--- title: "Study claims Apple, Google News favor outlets backing Democrats" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/media/study-claims-apple-google-news-favor-outlets-backing-democrats" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/study-claims-apple-google-news-favor-outlets-backing-democrats" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/media/study-claims-apple-google-news-favor-outlets-backing-democrats.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/study-claims-apple-google-news-favor-outlets-backing-democrats" category: "Media" published: "2026-08-21T12:46:01.130Z" source_reported: "2026-08-20T20:15:00.000Z" updated: "2026-08-21T12:46:01.130Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 59 hype_score: 41 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-21T12:30:49.256751+00:00" --- # Study claims Apple, Google News favor outlets backing Democrats *Conservative watchdog group says top promoted news sources have endorsed Republicans zero times since 1988.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to the Media Research Center, with some details from full reports and others from digests. - Craft 59 of 100, higher is better. The reporting includes quotes from the MRC and Google, and separates fact from comment. - Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. The headline and presentation suggest a strong bias without fully detailing the methodology or counterarguments. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - A Media Research Center study claims that the most promoted news outlets on Apple News and Google News have endorsed Democratic presidential candidates 31 times and Republican candidates zero times since 1988. - The study identified The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Guardian, USA Today, and The Los Angeles Times as the top five promoted outlets on Apple News. - Google disputes the study's findings, stating that the MRC report mistakes sheer volume of stories for news bias and that a publication's presence reflects its high volume of coverage on trending topics. - The MRC report also examined the language used by publications when endorsing candidates, noting sharp criticisms of Republican candidates. A conservative media watchdog group, the Media Research Center (MRC), has released a study alleging that news outlets most prominently featured on Apple News and Google News have exclusively endorsed Democratic presidential candidates over the past 10 election cycles. The study claims these outlets have collectively issued 31 endorsements for Democrats and none for Republicans since 1988. The MRC identified the top five promoted outlets on Apple News as The Washington Post, The New York Times (including The Athletic), The Guardian, USA Today, and The Los Angeles Times. For Google News, the top five were identified as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Atlantic, and USA Today. According to the MRC, these publications have backed Democratic candidates in every presidential election covered by the analysis, naming figures from Michael Dukakis in 1988 to Kamala Harris in 2024. The study also examined the language used by some publications in their endorsements. The MRC report highlights USA Today's 2016 editorial opposing Donald Trump, which stated he lacked the necessary "temperament, knowledge, steadiness and honesty." It also points to The New York Times' 2024 endorsement of Kamala Harris, which described Trump as "morally unfit" and "temperamentally unfit." ## Disagreement on methodology and interpretation Google has disputed the MRC's findings, stating that the report mistakes the sheer volume of stories for news bias. Google argues that a publication's presence on its platform reflects its high volume of coverage on trending topics rather than political leanings. The company has previously challenged the methodology of MRC studies, calling claims "totally false" and based on a "completely flawed methodology." ## What the coverage left out None of the reports below mention USA Today's 2016 editorial opposing Donald Trump, which was specifically cited by Live Mint as an instance where USA Today broke from its traditional non-endorsement policy. The specific details of the language used by The Washington Post in its 2020 endorsement of Joe Biden, as reported by Live Mint, were also not mentioned in the other reports. ## Who covered it Shares of the 11 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 27% (3) - Right: 73% (8) 1 of 12 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-21T12:30:49.256751+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 2 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-21T13:15:20.094Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports from Live Mint and Fox 25 Oklahoma City led with the core claim of the Media Research Center study: that Apple News and Google News promote outlets that have not endorsed a Republican presidential candidate in the past 10 elections, totaling 31 endorsements for Democrats. These reports detailed the specific outlets identified by the MRC for both Apple News and Google News. They also included Google's dispute of the study's