Vox has a Left media bias. In Sept. 2018, the AllSides team conducted an extensive editorial review and decided to shift Vox from a Lean Left to a Left media bias rating.
The AllSides team found that Vox consistently writes favorably about Left-leaning policies and never includes a Right-leaning perspective. Articles on Vox.com have tied President Trump to fascism, and its "Explainers" section almost never includes Right-leaning opinions or viewpoints. Vox's Explainers provide only one side of an issue, making it seem as if the information provided is all readers need to know, when in reality, Right-leaning individuals would likely include other facts or make different points about the topic. This prevents readers from getting a holistic understanding of the highlighted issues.
AllSides notes that Vox often frames news and issues as if the Left perspective is the only perspective, and its hard news articles include commentary that is subjective in nature. Vox often blurs the line between news and editorial. One AllSides team member noted Vox "seems like advocacy outlet for the Democratic Party, showing all the "news" you'd like to hear as a Democrat."
Previous Vox Media Bias Rating
Prior to Sept. 2018, AllSides rated Vox media bias as Lean Left. A large majority (about 3,700 community members) disagreed with AllSides' media bias rating of Lean Left for Vox. As of April 2017, the number of those who disagreed with Vox's Lean Left media bias rating had grown to 4,362. However, among those who disagreed and rated the source on their own, their answers averaged to a Lean Left rating.
More About Vox.com
Vox.com was founded in 2014 by Ezra Klein, a liberal columnist from the left-leaning Washington Post, along with Melissa Bell and Matt Yglesias. Run by the digital media company Vox Media, Vox.com currently has eight editorial brands including the sports website SB Nation and the technology news website The Verge.
In founding Vox, Klein said he hoped to “improve the technology of news” and build an online platform better equipped for making news understandable. Vox.com, therefore, aims to “explain the news” rather than simply report it — a practice some conservatives say inherently leaves out opposing viewpoints and differing perspectives. For example, the Washington Times and conservative media watchdog groups have heavily criticized Vox.com’s liberal bias. Additionally, the Week and The Federalist accused the website of a progressive worldview.
Vox's anti-Trump reporting during and after the 2016 election also garnered criticism.
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.
In August 2015, NBC Universal made a $200 million equity investment in Vox Media. 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 February 22, 2021. If you think this information is out of date or needs to be updated, please contact us.