How to Spot 16 Types of Media Bias

Journalism is tied to a set of ethical standards and values, including truth and accuracy, fairness and impartiality, and accountability. However, journalism today often strays from objective fact, resulting in biased news and endless examples of media bias.

Media bias isn't necessarily a bad thing. But hidden bias misleads, manipulates and divides us. This is why AllSides provides hundreds of media bias ratings, a balanced newsfeed, the AllSides Media Bias Chart™, and the AllSides Fact Check Bias Chart™.

72 percent of Americans believe traditional news sources report fake news, falsehoods, or content that is purposely misleading. With trust in media declining, media consumers must learn how to spot different types of media bias.

This page outlines 16 types of media bias, along with examples of the different types of bias being used in popular media outlets. Download this page as a PDF.

Related: 14 Types of Ideological Bias

16 Types of Media Bias
and how to spot them

1. Spin
2. Slant
3. Sensationalism
4. Bias by Omission
   1. Omission of Viewpoint, Information, Stories
   2. Omission of Source Attribution
5. Story Choice
6. Placement
   1. Story Placement
   2. Viewpoint Placement
7. Word Choice
8. Unsubstantiated Claims
9. Opinion Statements Presented as Facts
10. Subjective Qualifying Adjectives
11. Mudslinging/Ad Hominem
12. Mind Reading
13. Negativity Bias
14. Flawed Logic
15. Photo Bias
16. Elite v. Populist Bias
17. Some Final Notes on Bias

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1. Spin

Spin is a form of media bias in which journalists selectively choose which facts to represent or use vague language in order to support or control a particular narrative. This type of bias describes the way in which a journalist writes using a combination of types of bias (such as sensationalism, slant, and word choice) in order to leave a desired impression on the reader.

Spin is a form of media bias that clouds a reader’s view, preventing them from getting an accurate and precise understanding of what happened.

In the early 20th century, Public Relations and Advertising executives were referred to as “spin doctors.” They would use vague language and make unsupportable claims in order to promote a product, service or idea, downplaying any alternative views in order to control the perception of a product, event, or issue.

Examples of Spin Words and Phrases:

Sometimes the media uses spin words and phrases to imply bad behavior. These words are often used without providing hard facts, direct quotes, or witnessed behavior:

To stir emotions, reports often include colored, dramatic, or sensational words as a substitute for the word “said.” For example:

Examples of Spin Media Bias:

“Gloat” means “contemplate or dwell on one's own success or another's misfortune with smugness or malignant pleasure.” Is there evidence in Trump’s tweet to show he is being smug or taking pleasure in the layoffs, or is this a subjective interpretation?
Source article | Business Insider Bias Rating

In this example of spin media bias, the Washington Post uses a variety of dramatic, sensationalist words to spin the story to make Trump appear emotional and unhinged. They also refer to the president's "vanity" without providing supporting evidence.
Source article | Washington Post Bias Rating

In this example, Fox News uses spin bias to portray Biden as being angry and disrespectful to reporters. The writer from Fox News should remove the charged descriptors of Biden’s actions.
Source article | Fox News Bias Rating

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2. Slant

Slant is a form of media bias in which journalists highlight or play up one particular angle or piece of information associated with a news story. Through cherry-picking information or data to support one side or ignoring another perspective, slant prevents readers from getting the full story and narrows the scope of understanding. It is closely linked to bias by omission, because it often involves omitting one side, perspective, or piece of information.

Examples of Slant

 

This article by Fox News leads with Harris mourning Palestinian casualties before sharing that she also celebrated the Israeli mission to rescue hostages. With Israel being a U.S. ally, focusing more on Harris' reaction to Palestinian casualties paints Harris as standing against U.S. interests.
Source article | Fox News Bias Rating

Here, Snopes does not indicate or investigate why police made sweeps (did they have evidence criminal activity was occurring in the complex?), nor did Snopes ask police for their justification, giving a one-sided view. In addition, the studies pointed to only show Black Americans are more likely to be arrested for drug possession, not all crimes. 
Source article | Snopes Bias Rating

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3. Sensationalism

Sensationalism is a type of media bias in which shocking, exciting or exaggerated language is used to make a story seem more interesting. This method targets and provokes readers’ emotions. It often involves hyperbole — at the expense of accuracy — that warps reality and misleads readers.

