Ratings Methodology
Last updated: 24 June 2026
Objective News labels each outlet with an ownership type and an editorial-lean estimate, and scores individual stories for factuality and objectivity. This page explains how we produce those ratings and how to suggest a correction. Except for ownership type, which is based on public and verifiable facts, our ratings are good-faith estimates and editorial opinions meant to aid your own judgement, not definitive verdicts about any outlet, article, or person.
1. Ownership type
We classify each outlet as Independent (privately owned, with no direct state or party control), State (a public broadcaster or a state-owned or state-funded outlet), or Party-aligned (owned by, or strongly tied to, a political party or interest group). This is based on public ownership records, regulatory filings, and reputable reporting on who owns and funds the outlet. It is curated by hand and periodically re-audited against current sources, and each outlet's page shows the specific basis for its classification. If you believe an outlet's ownership is recorded incorrectly, please tell us using the form below.
2. Editorial lean
The lean estimate reflects an outlet's overall editorial tendency across the spectrum from left to right. It is an estimate of editorial tendency, not a claim about any individual article or journalist. We combine three signals:
- Our estimate: an informed editorial prior based on the outlet's reputation and history.
- Measured framing: an automated analysis of the framing of the outlet's coverage over time, judging word choice, emphasis, and sourcing rather than the topic an article covers.
- Community input: aggregated bias votes from readers.
3. Factuality and objectivity
For each story, an AI model compares every article against the primary source it cites and the consensus across the other coverage, and scores factual accuracy (factuality) and neutral, non-editorial framing (objectivity) from 0 to 100. We aggregate these into an outlet-level indication. These are AI-assisted estimates and can be wrong on any given article.
4. Limitations
- Our ratings are AI-assisted and human-curated estimates, not statements of absolute fact (ownership aside).
- Measured signals depend on how much coverage we have analysed and on which stories happened in a given period, so short-term figures can be noisy.
- We refine our methods over time, so ratings can change.
- Ratings are an aid to your own judgement, not a substitute for it.
5. Corrections
We want our ratings to be fair and accurate, and we welcome corrections, especially from the outlets themselves. If you think an ownership classification, a lean estimate, or a score is wrong, use the form below or email corrections@objective-news.org with the outlet and what should change. We review every request and update our ratings when warranted.