The Media Credibility Index for 2025 will be published by the Policy Studies Organisation in Washington in Mid November 2025 and will include analysis of at least 100 key Media outlets (press and broadcasting) for at least the prior year. It will have at least 300 recorded incidents of best and worst practice, scoring media outlets on the basis of best practice and worst practice, in accordance with issues raised in the following areas:

1. PRESS FREEDOM
2. ACCURACY – the use of facts, data, and well sourced material
3. INCITEMENT – racist, xenophobic or provocative reporting
4. BIAS or BALANCE
5. SENSITIVITY – consideration of women’s rights, civil rights, children’s rights (with regard to exposure to violent imagery)
6. TRANSPARENCY – no hidden agenda

Plus points are awarded for accurate reporting regardless of intimidation or censorship; minus points are recorded for reporting that, we believe, is cause for concern. The Media Credibility Index reflects issues raised and issues we have researched. We, the editors, will try, in so much as is humanly possible, to be subjective. The editors will be named as will be those who have contributed substantially with more than fifty recorded items contributed to the index.

The Founding Editors are William Morris LL.D., Secretary General of the Next Century Foundation, and Mr Jaafar El-Ahmar, Head of the Next Century Foundation UK. Contributing Editors: Henry Jeong (Canada), Isabelle Taylor (UK), Paula Messa (UK), Klara Ismail (UK), Cristina De Leo (UK).

The following is an ongoing project:

ABC News (Australia) – 2

BIAS:

15 September 2024: ABC’s news director, Justin Stevens, admitted a video clip of Australian troops firing from a helicopter in Afghanistan was “incorrectly edited”. Channel Seven accused the ABC of adding gunshot sounds to a video which accompanied a story produced by the ABC’s special investigations unit, headed by Jo Puccini and award-winning reporter Mark Willacy. Seven’s Spotlight program broadcast an interview with former commando Heston Russell about the ABC’s reporting on him. Raw footage of the incident shows that one shot from a helicopter became six shots in the ABC video. WM

SENSITIVITY:

1 October 2024: An investigative report triggered by ABC’s failure to support an aboriginal staff member under fire on social media and elsewhere for his coverage of the coronation, reveals today that there is a climate of institutional racism in ABC against Aboriginal staff members in general. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Bias – 1 Sensitivity – 1

BBC TELEVISION (UK) + 1

BALANCE:

15 September 2024: For the careful and remarkably fair coverage of Mr Jeremy Bowen, International Editor of BBC News, on the Gaza issue since October 7 2023. This despite being put under considerable pressure. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Balance + 1

CHANNEL FOUR (Iran) – 1

INCITEMENT:

23 October 2024: In an October 23, 2024 interview on Channel 4 (Iran), Iranian TV host Kourosh Aliani described the “hidden” siege of Gaza as “much more” sinister than the Nazi Final Solution. He argued that while the Final Solution, which involved methods like gas chambers and “whatever,” was carried out openly, the siege restricts caloric intake for the people in Gaza, leading to starvation and disease in secret. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Incitement – 1

CHANNEL ONE (Russia) – 1

INCITEMENT:

4 September 2024: A fabricated video with the BBC’s logo about an alleged RSF (Reporters Without Borders) study that found 1,000 cases of Ukrainian soldiers showing sympathy for Nazism has racked up over 400,000 views, mainly on X and Telegram. Ruslan Ostachko – a presenter on Channel One, and member of “Team Putin,” the group supporting President Putin’s re-election in March 2024 – reposted the video on his Telegram account. The video then reached a peak audience after being picked up by military blogger Sergei Kolyasnikov. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Incitement – 1

CNN (USA) – 1

INCITEMENT:

26 September 2024: For atrocious unfounded allegations of anti-Semitism against a politician, Michigan congresswoman Rashida Tlaib because she expressed sympathy with pro-Palestinian demonstrators. The false allegations were made and repeated by more than one CNN anchorman, including CNN’s Dana Bash and CNN anchor Jake Tapper. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Incitement – 1