For example, some media outlets have been criticized for overusing the term “breaking” or “breaking news,” which historically was reserved for stories of deep impact or wide-scale importance.

Sensationalist reporting often includes the use of vivid verbs that carry implications that are not objective.

Examples of Sensational words:

Examples of Sensationalism Media Bias

Here, BBC uses sensationalism in the form of hyperbole, as the election is unlikely to involve bloodshed in the literal sense.
Source article | BBC Bias Rating

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4. Bias by Omission

Bias by omission is a type of media bias in which information or voices are missing.

Omission of Viewpoint, Information, or Stories

Omission of viewpoint,, information, or stories is when media outlets choose not to cover certain stories, omit information that would support an alternative viewpoint, or omit voices and perspectives on the other side. This type of bias can occur on a small scale, such as a reporter failing to include other perspectives in coverage of an issue, or it can occur on a larger scale, such as news outlets neglecting to cover certain stories that don’t support their political narrative. While reporters and outlets can omit perspectives and stories altogether, bias by omission can also occur when there is unequal coverage on one side.

Examples of Media Bias by Omission of Information 

In a piece titled, "Hate crimes are rising, regardless of Jussie Smollett's case. Here's why," CNN claims that hate crime incidents rose for three years, but omits information that may lead the reader to different conclusions. According to the FBI’s website, reports of hate crime incidents rose from previous years, but so did the number of agencies reporting, “with approximately 1,000 additional agencies contributing information.” This makes it unclear whether hate crimes are actually on the rise, as the headline claims, or simply appear to be because more agencies are reporting. 
Source article | CNN Bias Rating

Omission of Source Attribution

Omission of source attribution occurs when journalists fail to cite the source behind their claims. An informative, balanced article should be clear about the source of information, by including a link to or citation of associated sources (publishing “on-the-record” information). 

For example, journalists will often mention "baseless claims," "debunked theories," or note someone "incorrectly stated" something without including background information or linking to another article that would reveal how they concluded the statement is false or debunked. Reporters will write that “immigration opponents say," "critics say," or “supporters of the bill noted” without identifying who these sources are. While "critics say" or "supporters say" can be an easy way to paraphrase, readers should note when journalists fail to back this up with specifics.

It is sometimes useful or necessary to use anonymous sources because insider information is only available if the reporter agrees to keep their identity secret. Responsible journalists should make it clear when they are offering anonymous or second-hand information on sensitive matters.

Examples of Media Bias by Omission of Source Attribution

In this paragraph, The New York Times says Trump "falsely claimed" millions had voted illegally; they link to Trump's tweet, but not to a source of information that would allow the reader to determine Trump's claim is false. 
Source article | The New York Times Bias Rating

In this paragraph, the Epoch Times repeatedly states "critics say" without attributing the views to anyone specific. 
Source article | The Epoch Times Bias Rating

In a piece about the Mueller investigation, The New York Times never names the investigators, officials or associates mentioned.
Source article | The New York Times Bias Rating

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5. Story Choice

Bias by story choice occurs when media outlets choose to cover stories that align with their political ideology. For example, an outlet that frequently chooses to cover the topic of climate change may be biased toward a different political leaning than an outlet that chooses to regularly cover stories about gun laws. 

Story choice reveals which topics the outlet's editors and writers find most notable, meaningful, or important, which can lead to unbalanced coverage of issues. Bias by story choice is closely linked to media bias by omission and slant.

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6. Placement

Story Placement

Story placement is a type of media bias in which outlets select which articles to feature prominently on its homepage, in print, or pinned to the top of their social media profiles. These articles are the first thing readers see and are more likely to be read than other articles in the publication. Many readers only quickly skim a homepage or read headlines, so the stories that are featured first can reveal which perspectives, information, or angles the outlet wants to highlight.

