PBS NewsHour

Note: This rating is for online news on PBSNewshour's website only, not its broadcast content.

PBS Rated Lean Left in July 2025 AllSides Blind Bias Survey

PBS Newshour was rated Lean Left (-2.94) in the July 2025 Blind Bias Survey, confirming AllSides' Media Bias Rating at the time. A total of 606 people across the political spectrum rated the bias of PBS NewsHour.

Respondents self-identifying as Lean Right or Right rated PBS NewsHour as Left, on average, while respondents in other bias groups rated the outlet as Lean Left. Republicans rated it as Left, while Democrats and Independents rated as Lean Left. 

PBS NewsHour Moved from Center to Lean Left Following November 2022 Editorial Review

An AllSides November 2022 Editorial Review returned a bias rating of Lean Left for PBS NewsHour. All reviewers gave a rating of Lean Left for PBS NewsHour overall, with the exception of one reviewer from the left who placed the outlet slightly left of center. PBS Newshour was previously rated Center; AllSides moved PBS Newshour's rating at this time.

Coverage is generally neutral, though its story choices may be of less interest to right-leaning audiences. Panelists across the political spectrum noted general Lean Left story choice:

• Critics say new school policies in Florida ostracize LGBTQ students
• Judge says Michael Flynn must testify in Georgia 2020 election probe
• Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni sworn in as Italy’s prime minister
• Why Arabic ballots are now being offered in Michigan and what this means for voter access in the U.S.
• Who South Dakota’s Medicaid expansion vote will impact the most
• Why is the GOP escalating attacks on trans rights? Experts say the goal is to make sure evangelicals vote

An article on Arizona’s 2022 gubernatorial race employed left-leaning slant: “Democrat Katie Hobbs was elected Arizona governor on Monday, defeating an ally of Donald Trump who falsely claimed the 2020 election was rigged and refused to say she would accept the results of her race this year.” Another article uses the term “insurrection” when referencing the events on Jan. 6, a term the right generally rejects. In a discussion about the state of the American childcare system, coverage highlights Biden’s policies and reforms without including opposition.

Coverage of transgender issues was largely seen to contain left-leaning word choice and slant, often omitting other perspectives. One article, “Children’s hospitals become targets of anti-transgender attacks and harassment,” claims that “anti-transgender activists have been using social media to spread disinformation about gender-affirming medical care.” The term “gender-affirming care” is more often used by the left, and there are different perspectives on the appropriate course of treatment for gender dysphoria; the right and left woud likely disagree on whether some of these perspectives constitute disinformation. Another article mentions efforts by North Carolina officials to “restrict transgender lives” saying that it “casts a shadow” over transgender individuals in the area. 

Despite instances of left-leaning story choice, reviewers from the left, center, and right noted many instances of balance. Coverage of Biden’s student debt relief plan included perspectives from both the right and the left. A reviewer from the left found that the outlet remained largely neutral when reporting on Darrell Brook Jr.’s sentencing for the fatal Milwaukee Christmas parade incident. An article on the 2022 midterms covered campaign trail strategies with balance, giving both Republicans and Democrats equal coverage. 

How Many Americans Trust PBS: 2025 Data

According to Pew Research Center's data on news trust:

• 41% of Americans say they trust PBS as a source of news
• 15% of Americans distrust PBS

Among political groups:

• 23% of Republicans/Lean Rs trust PBS
• 59% of Democrats/Lean Ds trust PBS
• 26% of Republicans/Lean Rs distrust PBS
• 4% of Democrats/Lean Ds distrust PBS

In May 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to end public funding for NPR and PBS, which the White House called politically biased. The White House also argued government funded media is no longer necessary in today's diverse media landscape. According to Straight Arrow News, NPR "previously reported that it expects to receive about $120 million in [Corporation for Public Broadcasting] support in 2025, accounting for under 5% of its annual budget. Combined with PBS and local affiliate stations, CPB’s total federal appropriation is about $500 million per year."