CUATRO TV (Spain) – 1

ACCURACY:

15 November 2024: Iker Jiménez, a Spanish television presenter known for his show Horizonte on Mediaset, spread unverified information about the aftermath of the DANA storm in Valencia. On his program and social media, he claimed that “many, many bodies” were found in the underground parking lot of the Bonaire shopping centre, despite the lack of official confirmation. This misinformation, later debunked by authorities who confirmed no fatalities in the parking area, was part of a broader network of fake news that fuelled a significant explosion of misinformation surrounding the floodings. The wave of unverified claims spread across social media and other platforms, undermining trust in official sources and complicating relief efforts.

The day after it was reported that no bodies had been found during the inspection, TV presenter Iker Jiménez posted on X addressing the fake news he had spread. He clarified that there had been no fatalities in the Bonaire parking lot and stated that his sources had been wrong. CDL

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Accuracy – 1

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH (UK) – 1

ACCURACY:

6 September 2024: The Daily Telegraph newspaper carried an article in which it strongly implied that the German government was seriously considering using Rwanda as a destination for the processing of asylum seekers. Whereas in reality it was an idea touted by a prominent German politician, which was never seriously considered by the German government. The Telegraph article opened with the words, “Germany is considering deporting migrants to Rwanda, where it could use asylum facilities paid for by the UK”. Miguel Berger, Berlin’s ambassador to the UK, wrote on X: “Let’s be clear, there is no plan of the German Government to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda”. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Accuracy – 1

THE FINANCIAL TIMES (UK) + 1

ACCURACY:

6 September 2024: The Financial Times has introduced a Source FT resource which is not paywalled and helps understanding and credibility of reporting of key issues. The effort is to be commended. There are many notable examples online. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Accuracy + 1

FORTUNE (USA) – 1

ACCURACY:

18 September 2024: Fortune reports today that “Britain alone could lose 500,000 millionaires within the next five years, according to a UBS Wealth report from July”. The implication is that factors such as Brexit and the election of a Labour government have increased the trend. In the first place it is questionable as to whether the UK, with a population of around 68 million actually has half a million millionaires (it would mean that at the very least one in every 200 was a millionaire). On the other hand, the whole statistical basis on which the claims are made has been shown to be questionable. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Accuracy – 1

FOX NEWS (USA) – 5

ACCURACY:

11 September 2024: Fox news has diligently reported statements made by former President Donald Trump during the recent presidential debates, quoting him but never correcting false statements he has made. For example, during a debate he made the assertion that Democrats wanted to allow pregnancies to be terminated in the ninth month. He went further to state that “in other words, we’ll execute the baby,”. Fox news did not follow this with the critical information that US law does not allow for the execution of babies or that abortions in the third trimester are extremely rare with less than 1% of abortions occurring after 21 weeks, often under extreme circumstances. They instead concluded that Trump’s comments “show Democrats are the true “radicals” on the abortion issue”, thus indirectly affirming what he said. At the end of the article Fox news quoted the moderator for the debate, Linsey Davis, who responded that “there is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born”. This final remark appears to have been added as an afterthought and was not linked to Trump’s statement or used to counter his false information. The inability for this television channel to provide a full picture of the presidential candidates’ policies and statements is evidence that it lacks accuracy. IT

23 September 2024: Fox news published an article on Israel’s strikes in Hezbollah. The figures that it published for the injured and number of deaths were largely inaccurate. On Monday 23rd at 7.23 am EST, Fox news reported that over ‘180 people’ were killed in Lebanon and over ‘700 injured’, whilst multiple other newspapers have been reporting the figures to be considerably higher than this. For example, at 5.41 am IST in Israel Haaretz was already reporting a death toll of 256 and by the time of the Fox News report BBC news and the Daily Telegraph were reporting that the death toll was over 480. LM

INCITEMENT:

28th September 2024: Fox News echoed comments made by Former President Trump during a speech in Wisconsin in which he repeatedly referred to “migrant crime” being a problem in the area. This term has been used throughout his presidential campaign to associate migration with crime and consequently fear. The news network made no attempt to inform their readers of the many inaccuracies and false implications that this term brings. Consequently, they have participated in incitement. IT

4 October 2024: Criticism over international aid under Biden/Harris administration: “Kamala puts Illegals Ahead of Americans” – “How are we a superpower, when we leave our people stranded and yet everytime Zelensky comes into town he gets another couple hundred million dollars” – “There’s a pattern of abandonment under Biden and Harris”. KI

BIAS:

6 October 2024: Israel at War: A timeline since October 7 no mention of Palestinian death toll, and civilian casualties in Palestine and Lebanon. Pager explosions described as “one of the best clandestine attacks we’ve seen in a very long time”. Pro-Israel bias. KI

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Accuracy – 2 Incitement – 2 Bias – 1

GBNews (UK) – 1

BALANCE:

Prince Harry’s smile RETURNS as he spends time away from Meghan Markle – GBNews comments on recent solo appearances by Prince Harry and suggests conflict between the couple. It also recalls and reinforces previous racially charged criticism of Meghan Markle as a national and racial ‘outsider’ to Britain due to her American citizenship and Black heritage who does not have a place next to prince Harry. “Meghan is a DICTATOR in heels!” runs the strapline. KI

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Balance – 1

THE GLOBE AND MAIL (Canada) – 1

BALANCE:

23 September 2024: The Globe and Mail attempted to censor the writings of award-winning reporter, Pankaj Mishra. Mishra, who was awarded the Weston International Award for non-fiction writing in Toronto on the 16th of September, submitted the text of his lecture on the Western reportage of Gaza to The Globe and Mail for customary article submission (the Globe and Mail always reports summaries of speeches from the winners), only for it to have every mention of Israel removed. His lecture delivered a critique of the media’s “complicity in decades of western-backed wars, from the War on Terror to Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza”. Mishra later retracted his article submission to The Globe and Mail in protest. This instance was discussed in an extensive interview with Mishra held by The Breach, a Canadian independent media outlet. HJ

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Balance – 1

THE GUARDIAN (UK) + 2

SENSITIVITY:

27 September 2024: An investigation by Solomon, Forensis, The Guardian and ARD forensically examined a 2023 shipwreck that killed more than 500 irregular migrants in Greek waters. It won the prestigious IJ4EU award for its innovative storytelling. By exposing failures in the official responses, the project has had a significant impact in Greece, contributing to a compelling case that is now part of ongoing court proceedings. With an interdisciplinary approach incorporating forensic modelling, the team demonstrated exceptional cross-border collaboration and swift execution, interviewing affected families and producing a powerful video, the IJ4EU jury said. WM

PRESS FREEDOM:

30 September 2024: An award-winning Cambodian journalist known for his reporting on human trafficking in the cyber scam industry was arrested TODAY, according to the independent Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association (CamboJA). Mech Dara is known for his reporting on human trafficking in the cyber scam industry. He had worked for an independent news outlet that authorities closed last year. He now writes regularly for the Guardian. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Sensitivity + 1 Press freedom + 1

HAARETZ (Israel) + 4

BALANCE:

16 September 2024: For the newspaper’s careful and remarkably fair coverage of the plight of Palestinians in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank since October 7 2023. Particularly the coverage of columnist Deiaa Haj Yahia on the plight of Arab Israelis. WM

16 September: For the newspapers courageously balanced reporting on current affairs in Israel. Particularly the columnist Mordechai Gilat for his coverage of the public mood in Israel. WM

PRESS FREEDOM:

23 September 2024: For the newspaper’s coverage of the the shutdown of Al Jazeera offices on the West Bank, stating that it is a dire warning for all journalists in Israel: You’re Next. WM