Viewpoint Placement

Viewpoint placement is a type of media bias in which a journalist highlights a certain idea by giving it a more prominent position in an article. The favored viewpoint may include commentary or quotes that are placed in the first few paragraphs of the story. Opposing or less-favored viewpoints are buried at the end of the story and are less likely to be read by readers who skim articles or who may not finish reading. A balanced piece of journalism will include perspectives from both sides in equal measure.

Readers can be swayed based on the order in which they read information. By placing certain viewpoints first and neglecting others until the end, journalists can affect the interpretation of stories, or make some viewpoints appear as less important or valid.

Examples of Media Bias by Placement

In this screenshot of ThinkProgress' homepage taken at 1 p.m. ET on Sept. 6, 2019, the media outlet chooses to prominently display coverage of LGBT issues and cuts to welfare and schools programs. In the next screenshot of The Epoch Times homepage taken at the same time on the same day, the outlet privileges very different stories.

Taken at the same time on the same day as the screenshot above, The Epoch Times chooses to prominently feature stories about a hurricane, the arrest of illegal immigrants, Hong Kong activists, and the building of the border wall. Notice that ThinkProgress' headline on the border wall focuses on diverting funds from schools and day cares, while the Epoch Times headline focuses on the wall's completion.

In this screenshot of Vox Media, the outlet chose to spotlight articles about Trump’s earliest actions, which spurs emotionalism among viewers. Elevating stories with highly charged words gives the viewer a feeling of sensationalism and overwhelm. Vox wedged its crossword activity between these stories to act as a “mental health break” from all the negative news.
Vox Media media bias rating

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7. Word Choice

Words and phrases are loaded with political implications. The words or phrases a media outlet uses can reveal their perspective or ideology.

People often strongly disagree about the best way to describe hot-button issues. For example, a journalist who supports gender transition procedures may call it "gender-affirming care," while a journalist who does not support the procedures may call it a “sex reassignment procedure.” 

Word choice can also reveal how journalists see the very same event very differently. For instance, one journalist may call an incident of civil unrest a "racial justice protest" to focus the readers' attention on the protesters' policy angles and advocacy; meanwhile, another journalist calls it a "riot" to focus readers' attention on looting and property destruction that occurred.

Words and their meanings are often shifting in the political landscape. The very same words and phrases can mean different things to different people. AllSides offers a Red Blue Translator to help readers understand how people on the left and right think and feel differently about the same words and phrases.

Examples of Polarizing Word Choices

Examples of Word Choice Bias

An outlet on the left calls Florida's controversial Parental Rights in Education law the "Don't Say Gay" bill, using language favored by opponents, while an outlet on the right calls the same bill the "FL education bill," signaling a supportive view.
USA Today source article | USA TODAY media bias rating
Fox News source article | Fox News media bias rating

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8. Unsubstantiated Claims

Journalists sometimes make claims in their reporting without including evidence to back them up. This can occur in the headline of an article, or in the body.

Statements that appear to be fact, but do not include specific evidence, are a key indication of this type of media bias.

Sometimes, websites or media outlets publish stories that are totally made up. This is often referred to as a type of fake news.

Examples of Unsubstantiated Claims

In this media bias instance, The Daily Wire references a "longstanding pattern," but does not back this up with evidence.
Source article | The Daily Wire Bias Rating

This Washington Post columnist makes a claim about wealth distribution without noting where it came from. Who determined this number and how?
Source article | Washington Post Bias Rating

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9. Opinion Statements Presented as Fact

Sometimes journalists use subjective language or statements under the guise of reporting objectively. Even when a media outlet presents an article as a factual and objective news piece, it may employ subjective statements or language.

A subjective statement is one that is based on personal opinions, assumptions, beliefs, tastes, preferences, or interpretations. It reflects how the writer views reality, what they presuppose to be the truth. It is a statement colored by their specific perspective or lens and cannot be verified using concrete facts and figures within the article.

There are objective modifiers — “blue” “old” “single-handedly” “statistically” “domestic” — for which the meaning can be verified. On the other hand, there are subjective modifiers — “suspicious,” “dangerous,” “extreme,” “dismissively,” “apparently” — which are a matter of interpretation.