findings, with Fox 25 Oklahoma City quoting MRC President David Bozell on the need for greater inclusion of center-right perspectives. Live Mint noted that the study itself does not establish intentional promotion by the platforms. ### Right - The right-rated reports from WCIV, WBMA, KRNV, WBFF, mrc.org, ussanews.com, and the New York Post all highlighted the MRC study's central assertion that Apple News and Google News promote outlets with a 31-0 record of endorsing Democratic presidential candidates and no Republican endorsements over the last 10 elections. The New York Post's headline stated these platforms were "shutting out Republicans." The reports from mrc.org and ussanews.com directly referenced the MRC's own reporting on the matter. Several reports, including those from WCIV, WBMA, KRNV, and WBFF, used identical headlines and digest text, focusing on the scrutiny Apple and Google face over potential bias in their news feeds. The MRC's own report from mrc.org included a direct link to a related article on their website. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 2 - mixed: 3 - high: 1 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 5 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [matzav.com](https://matzav.com/apple-news-google-news-push-outlets-with-31-0-democratic-endorsement-record-study-finds) — Apple News, Google News Push Outlets With 31-0 Democratic Endorsement Record, Study Finds - [Live Mint](https://livemint.com/news/us-news/apple-google-news-favor-democrats-never-endorsed-a-republican-presidential-candidate-new-study-reveals-11787252459236.html) — Apple, Google News ‘favor Democrats’. Never endorsed a Republican presidential candidate. New study reveals - [WCIV](https://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/bias-in-the-news-feed-apple-google-face-scrutiny-media-watchdog-tech-giants-elections) — Bias in the news feed? Apple, Google face scrutiny - [WBMA](https://abc3340.com/news/nation-world/bias-in-the-news-feed-apple-google-face-scrutiny-media-watchdog-tech-giants-elections) — Bias in the news feed? Apple, Google face scrutiny - [KRNV](https://mynews4.com/news/nation-world/bias-in-the-news-feed-apple-google-face-scrutiny-media-watchdog-tech-giants-elections) — Bias in the news feed? Apple, Google face scrutiny - [Fox 25 Oklahoma City](https://okcfox.com/news/nation-world/bias-in-the-news-feed-apple-google-face-scrutiny-media-watchdog-tech-giants-elections) — Bias in the news feed? Apple, Google face scrutiny - [WBFF](https://foxbaltimore.com/news/nation-world/bias-in-the-news-feed-apple-google-face-scrutiny-media-watchdog-tech-giants-elections) — Bias in the news feed? Apple, Google face scrutiny - [KDBC](https://cbs4local.com/news/nation-world/bias-in-the-news-feed-apple-google-face-scrutiny-media-watchdog-tech-giants-elections) — Bias in the news feed? Apple, Google face scrutiny - [mrc.org](https://mrc.org/node/94503) — Apple & Google Push Media that Haven’t Backed a Republican in Last 10 Elections: 31-0 Favoring Dems - [NewsBusters](https://newsbusters.org/blogs/free-speech/luis-cornelio/2026/08/20/apple-google-push-media-havent-backed-republican-last-10) — Apple & Google Push Media that Haven’t Backed a Republican in Last 10 Elections: 31-0 Favoring Dems - [ussanews.com](https://ussanews.com/2026/08/20/apple-google-face-bias-scrutiny-in-news-feeds) — Apple, Google Face Bias Scrutiny in News Feeds - [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/08/20/business/apple-news-google-promote-outlets-that-endorse-dem-presidential-candidates-while-shutting-out-republicans-study) — Exclusive | Apple News, Google promote outlets that endorse Dem presidential candidates — while shutting out Republicans: study ## Questions **What does the Media Research Center study claim about Apple News and Google News?** The Media Research Center study claims that the news outlets most promoted on Apple News and Google News have collectively endorsed Democratic presidential candidates 31 times since 1988 and have never endorsed a Republican candidate. This suggests a political imbalance in the news aggregators' promotion of certain outlets. **Which news outlets were identified as most promoted by Apple News and Google News?** According to the study, the top five promoted outlets on Apple News were The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Guardian, USA Today, and The Los Angeles Times. For Google News, the identified outlets were The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Atlantic, and USA Today. **How does Google respond to the study's findings?** Google disputes the study's findings, arguing that the Media Research Center report mistakes the sheer volume of stories for news bias. Google states that a publication's presence on its platform generally reflects its high volume of coverage on trending topics, not necessarily political leanings. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/media/study-claims-apple-google-news-favor-outlets-backing-democrats. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Study claims Apple, Google News favor outlets backing Democrats", https://mediabias.news/media/study-claims-apple-google-news-favor-outlets-backing-democrats