27 September 2024: TheMarker, Haaretz’s Israeli Agents of Chaos investigation wins a prestigious European Journalism Award. Led by TheMarker’s Gur Megiddo, Haaretz’s Omer Benjakob and French journalist Frédéric Métézeau, the investigation exposed an Israeli-based operation specializing in hacking, fake identities, and disinformation to manipulate elections worldwide. The Israeli Agents of Chaos (Story Killers) project by TheMarker and Haaretz, focusing on the investigation into “Team Jorge,” was awarded the IJ4EU prize for investigative journalism by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Balance + 2 Press freedom + 2

HONG KONG FREE PRESS (Hong Kong) + 1

PRESS FREEDOM:

26 September 2024: In an atmosphere in which repression of the press is becoming commonplace and Hong Kong’s Stand News journalists have just been given jail terms for ‘sedition’ for the first time, the Hong Kong Free Press remains locally published, independent and exemplary. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Press freedom + 1

INSTAGRAM (USA) – 1

ACCURACY:

1 October 2024: This score has been assigned on the basis that the platform’s  algorithm does not prioritise spreading current correct information. Instagram’s infrastructure, the algorithm, has been criticised for incentivizing informal formality. The result being that posts do not show up chronologically and push what’s popular over what is correct. This has had the unfortunate consequence of presenting its users with fake news, as demonstrated during the 2020 pandemic, where Instagram was responsible for circulating covid misinformation and anti-vaccine content and anti-Semitic material. IT

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Accuracy – 1

INTELLIGENCER (USA) – 1

ACCURACY:

18 September 2024: We respect the right of all to express a political opinion, but the Intelligencer website purports to be an independent news source whilst promoting both Donald Trump and Russia. Although much of the website’s content focuses on issues relating to American politics, the site began in Australia, with the broadcaster TNT Radio, launched in 2022. Show hosts frequently deny climate change, and espouse pro-Russian viewpoints on the Ukraine war. This would not be a problem in itself were the associated website not purporting to be an independent news source. Jennifer Squires, one of the station’s owners, stated that Intelligencer began as a way for TNT Radio to have a written publication to complement its radio station. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Accuracy – 1

AL JAZEERA (Qatar) + 3

PRESS FREEDOM:

22 September 2024: The shutdown of Al Jazeera offices on the West Bank by IDF troops at 4 am today (Sunday) is a dire warning for all journalists in Israel. Israel’s forces raided the Al Jazeera bureau in the West Bank and issued a 45-day closure order. Footage showed heavily armed and masked troops entering the premises in Ramallah. The government announced last week that it was revoking the press credentials of Al Jazeera journalists in Israel, four months after banning the channel from operating. WM

5 October 2024: In a video report, Al Jazeera spoke to over a dozen journalists covering the Israeli-Palestine conflict including BBC and CNN. Journalists from both outlets describe a repeated failure to report the conflict with accuracy and sensitivity. Overall, the Al Jazeera report accuses Western media outlets of:

(1) A lack of fact-checking – 6:53-9:20 – False CNN report about Al-Rantisi children’s hospital claimed to be a Hamas base. As evidence, a Hamas “roster” of shifts was shown to CNN’s reporter, Nick Robertson, a document on the wall of the hospital which was actually just a calendar of days of the week – Daniel Hagari was interviewed on site and believed without CNN translating the document.

(2) Conveying dehumanising Palestinian narratives – 15:43 – A study by The Intercept of post-October 7 coverage by NY Times, Washington post and LA times found that Israeli deaths were covered on average 16 times more often than Palestinian deaths. The word “slaughter” was used at a 60:1 rate for Israelis over Palestinians, while “massacre” was used at a 62:1 rate for Israelis over Palestinians.