Interpretation can present the same events as two very different incidents. For instance, a political protest in which people sat down in the middle of a street blocking traffic to draw attention to their cause can be described as “peaceful” and “productive,” or, others may describe it as “aggressive” and “disruptive.”

Examples of Words Signaling Subjective statements:

Source: Butte College Critical Thinking Tipsheet

An objective statement, on the other hand, is an observation of observable facts. It is not based on emotions or personal opinion and is based on empirical evidence — what is quantifiable and measurable.

It’s important to note that an objective statement may not actually be true. The following statements are objective statements, but can be verified as true or false:

Taipei 101 is the world's tallest building.

Five plus four equals ten.

There are nine planets in our solar system.

Now, the first statement of fact is true (as of this writing); the other two are false. It is possible to verify the height of buildings and determine that Taipei 101 tops them all. It is possible to devise an experiment to demonstrate that five plus four does not equal ten or to use established criteria to determine whether Pluto is a planet.

Source: Butte College Critical Thinking Tipsheet

Editorial reviews by AllSides found that some media outlets blur the line between subjective statements and objective statements, leading to potential confusion for readers, in two key ways that fall under this type of media bias:

• Including subjective statements in their writing and not attributing them to a source. (see Omission of Source Attribution)
• Placing opinion or editorial content on the homepage next to hard news, or otherwise not clearly marking opinion content as “opinion.”

Explore logical fallacies that are often used by opinion writers.

Examples of Opinion Statements Presented as Fact

The sub-headline Vox uses is an opinion statement — some people likely believe the lifting of the gas limit will strengthen the coal industry — but Vox included this statement in a piece not labeled “Opinion.”
Source article | Vox Bias Rating

In this article about Twitter CEO Elon Musk banning reporters, we can detect that the journalist is providing their personal opinion that Musk is making "arbitary" decisions by making note of the word "seemingly." Whether or not Musk's decisions are arbitrary is a matter of personal opinion and should be reserved for the opinion pages. 
Source article | SFGate Rating

In this article about Hillary Clinton’s appearance on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," the author makes an assumption about Clinton’s motives and jumps to a subjective conclusion.
Source article | Fox News Bias Rating

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10. Subjective Qualifying Adjectives

Journalists can reveal bias when they include subjective, qualifying adjectives in front of specific words or phrases. Qualifying adjectives are words that characterize or attribute specific properties to a noun. When a journalist uses qualifying adjectives, they are suggesting a way for you to think about or interpret the issue, instead of just giving you the facts and letting you make judgements for yourself. This can manipulate your view. Subjective qualifiers are closely related to spin words and phrases, because they obscure the objective truth and insert subjectivity.

For example, a journalist who writes that a politician made a "serious allegation" is interpreting the weight of that allegation for you. An unbiased piece of writing would simply tell you what the allegation is, and allow you to make your own judgement call as to whether it is serious or not.

In opinion pieces, subjective adjectives are okay; they become a problem when they are inserted outside of the opinion pages and into hard news pieces.

Sometimes, the use of an adjective may be warranted, but journalists have to be careful in exercising their judgement. For instance, it may be warranted to call a Supreme Court ruling that overturned a major law a "landmark case." But often, adjectives are included in ways that not everyone may agree with; for instance, people who are in favor of limiting abortion would likely not agree with a journalist who characterizes new laws restricting the act as a "disturbing trend." Therefore, it's important to be aware of subjective qualifiers and adjectives so that you can be on alert and then decide for yourself whether it should be accepted or not. It is important to notice, question and challenge adjectives that journalists use.

