How We Work

Methodology

Our team of over 40 analysts rates the news day-in and day-out using a rigorous, non-partisan content analysis methodology.

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93,200+Articles & shows rated

279,600+Individual ratings

4,700+News sources rated

40+Trained analysts

Our Approach

Ad Fontes Media — ad fontes means "to the source" in Latin — rates news content through careful analysis of individual articles and episodes rather than by reputation or perceived brand. Scores are produced using a proprietary weighted average algorithm applied to human analyst ratings, translated into the horizontal (bias) and vertical (reliability) coordinates you see on the Media Bias Chart®.

Our approach is standards-based: similar to standardized testing, we apply uniform criteria across all sources so that scores are comparable. Sample sizes are kept representative and grow continuously as sources are re-rated over time.

CART — Content Analysis Rating System

Analysts score content using sliding-scale sub-factors for reliability and bias inside our proprietary platform. Each sub-factor has precise definitions, criteria, and calibrated examples to ensure consistent inter-rater agreement.

Methodology Videos

Five Minute Methodology Overview

How Ad Fontes Media Rates the News: A Methodology Overview

Methodology Deep Dive

Frequently Asked Questions

Data Availability

Full rating datasets are available for commercial, non-commercial, and educational use:

Ad Fontes Data Platform

For commercial users needing programmatic access to ratings data at scale.

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IMBC Educator Pro

For educators and non-commercial researchers integrating ratings into curricula or studies.

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