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The Observer - UK

LeftLeft biasWhat does this mean?

How we determined this rating:

  • 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 The Observer - UK's Bias Rating
  2. What a "Left" Rating Means
  3. Bias Reviews
  4. Confidence Level
  5. Ownership & Funding

About The Observer - UK's Bias Rating

The Observer - UK 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.

Learn more about Left ratings

Bias Reviews

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

The Observer Rated Left in February 2026 Independent Review

As The Observer was part of The Guardian from 1993 to 2024, AllSides previously considered content from the publication to be part of The Guardian, which was rated Left in a November 2024 AllSides Editorial Review. In December 2024, The Observer was acquired by Tortoise Media.

In February 2026, an AllSides team member conducted an Independent Review of The Observer and assigned a rating of Left. The reviewer noticed story choice bias to be prevalent. Several pieces of content reviewed at the time focused on Jeffrey Epstein and British politics. 

The reviewer noted the publication appeared to criticize Liberals from the left. For instance, one piece of content reviewed was an analysis titled, "Labour bill doesn’t go far enough to stop foreign interference in UK politics."

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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 Left rating for The Observer - UK. If we perform more bias reviews and gather consistent data, this confidence level will increase.

The Observer - UK Ownership and Funding

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

Owner: Tortoise Media

The Observer is owned by Tortoise Media, a news organization founded in 2018 by James Harding, Matthew Barzun, and Katie Vanneck-Smith. From 1993 to 2024, The Observer was owned by the Guardian Media Group.