Examples of Subjective Qualifying Adjectives

HuffPost's headline includes the phrases "sinister warning" and "extremist Republican." It goes on to note the politician's "wild rant" in a "frothy interview" and calls a competing network "far-right." These qualifying adjectives encourage the reader to think a certain way. A more neutral piece would have told the reader what Cawthorn said without telling the reader how to interpret it. 
Source article | HuffPost bias rating

The New York Post's headlines include the phrases "troubling,” and "chilling." These qualifying adjectives encourage the reader to think a certain way about the FBI and Trump's warning to Iran. More neutral word choices would have told the reader what was happening without telling the reader how to interpret it.
Source articles | The New York Post bias rating

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11. Mudslinging/Ad Hominem

Mudslinging is a type of media bias when unfair or insulting accusations are made about someone in order to damage their reputation. Similarly, ad hominem (Latin for “to the person”) describes attacks on a person’s motive or character traits instead of the content of their arguments or ideas. Ad hominem bias can be used overtly, or as a way to subtly discredit someone without engaging with their argument.

Examples of Mudslinging

A Reason editor calls a New York Times columnist a "snowflake" after the columnist emailed a professor and his provost to complain about a tweet calling him a bedbug.
Source article | Reason Bias Rating

In March 2019, The Economist ran a piece describing political commentator and author Ben Shapiro as “alt-right.” Readers pointed out that Shapiro is Jewish (the alt-right is largely anti-Semitic) and has condemned the alt-right. The Economist issued a retraction and instead referred to Shapiro as a “radical conservative.”
Source: The Economist Twitter

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12. Mind Reading

Mind reading is a type of media bias that occurs when a writer assumes they know what another person thinks. This type of bias often manifests when journalists attempt to interpret the internal thoughts or emotions of individuals, even in cases where such individuals have not explicitly expressed those thoughts or feelings.

Examples of Mind Reading

We can’t objectively measure that Trump hates looking foolish, because we can’t read his mind or know what he is feeling. There is also no evidence provided to demonstrate that Democrats believe they have a winning hand.
Source article | CNN Bias Rating

How do we know that not adhering to the directive would “anger” and “annoy” Trump? Here, the New York Times writer assumes they know what is going on in Trump’s head.
Source article | New York Times Bias Rating

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13. Negativity Bias

Negativity bias refers to a type of bias in which reporters emphasize bad or negative news, or frame events in a negative light.

"If it bleeds, it leads" is a common media adage referring to negativity bias. Stories about death, violence, turmoil, struggle, and hardship tend to get spotlighted in the press, because these types of stories tend to get more attention and elicit more shock, outrage, fear, and cause us to become glued to the news, wanting to hear more.

Examples of Negativity Bias

This story frames labor force participation as a negative thing. However, if labor force participation remained low for a long time, that would also be written up as bad news.
Source article | New York Times bias rating

In this article, Americans drinking more cow’s milk is framed negatively. The writer equates drinking cow’s milk to a violation in human progress. This approach overlooks those who believe drinking cow’s milk provides positives, such as work for farmers and protein intake.
Source article | Vox Media bias rating

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14. Flawed Logic

Flawed logic, also known as faulty reasoning, is a type of media bias that occurs when journalists make false correlations, connecting unrelated events or pieces of information in a way that misrepresents people's opinions or leads to unjustified conclusions. Journalists may draw connections where there are none, often resulting in misleading narratives or inaccurate portrayals of cause and effect. Flawed logic can involve jumping to conclusions or arriving at a conclusion that doesn’t follow from the premise.

Examples of Flawed Logic

Here, the Daily Wire interprets a video to draw conclusions that aren’t clearly supported by the available evidence. The video shows Melania did not extend her hand to shake, but it could be because Clinton was too far away to reach, or perhaps there was no particular reason at all. By jumping to conclusions that this amounted to a “snub” or was the result of “bitterness” instead of limitations of physical reality or some other reason, The Daily Wire is engaging in flawed logic.
Source article | The Daily Wire Bias Rating

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15. Photo Bias

Photos can be used to influence a reader’s perception or emotion regarding a person or event. Sometimes, a photo can give either a hostile or a favorable impression of the subject.

For example, a media outlet may use a photo of an event that was taken at the very beginning of the event to give the impression that attendance was low, or they may only publish photos of conflict or a police presence at an event to make it seem violent and chaotic. Reporters may choose an image of a favored politician looking strong, determined or stately during a speech; if they disfavor the politician, they may choose a photo of them appearing to yell or look troubled during the same speech.