25:00-26:10 “Sara” from the BBC discusses the editorial line “drilled” into staff that “Israel has right to self-defense” and were “terrified” to stray from that line. KI

SENSITIVITY:

27 September 2024: Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda has won an Emmy award for her documentary produced by Al Jazeera’s AJ+ titled ‘It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive.’ This comes despite a call from a pro-Israel organization, endorsed by more than 150 actors and producers, to revoke the 25-year-old’s short film nomination in the Outstanding Hard News Feature Story category. The eight-minute documentary follows Owda’s journey as she is forced to leave her home in Gaza City after October 7 and is displaced several times. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Press freedom + 2 Sensitivity + 1

THE JERUSALEM POST (Israel) – 1

ACCURACY:

18 September 2024: Misleading and Inaccurate reporting in The Jerusalem Post:  ‘UN votes 124-14 to strip Israel of right to self-defense in Gaza, West Bank’. In reality, the UN General Assembly vote on September 17 was about directing Israel to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories within a year. This non-binding vote followed an advisory ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July, which called on Israel to cease “its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory” and to stop all settlement activity immediately. See articles on The Guardian and BBC News for more accurate reporting. CDL

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Accuracy – 1

JEWISH CHRONICLE (UK) – 1

ACCURACY:

15 September 2024: Jewish Chronicle columnists, David Baddiel, Jonathan Freedland, David Aaronovitch and Hadley Freeman, announced they had resigned in protest over allegations it printed articles about the Gaza conflict that were based on “wild fabrications” by freelance journalist Elon Perry. An apology was subsequently printed by the paper. However the Jewish Chronicle is even being called out in Israel for its complete lack of integrity. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Accuracy – 1

AL MASIRAH TV (Yemen) – 1

ACCURACY:

7 December 2024: Misleading and Inaccurate reporting on Al Masirah TV: Lebanese researcher Dr. Ali Hamie claimed on the eve of the fall of Bashar Al-Assad that HTS leader Abu Mohammed Al-Jolani was kidnapped by the Israelis as a child, raised by the Mossad, and later sent to Syria to infiltrate it. Hamie also stated that during the time Al-Jolani was believed to be in an American prison, he was actually receiving training in Iraq. Additionally, Hamie argued that U.S. President Joe Biden is the “biggest supporter of the Luciferian movement,” which he described as seeking to control people through monotheistic religions. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Accuracy – 1

META formerly Facebook (USA) – 2

PRESS FREEDOM:

16 September 2024: Facebook owner Meta said  it was banning RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian state media networks, alleging the outlets used deceptive tactics to carry out influence operations while evading detection on the social media company’s platforms. The decision comes after the U.S. accused the Kremlin of running a multifaceted disinformation campaign to boost former President Donald Trump and disparage Harris. That alleged effort included the Russian state media outlet, RT, covertly funding popular right-wing influencers. Sanctions such as advertising bans could have continued to be used by Meta without infringing press freedom. Also see corresponding entry for RT. WM

BIAS:

24 September 2024: Frances Haugen, a whistleblower at Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, has claimed that the owner of Facebook and Instagram gives a lower priority to moderating non-English-language content. WM

TRANSPARENCY:

26 September 2024: Meta AI begins to use Facebook users public data for training AI without opt-in consent. This in turn has highlighted the need for better transparency on Meta. WM

ACCURACY:

2nd October 2024: Meta has partnered with the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange to launch the Fraud Intelligence Reciprocal Exchange (Fire) in an attempt to tackle investment scams in Australia. Fire will allow for direct communication between Meta and the banks of victims, to discover new scams and act quickly to remove them. Since the pilot in April, Meta has removed more than 8,000 AI-generated celebrity investment scams and over 9000 scam pages across Facebook and Instagram. PM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Press freedom – 1 Bias – 1 Transparency – 1 Accuracy + 1

The NBC News (USA) + 1

BALANCE:

26 September, 2024: More than 100 reporters have been killed in Gaza, according to the International Federation of Journalists. In addition to the dangers, the media is facing increasing crackdowns. NBC News’ Hala Gorani uniquely provides an in-depth report on journalists caught in the crossfire as the conflict between Israel and Lebanon escalates. AZ

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Balance + 1

The New Lines Magazine (USA) + 1

BALANCE:

24 September, 2024: The New Lines Magazine published an article that interviewed several ex-convicts who fought for the Wagner Group in the Russo-Ukrainian War. It aims, with modest success, to provide an individualised account of the background and motivation for the soldiers in joining the mercenary group while also assessing their return to Russian society after their release from service. HJ.

