing and progressive opinion pieces appeared (though they did not necessarily appear in this order):

Oregon Tougher on Thanksgiving Families than Antifa Terrorists Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan is Idiotic and Immoral Kamala Harris' Senate Seat Should Go to Barbara Lee COVID Denial Sunk Trump, But Smarter Right-Wing Populists are Thriving Women of Color Should Be the Ones Remaking U.S. Foreign Policy Justice Alito is Right: Freedom of Speech and Religion Face Real Threat

Newsweek Rated Left in May 2020 Independent Review

AllSides previously rated Newsweek as having a Left bias. AllSides shifted Newsweek's bias from Lean Left to Left following a May 2020 independent review by an AllSides editor.

Newsweek's content heavily employed slant, a type of media bias in which the publication's writers tell only the side of the story or choose to highlight only information or story topics that favor one side; in this case, Newsweek's content favored liberal or left-wing perspectives and policies. Newsweek omited right-wing viewpoints, perspectives, and stories that may be deemed important to those on the right.

Newsweek's media bias showed in articles and opinion pieces that were clearly favorable of left-wing politicians and causes, such as the LGBTQ movement, reparations, and globalism.

Top of Page

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 Newsweek. On average, those who disagree with our rating think this source has a Lean Left bias.

Confidence Level

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

As of March 2024, AllSides has high confidence in our Center rating for Newsweek. Two or more bias reviews have affirmed this rating or the source is transparent about bias.

Additional Information

Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine founded in 1933.

According to Wikipedia, "Newsweek was acquired by The Washington Post Company in 1961, under whose ownership it remained until 2010. Between 2008 and 2012, Newsweek experienced financial difficulties, leading to the cessation of print publication and a transition to all-digital format at the end of 2012. The print edition then relaunched in March 2014 under different ownership...In 2013, IBT Media announced it had acquired Newsweek from IAC; the acquisition included the Newsweek brand and its online publication, but did not include The Daily Beast. IBT Media rebranded itself as Newsweek Media Group in 2017 and rebranded back to IBT Media in 2018 after the spin-off. Since then Newsweek has remained an independent publisher."

Top of Page

Newsweek Ownership and Funding

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

Owner: IBT Media

Newsweek has been owned by Johnathan Davis and Dev Pragad since 2018. Pragad serves as CEO overseeing all of Newsweek's operations. Davis has no operational role at Newsweek.

The Washington Post Company owned Newsweek from 1961-2010. In 2010, The Washington Post Company offloaded it for $1 to the billionaire investor Sidney Harman, who also assumed $40 million in liabilities. He merged it with The Daily Beast, the IAC web publication. Newsweek was sold to IBT Media for an undisclosed price. IBT Media is a privately held company, owned by Etienne Uzac and Johnathan Davis. IBT media does not receive outside funding. Newsweek was spun off from IBT Media in September 2018.

It's Global Editor-in Chief is Nancy Cooper.

Updated April 22, 2023

Articles from Newsweek

This content was curated by AllSides. See our Balanced Newsfeed.