Public
What does this mean?How we determined this rating:
- Editorial Review: Apr 2025
- 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 methodsAbout Public's Bias Rating
Public is a news media source with an AllSides Media Bias Rating™ of Lean Right.
What a "Lean Right" Rating Means
Sources with an AllSides Media Bias Rating of Lean Right display media bias in ways that moderately align with conservative, traditional, libertarian, or right-wing thought and/or policy agendas. A Lean Right bias is a moderately conservative rating on the political spectrum.
Learn more about Lean Right ratingsDetails
Public is a Substack news outlet founded and owned by independent journalist Michael Shellenberger.
Bias Reviews
We use multiple methods to analyze sources. Learn how we rate media bias.Public Moved to Lean Right in April 2025 Small Group Editorial Review
In April 2025, the AllSides team moved Public from Center to Lean Right. A Small Group Editorial Review by panelists on the left, center, and right noted Lean Right story choice, bias by viewpoint, and slant toward the populist right:
- a piece highlighting a voice in favor of Trump tariffs
- "Why Trump's Victory is, for Millions of Us, Cathartic"
- a piece featuring a voice saying "Elites angry at voters are "suffering from a kind of mental illness"
- "Indifference To Working People Behind Elite Panic Over Tariffs"
- a piece critical of the French ban on right-wing leader Marine Le Pen running for office.
Public Rated Center in February 2024 Independent Review
In February 2024, an AllSides team member conducted an Independent Review and gave Public an initial bias rating of Center.
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 Lean Right rating for Public. If we perform more bias reviews and gather consistent data, this confidence level will increase.
Public Ownership and Funding
Funding and ownership do not influence bias ratings. We rate the bias of content only.Owner: Michael Shellenberger
According to Public's "About" page:
"We are and will always be transparent about our revenues. We are entirely subscriber-funded. We have no outside investors and currently host no advertising. We are entirely owned by founder Michael Shellenberger and have no outside investors. We have no plan to accept any advertising in the future, but if we were to do so, we would immediately announce this change publicly."
[Retrieved Feb. 2024]