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Balance + 1

The NEW YORK TIMES (USA) – 1

ACCURACY:

3 September 2024: Writing in the Journal Israel Affairs, the New York Times coverage of the Israel-Hamas war is shown to be full of errors, omissions, and poor editorial supervision by Eytan Gilboa and Lilac Sigan of the School of Communication, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. Errors were identified by external sources, corrections were late, vague and evasive. Omissions created false context and reporting, and lacked transparency. Among the explored case studies and issues: Al-Ahli Hospital explosion, civilian casualties, misquoting Israeli leaders, employing questionable journalists, and internal newsroom testimonials. The findings reveal misleading repeated errors, inadequate corrections, significant omissions, and poor editorial supervision.

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Accuracy – 1

PALESTINE TV (Palestine) – 1

INCITEMENT:

4 September 2024: Lebanese Journalist Kamal Zebian on Palestine TV: The Zionists exploited the ‘Lie Of The Holocaust’ in order to guilt the Germans and Europeans into facilitating their plans. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Incitement – 1

REUTERS (UK) + 2

PRESS FREEDOM:

27 September 2024: It becomes clear that a Russian missile was responsible for the death of a Reuters safety adviser Ryan Evans and wounded two of the agency’s journalists when it struck a hotel in eastern Ukraine last month. We award points to Reuters for press freedom in acknowledgement of the courage of journalists that put themselves in harm’s way to report the truth. WM

ACCURACY:

4 October 2024: Reuters has started to fact check online stories. This was one falsely claiming Yemen’s Ansr al Islam had hit a bus station in Tel Aviv. Reuters corrects the facts about the video that circulated on social media. This is a +1 for Reuters in terms of accuracy. PM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Press freedom + 1 Accuracy +1

ROSSIYA SEGODNYA formerly RIA Novosti (Russia) – 1

TRANSPARENCY:

16 September 2024: Facebook owner Meta said  it was banning the Rossiya Segodnya news agency and other Russian state media networks, alleging the outlets used deceptive tactics to carry out influence operations while evading detection on the social media company’s platforms. “After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets. Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other related entities are now banned from our apps globally for foreign interference activity,” the company said in a written statement. Enforcement of the ban would roll out over the coming days, it said. In addition to Facebook, Meta’s apps include Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.

Also see corresponding entry for Meta. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Transparency – 1

RT formerly Russia Today (Russia) – 1

TRANSPARENCY:

16 September 2024: Facebook owner Meta said  it was banning RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian state media networks, alleging the outlets used deceptive tactics to carry out influence operations while evading detection on the social media company’s platforms.  This happened days after the Biden administration accused RT of acting as an arm of Moscow’s spy agencies. Also see corresponding entry for Meta. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Transparency – 1

The SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN (USA) – 1

BIAS:

19 September 2024: The Scientific American takes a political stance, endorsing the Democrats in the US Presidential election. Though we understand their stance, it seems inappropriate for an academic journal. The magazine reminds us that Harris recognizes the danger of climate change and supports “technology and clean energy” as well as “education, public health and reproductive rights. She treats the climate crisis as the emergency it is and seeks to mitigate its catastrophic storms, fires and droughts.” Meanwhile, the editors say, Trump “ignores the climate crisis in favor of more pollution. He requires that federal officials show personal loyalty to him rather than upholding U.S. laws.” WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Bias – 1

SEVEN NEWS (Australia) – 1

SENSITIVITY:

