British news media guide

Listed from left to right, here are some of the main British news outlets (quoted text from RationalWiki, ratings from Media Bias/Fact Check):

Name: Daily Mirror
Political bias: centre left (pro-Labour, anti-Brexit, anti-Trump)
Fact checking: mixed

Sensational, emotionally loaded headlines, poorly sourced, pictures can be misleading even fake. Favours the Labour Party but not blindly so.

Name: The Guardian
Political bias: centre left
Fact checking: high

“beloved of organically-grown, muesli-wearing, sandal-hugging, tree-eating, disabled, lesbian, atheistic, feminist social workers and teachers … their Internet 24/7 blogorama Comment is Free can be somewhat problematic.” Arguably anti-Semitic and transphobic. Was a fan of WikiLeaks till 2016 when it started to hurt Hillary Clinton.

Name: The Independent
Political bias: centre left
Fact checking: high

Owned by a Russian billionaire and has strong links to the Saudi government. Stories lean left but are properly sourced.

Name: BBC
Political bias: centre left
Fact checking: high

“Over the years, the BBC has been accused of being anti-war, pro-war, left-wing, right-wing, socialist, liberal, and when all else fails, simply wasteful. Previously, it was being extremely Anglocentric, although that record has improved. … its coverage of the British royal family tends towards the fawning”. Run by the British government.

Name: The Economist
Political bias: centre
Fact checking: high

“classically liberal, advocating free markets, a social safety net, and personal freedom. They favor globalization, free trade, and increased spending on healthcare and education, as well as drug legalization and gay marriage. Historically, they have endorsed both Republicans and Democrats in US elections, as well as both Tories and Labourites in UK elections.”

Name: The Times
Political bias: centre right (anti-Trump)
Fact checking: high

Known as the Times of London in the US. Has been both pro and anti-Brexit; has endorsed both Tory and Labour. This is the newspaper that Winston Smith worked for in “1984” and Fowler’s quotes. About as establishment as you can get.

Name: Daily Telegraph
Political bias: right (Tory, Thatcherite)
Fact checking: mixed

“While the main reporters of the Telegraph show a candid, but restrained, support for the Conservative Party, their columnists certainly rival their counterparts at the Daily Mail for wingnuttery, with a raving disdain for the European Union and skepticism about climate change (one of their bloggers is notable denier James Delingpole).”

Name: The Sun
Political bias: right (Tory, aggressively nationalistic)
Fact checking: mixed

“Due to being full of lies, damned lies, and until recently topless women, it is Britain’s most popular birdcage liner. It is completely vile – although people do tend to take it far less seriously than, say, The Daily Mail, mainly because a substantial part of its readership only look at the sport pages”.

Name: Daily Mail
Political bias: right (Tory, pro-Brexit)
Fact checking: low

“gossipy tabloid ‘journalism’ for those who cannot digest serious news, with a flippantly wingnut editorial stance.” Right-wing propaganda.

Name: Daily Express
Political bias: right (UKIP-ish)
Fact checking: mixed

“Many articles are based entirely on one unhinged or uninformed individual’s opinions on the internet, rather than anything usually regarded as important, like facts.”

– Abagond, 2019.

See also:

• Programming note #40 – my British media diet
• The Economist
• BBC
• George Orwell: 1984
• Fowler’s
• media guides:
  • Notes towards a Kamala Harris media guide
  • MBFC media guide
  • Media guide for the Trump Era
  • RationalWiki media guide
  • Abagond’s media guide, 2014
  • Notes towards a media guide to Gaza
• RationalWiki
• Media Bias/Fact Check

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