Examples of Photo Bias

Obama appears stern or angry — with his hand raised, brows furrowed, and mouth wide, it looks like maybe he’s yelling. The implication is that the news about the Obamacare ruling is something that would enrage Obama.
Source article | The Blaze bias rating

With a tense mouth, shifty eyes and head cocked to one side, Nunes looks guilty. The sensationalism in the headline aids in giving this impression (“neck-deep” in “scandal.”)
Source article | Mother Jones bias rating

With his lips pursed and eyes darting to the side, Schiff looks guilty in this photo. The headline stating that he “got caught celebrating” also implies that he was doing something he shouldn’t be doing. Whether or not he was actually celebrating impeachment at this dinner is up for debate, but if you judged Townhall’s article by the photo, you may conclude he was.
Source article | Townhall bias rating

With his arms outreached and supporters cheering, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appears triumphant in this photo. The article explains that a pediatric hospital in Texas announced it will stop performing “gender-confirming therapies” for children, following a directive from Abbott for the state to investigate whether such procedures on kids constituted child abuse. The implication of the headline and photo is that this is a victory. 
Source article | The Daily Wire bias rating

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16. Elite v. Populist Bias

Elite bias occurs when journalists prioritize the beliefs, viewpoints, and perspectives of people who are part of society's most prestigious, credentialed institutions, such as academic institutions, government agencies, business executives, or nonprofit organizations. Populist bias, on the other hand, is a type of bias in which journalists defer to the perspectives, beliefs, or viewpoints of those who are outside of or dissent from prestigious institutions, such as "man on the street" stories, small business owners, less prestigious institutions, and people who live outside of major urban centers.

In the U.S., Elite/Populist bias often has a geographic dimension. Because centers of power and influential institutions are concentrated in coastal cities, which tend to vote blue, conflicting values and perspectives can arise between "coastal elites" and "rural/middle America," which tends to vote red. The extent to which journalists emphasize the perspectives of urbanites versus those living in small towns or rural areas can indicate either elite or populist bias, which can further intersect with political bias.

Examples of Elite v. Populist Bias

Elite Bias: This article emphasizes the guidance and perspectives of major government agencies and professors at elite universities.
Source article | NBC News bias rating

Populist Bias: In this opinion piece, journalist Naomi Wolf pushes back against elite government agencies, saying they can't be trusted.
Source article | The Epoch Times bias rating

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Some Final Notes on Bias

Everyone is biased. It is part of human nature to have perspectives, preferences, and prejudices. But sometimes, bias — especially media bias — can become invisible to us. This is why AllSides provides hundreds of media bias ratings and a media bias chart.

We are all biased toward things that show us in the right. We are biased toward information that confirms our existing beliefs. We are biased toward the people or information that supports us, makes us look good, and affirms our judgements and virtues. And we are biased toward the more moral choice of action — at least, that which seems moral to us.

Journalism as a profession is biased toward vibrant communication, timeliness, and providing audiences with a sense of the current moment — whether or not that sense is politically slanted. Editors are biased toward strong narrative, stunning photographs, pithy quotes, and powerful prose. Every aspiring journalist has encountered media bias — sometimes the hard way. If they stay in the profession, often it will be because they have incorporated the biases of their editor.

But sometimes, bias can manipulate and blind us. It can put important information and perspectives in the shadows and prevent us from getting the whole view. For this reason, there is not a single type of media bias that can’t, and shouldn’t occasionally, be isolated and examined. This is just as true for journalists as it is for their audiences.

Good reporting can shed valuable light on our biases — good and bad. By learning how to spot media bias, how it works, and how it might blind us, we can avoid being fooled by media bias and fake news. We can learn to identify and appreciate different perspectives — and ultimately, come to a more wholesome view.

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Author

Julie Mastrine | Director of Marketing and Media Bias Ratings, AllSides

Other Contributors and Editors

Jessica Carpenter  | AllSides team member (2025)

Jeff Nilsson | Saturday Evening Post (2018)

Sara Alhariri | Stossel TV (2018)

Kristine Sowers | Abridge News (2018)