Bias positions
Every tracked outlet has a bias_position - an integer 0 to 100 placing it on the political spectrum.
| Range | Slug | Example outlets |
|---|---|---|
| 0 - 20 | left | The Guardian, Jacobin, MSNBC |
| 21 - 40 | left-center | NPR, The Atlantic, Washington Post |
| 41 - 60 | center | BBC, Reuters, AP |
| 61 - 80 | right-center | Wall Street Journal, The Economist |
| 81 - 100 | right | Fox News, Breitbart, Daily Wire |
| - | intl | Al Jazeera, Der Spiegel, Le Monde |
International outlets are tracked separately and sit outside the linear spectrum. Their bias_position is computed but should be read as "how their coverage aligns with US-domestic poles on a given story" rather than a durable stance.
How positions are set
Positions draw on three industry sources (AllSides, Ad Fontes, MBFC) blended into a single number. Blends are reviewed quarterly. Individual scores are not exposed via the API - bias_position is the final number.
What bias is for
- Rendering the spectrum bar on the event page
- Driving the
covered_by/ignored_bylogic in/divergence/gaps - Filtering list endpoints by outlet
It is not used directly in the divergence score. The score is computed from article content, not from who filed it.