20 September 2024: The media has been capturing former TV star Andrew O’Keefe’s fall from grace in agonising detail, including his recent community corrections order after he was found guilty of “violent and degrading” domestic attacks. But a story broadcast on Seven News about the former The Chase Australia and Weekend Sunrise host this week featuring a cameraman repeatedly verbally abusing, insulting and goading the 52-year-old appears to have crossed a line with viewers who have called it “unprofessional” and “harassment”. Seven’s new director of news, Anthony De Ceglie, declined to comment and the video remains online. WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Sensitivity – 1

THE SPECTATOR (UK) + 1

PRESS FREEDOM:

10 September 2024: The Spectator magazine in London, a publication that has so valued its independence that it has made an issue of standing up for its editorial freedom, has survived a takeover battle in such a way as to continue to retain the editorial independence for which it is renowned.  WM

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Press freedom + 1

THE SUNDAY TIMES (UK) + 1

ACCURACY:

15 September 2024: The Sunday Times magazine in London, carried an in depth cover story by Amir Tibon with seven pages of content titled “The Darkest Hour” on the events of October 7th 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel in a brutal terrorist action. We award it a positive score in this regard because the Sunday Times did not at any point in the extensive seven page content repeat the entirely false allegations of rape and beheadings that were promulgated by Premier Netanyahu and subsequently by President Biden (as so many others have done). Though Israeli women were stripped naked by the terrorists, there have been absolutely no confirmed or in any way reliable reports of rape or beheadings. WM / JAA

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Accuracy + 1

THE WASHINGTON POST (USA) + 2

BALANCE:

16 September 2024: Washington Post columnist, Ishaan Tharoor, for consistently balanced articles about the Gaza conflict since October 7 2023. And for the high standards being maintained by the paper. WM

ACCURACY:

21 October 2024: The Washington Post issued a correction to an error in its reporting about donor support for Vice President Kamala Harris versus former President Donald Trump. Initially, the WP article mistakenly claimed that Harris received more donations than Trump in every state. This error, along with incorrect donor totals in the map and chart, resulted from the accidental omission of data from one of Trump’s main fundraising committees, the Trump National Committee. After including the missing data, The Washington Post corrected the article, clarifying that Trump actually received more donations than Harris in six Republican-leaning states: Alabama, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. This correction is significant, as the initial misinformation affected perceptions of regional donor support patterns for both candidates.  Article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/interactive/2024/trump-harris-donors-zip-code-map/

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Balance + 1 Accuracy + 1

X formerly Twitter (USA) – 4

BALANCE:

17 September 2024: Elon Musk, owner of X, issued a social media post in which he said that “no one is even trying” to assassinate President Joe Biden or Vice-President Kamala Harris. Mr Musk has since deleted the post and said it was intended as a joke. His post on X, formerly Twitter, came just hours after the suspected attempted assassination of Donald Trump at his golf course in Florida. Mr Musk has often tweeted or re-posted messages critical of both Biden and Harris and in support of Trump. WM

24 September 2024: The author of a report issued by the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) said that Elon Musk’s ownership of X had raised concerns including reports of excessive promotion of Musk’s own tweets. WM

SENSITIVITY:

15 September 2024: A post on X by UK radio personality, Rev Richard Coles, about right wing leader Tommy Robinson, led to Richard Coles being falsely branded as a “pedo” (paedophiliac) on social media. Not only did X refuse to take action, but it responded to complaints with the incredible statement, “After reviewing the available information, we determined that there were no violations of the X rules in the content you reported.”  WM

ACCURACY:

21 October 2024: Elon Musk shared a misleading post about Michigan’s voting rolls, asserting that Michigan had more registered voters than eligible citizens, implying a risk of widespread fraud. In response, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson clarified that the figure Musk cited included both active and inactive registrations—records that remain temporarily on the rolls to prevent accidental disenfranchisement. The misinformation spread by Musk was significant because it fuelled doubts about election integrity. Article: Elon Musk targets Michigan with voter misinformation – The Washington Post. CDL

BREAKDOWN OF THE SCORE FOR THIS MEDIA OUTLET:

Balance – 2 Sensitivity – 1 Accuracy – 1

Image above by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay