WIRED

Wired.com is the website of monthly magazine Wired. Its content focuses on the intersection of technology with culture, business and human nature. According to its About page, its goal is to produce "information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation." It is owned by Condé Nast Inc. Its editor in chief is Nicholas Thompson. Wired's AllSides Media Bias Rating™ was changed from Lean Left to Center in February 2020. At the time it was changed, the initial rating had been voted on 163 times by community members, with 85 disagreeing.

• AllSides Moves WIRED from Lean Left to Left Following Feb. 2025 Editorial Review
• AllSides Moves WIRED's Bias Rating from Center to Lean Left Following Dec. 2024 Blind Survey, Jan. 2025 Small Group Editorial Reviews
  • WIRED Rated Left in Jan. 2025 Small Group Editorial Review
  • WIRED Rated Center in Dec. 2024 Blind Bias Survey

WIRED Rated Left in Feb. 2025 Editorial Review

A 6-person panel of reviewers on the left, center, and right unanimously rated WIRED as Left (-4.07) in a Feb. 2025 Editorial Review.

Taking into account previous reviews of WIRED — a Dec. 2024 Blind Bias Survey that had a result of Center and a Jan. 2025 Small Group Editorial Review that had a result of Left — AllSides opted to move WIRED's overall AllSides Media Bias Rating from Lean Left (-2.75) to Left (-4.07).

Panelists noted strong sensationalism, slant, bias by viewpoint, bias by omission, and story choice bias in WIRED, all tilted toward the left.

The review took place during government funding cuts implemented by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the early months of the Donald Trump administration, when DOGE was cutting billions from the federal government. WIRED's content had an extremely strong bias against DOGE; for example, WIRED repeatedly called DOGE "so-called," indicating skepticism that the department is truly about government efficiency. 

A Center panelist said WIRED "borders on misinformation" because its bias is so egregious and key pieces of information are often omitted. The same panelist noted WIRED "frames things as if they are coming from the far left, but always ends up siding with the positions held by the deep state, elite Democrats and sometimes uniparty," pointing to WIRED's favorable coverage of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which has been used to censor Americans.

Some panelists noted that in-depth stories "seemed higher quality and more holistic than short political reporting," which was heavily biased to the left.

Content that was reviewed included:

• This USAID Program Made Food Aid More Efficient for Decades. DOGE Gutted It Anyways
• The 50-Year-Old Law That Could Stop DOGE in Its Tracks—Maybe
• No, 150-Year-Olds Aren’t Collecting Social Security Benefits
  • A Lean Right panelist stated, "This is hyper-critical of Musk’s claims, falling back on some who have stated the COBOL programming has an error that will sometimes show someone as being 150 years old. The article omits, however, that there are many people listed beyond 150, with some being in the 200+ age range, which begs the question if these could be due to the same error." - bias by omission
• Not Even DOGE Employees Know Who’s Legally Running DOGE
  • Center reviewer: "Headline slant implies DOGE is ineffective and chaotic; bias by viewpoint placement — mostly quotes anonymous DOGE staffers and former staffers, also quotes Fisher’s statement on Musk’s role. Does not quote anyone supportive of DOGE, only those confused/ critical of it or neutral legal documents." 
• US Funding Cuts Are Helping Criminals Get Away With Child Abuse and Human Trafficking
• The Collapse of USAID Is Already Fueling Human Trafficking and Slavery at Scammer Compounds
• Revenge of the Covid Conspiracy Theorists
  • WIRED writes, “After years of GOP attacks on US health agencies, Trump appointees are poised to bring Covid-19 conspiracies to their leadership of US agencies. Federal workers are scared of what comes next.” - emotionalism, slant
  • Word choice bias: "Conspiracy theorist" is a common way to dismiss the right's claims.
• The Far Right Has a New Hero: Elon Musk
  • "Far right" is a subjective qualifer, often used in America to make a group seem out of bounds.

AllSides Moves WIRED's Bias Rating from Center to Lean Left Following Dec. 2024 Blind Survey, Jan. 2025 Small Group Editorial Reviews

In Jan. 2025, AllSides adjusted WIRED’s bias rating from Center to Lean Left (-2.75) based on findings from the Dec. 2024 Blind Bias Survey that put Wired at Center (-0.31) and a Jan. 2025 Small Group Editorial Review that put it at Left (-3.0).

In the December survey, 548 of Americans across the political spectrum rated WIRED as Center on average, while a 3-person multipartisan panel rated it as Left in the January review.

While WIRED primarily covers technology and its broader impacts on culture, economics, and politics, the panel’s analysis focused on its politically related coverage, which contributed to the final Lean Left rating.

WIRED Rated Left in Jan. 2025 Small Group Editorial Review

In Jan. 2025, a multipartisan AllSides panel conducted a Small Group Editorial Review, resulting in a Left (-3.00) rating for WIRED. 

WIRED is a magazine primarily focused on technology news and its impact on culture, the economy, and politics. The review focused on WIRED’s political content. 

The panel identified multiple instances of story choice bias, slant, spin, and sensationalism, which appealed to left-leaning perspectives. The panel noted repeated criticisms of tech figures associated with the right, including Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.

Articles reviewed included but were not limited to:

• Elon Musk and Far-Right German Leader Agree ‘Hitler Was a Communist’
• MAGA is Blaming DEI for the California Wildfires
• No Fact-Checking and More Hate Speech: Meta Goes MAGA
• The X-ification of Meta
• Meta Now Lets Users Say Gay and Trans People Have ‘Mental Illness’
• Elon Musk’s Quest for Domination Has Gone Global
• Meta Follows Elon Musk’s Lead, Moves Staffers to Billionaire-Friendly Texas

WIRED Rated Center in Dec. 2024 Blind Bias Survey

In a Dec. 2024 Blind Bias Survey, WIRED was rated Center (-0.31).

Regardless of self-identified political bias or party affiliation, respondents rated WIRED as Center on average. 

A total of 761 people across the political spectrum took the survey, including 73 with a Left bias, 192 with a Lean Left bias, 215 with a Center bias, 224 with a Lean Right bias, and 57 with a Right bias. 

 

WIRED's Global Editorial Director Comments on 2024 Election Results

In Nov. 2024, WIRED's Editorial Director, Katie Drummond, published an article addressing the results of the 2024 presidential election. Drummond wrote,“The outcome of last week’s US presidential election wasn’t the one WIRED wanted,” and elaborated, “several of the core values that underpin our publication and inform our journalism – unwavering respect for democratic institutions, a commitment to human rights and bodily autonomy, recognition that climate change is a dire emergency – are at odds with those of Donald Trump and the incoming GOP administration.”