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LEFT-CENTER BIAS

These media sources have a slight to moderate liberal bias.  They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes) to favor liberal causes.  These sources are generally trustworthy for information, but may require further investigation. See all Left-Center sources.

• Overall, we rate The Washington Post Left-Center biased based on editorial positions that moderately favors the left and factually High due to the use of proper sources and a reasonable fact check record.

Detailed Report

Factual Reporting: HIGH
Country: USA
World Press Freedom Rank: USA 45/180

History

The Washington Post (WaPo), headquartered in Washington D.C., was founded in 1877 by Stilson Hutchins. He was a journalist, publisher and passionate Democrat that later became a Missouri state representative for the Democratic Party and operated The Post until 1889. Republican financier Eugene Meyer bought The Washington Post in 1946. After Meyer stepped down to become head of the Federal Reserve, his son-in-law, Philip Graham, became publisher. In 1947, after Philip Graham committed suicide, his wife, Katharine Meyer Graham took over the Washington Post Company. She was the first female publisher of a major American newspaper. Her son, Donald Graham, became publisher in 1979. Donald Graham, was the chairman of The Post before selling it to Jeffrey P. Bezos, the founder of Amazon. Katharine Weymouth, a granddaughter of Katharine Meyer Graham and niece of Donald Graham served as the publisher of The Washington Post until her resignation in 2014. Currently, Frederick J. Ryan Jr., the founder of Politico and a former Reagan administration official is the Publisher and CEO of The Post. Martin Baron is the executive editor.

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Funded by / Ownership

In 2013, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post for $250 million. Bezos is a frequent target of Trump, who has accused the businessman of using the Postal System as its “Delivery Boy.” The newspaper’s executive editor, Martin Baron said Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon, is not involved in its news coverage. According to a NY Magazine article “Bezos is libertarian who has given money to anti-tax initiatives in the past” and supports gay marriage through donations. Bezos also donated to both Democratic and Republican Senators respectively.

Analysis / Bias

The Washington Post played a part with The New York Times in publishing excerpts of the Pentagon Papers in 1971. The original papers can be viewed Here. The WaPo started reporting on Watergate in 1972, linking the DNC break-in to Nixon’s campaign and eventually brought down the administration of President Richard Nixon. 

According to Pew Research, the Washington Post is more trusted by a liberal readers than conservatives. However, in 2016, The Washington Post published an anti-Bernie Sanders editorial “Bernie Sanders’s fiction-filled campaign” that the New Republic called an “embarrassment.”

The WaPo was involved in a scandal in 1980, when they published an article by Janet Cooke that won the Pulitzer Prize. Cooke later returned the Pulitzer Prize when it turned out the story was not true.

In review, The Washington Post publishes stories with emotionally loaded headlines such as “Trump escalates China trade war, announces plan for tariffs on $200 billion in products” and in editorials “The Trump administration created this awful border policy. It doesn’t need Congress to fix it.” When it comes to sourcing they typically utilize credible sources such as Propublica.org, Associated Press, Slate, Princeton.edu, New York Times, wired.com and CNN. Story selection and editorials tend to favor the left with the Washington Post only endorsing Democratic Presidential candidates since 1976, including Hillary Clinton in the last election. The Washington Post has also been accused of having an anti-Progressive bias, with numerous op-eds negative toward Bernie Sanders.

Failed Fact Checks

• A computer infected by malware proved a Vermont power company has been targeted for disruption by Russian hackers. – Mostly False

Overall, we rate The Washington Post Left-Center biased based on editorial positions that moderately favors the left and factually High due to the use of proper sources and a reasonable fact check record. (5/18/2016) Updated (M. Huitsing 3/16/2020)

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/