Newsweek Bias: Is It Liberal Or Conservative? Is It Reliable?

Newsweek is one of the most popular news sources in the US and other parts of the world. This magazine brings you local and international news, including all the updates and advancements in the past week. Newsweek has been a part of the news landscape in the US since 1933; it has been delivering news for 90 years now. But the question arises, “Is Newsweek reliable?” And if it is even slightly biased, is it liberal or conservative? 

Newsweek is a center newsletter with no significant biases toward the right or left wing. Moreover, it has a high-reliability rating from all rating surveys and platforms. 

But there’s much more to it that we will tell you in this article in detail.

What is Newsweek?

Newsweek is a New York-based weekly news magazine that brings you thought-provoking news, opinions, graphics, videos, and images. They also send out international editions in Asia and EMEA. Newsweek reaches 100 million people each month globally with its factual new pieces from different parts of the world. Newsweek is committed to fair, independent, and transparent journalism.

Thomas J.C. Martyn launched Newsweek in 1933, soon becoming one of the three big news magazines. It stood out with its photographs, expert analysis, and signed columns. Later, the Washington Post Company owned Newsweek between 1961 and 2010. In 2010, philanthropist Sidney Harman purchased the rights to the magazine.

Newsweek merged with The Daily Beast by IAC in 2011, which later sold it to IBT Media in 2013. Jonathan Davis retained half of the company shares, selling the other 50% to the current Chief Executive Officer and President, Dev Pragad, in 2018. Davis no longer interferes with managing the magazine; he's a silent partner.

Before we tell you in detail if Newsweek is conservative or liberal, it is important to understand what these terms mean in politics.

Conservative Vs. Liberal in US Politics

Conservative and liberal refers to two different groups of individuals according to their school of thought regarding governmental responsibilities.

Political Views

Conservatives are right-wing, anti-federalists who prefer smaller government setups without the overall authority of the federal government. They prefer less regulation and a literal interpretation of the Constitution.

On the other hand, liberals are left-wing federalists who appreciate rules and regulations and benefits from the federal government.

Economic Views

Conservatives’ economic views state that the government should spend less and tax the citizens less. Reducing the expenditure will allow the government to balance the budget. Higher-income households should be encouraged to invest. They also believe that the social security system is an added burden. Moreover, the people of the country should donate towards the welfare of society according to their capability. 

The economic views of liberals or the left wing are entirely opposite to conservatives regarding taxes and spending. They believe that the government should not hesitate to increase taxes when necessary to provide basic services like healthcare to the less fortunate. They also mention that high-income earners should pay a higher tax. Yet liberals believe the social security system must stay put as it provides a safety net for the nation’s poor and needy. 

Views on Foreign Policy

Conservatives believe in military strength and national sovereignty, focusing on protecting national interests. According to them, the government must spend more on maintaining a strong army and ammunition to protect the country.

Whereas liberals believe in the power of diplomacy and multilateralism. They believe in global cooperation and understanding human rights to eliminate the issues leading to the need for military building. 

Social Views

Conservatives’ social views do not encourage abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and gay marriage. However, they support bearing arms and the death penalty for heinous crimes.

Liberals, as the name suggests, ask for equal rights for homosexual couples, promote legalizing abortion, support embryonic stem cell research, and are against arms-bearing.

Educational Views

Conservatives favor school choices and private education options, so everyone can choose the competition and type of education they prefer.

Liberals say that the government should fund public education and programs for everyone. It will allow people from all socioeconomic backgrounds to obtain equal education.

Personal Responsibility

As the conservatives do not favor the federal government, they believe that individuals should understand and exercise personal responsibilities. They also mention that the government should charge penalties for all crimes under the law.

As liberals are open to paying higher taxes, they look up to the government to provide them with all facilities. They do not believe in individual responsibility as much as conservatives.

Now that you know the views of the conservatives and liberals, let’s move to the big question: Is Newsweek Biased? Is it liberal or conservative?

Newsweek Bias: Is It Liberal Or Conservative?

Newsweek is the best pick if you have been looking for a news source that is not left or right-wing. 

According to different surveys conducted by AllSides, Newsweek received a Center rating.

A center rating means that some stories, including climate change, inclusivity, views on Donald Trump, etc., were slightly on the left side. Meanwhile, topics like Bud Light's transgender marketing campaign and views of Biden have been on the right wing.

However, observing closely, you might see that the magazine has more lean left stories than lean right ones. At the same time, Newsweek's Opinion section had more of the right.

Another source is Biasly, which evaluates a source's biasness using its Bias Meter rating that produces three scores: a reliability score, an AI bias score, and an analyst bias score.

Newsweek received a positive 6% A.I. Bias Score, categorizing it as center-right. Simultaneously, Newsweek scored negative 9% on the Analyst Bias Score, placing it firmly as a center-left.

Despite the difference in the score, experts believe that Newsweek is a moderately unbiased news source.

Is Newsweek Reliable?

The Newsweek magazine does not significantly support the right or left wing, so it is quite reliable regarding the stories and news. However, it has not always been like that. Pew Research conducted a study in 2020 that mentioned that Republicans majorly distrusted Newsweek because of their left-wing approach. Since then, Newsweek has shifted towards a center approach.

Newsweek rates high for factual reporting, making it a reliable and credible news source.

How Biased is Newsweek’s Opinionated News Section?

Newsweek’s Opinion section comprises various opinion pieces by different writers of specific viewpoints. These opinion articles do not directly come from Newsweek, but the writers share right-wing or left-wing perspectives on recent news.

These articles provide a broader perspective by taking views from both sides. The ‘Debate of the Week’ section also enables writers to share their arguments on topics such as homosexual marriages, the death penalty, immigration, and much more. 

While individual articles might seem inclined toward a particular side, the number of articles is almost equal, making it overall unbiased.

How Can I Read Newsweek?

You can read Newsweek online for free by signing up to their subscription list. It costs only $1 to enjoy an ad-free experience with unlimited access to the digital magazine.

On the other hand, the premium subscription for $9.99 allows you unlimited access to an ad-free experience on Newsweek.com. Furthermore, you receive the weekly print magazine at your door if you enjoy reading magazines the old-school way.

How does Newsweek Make Money?

As the digital magazine is free for readers, Newsweek makes money from premium subscriptions to the print magazine. Moreover, a significant portion of revenue comes from advertising, sponsored content, ranking businesses, affiliate businesses, etc. Newsweek indicates paid content clearly with a syndication or link to the subscriber's website.

Final Words

Newsweek is a popular weekly digital magazine that started operation in 1933 and has been delivering news for 90 years. It stood out among competitors in the beginning because of the images, graphics, and videos in the magazine. It has been a credible source of news for people for a long time, and it has a high-reliability rating from all rating surveys. Audits and analysis by different platforms also mention that Newsweek is an unbiased news source. 

Newsweek was slightly biased in the past, which did not make republicans much happy. Now, the magazine has balanced content. Opinions section also brings articles from both sides, offering a wider perspective to the readers. But you will notice that the number of articles on the right and left are almost equal, making it unbiased.

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