Belfast Telegraph media bias and reliability
Ad Fontes Media places Belfast Telegraph in the centre. We have seen it on 109 published stories of ours.
The short answers
Is Belfast Telegraph biased?
Ad Fontes Media places Belfast Telegraph in the centre. An outlet rating describes a broad pattern in its output, not every article it publishes.
Is Belfast Telegraph left or right?
Ad Fontes Media places Belfast Telegraph in the centre. In the three-way grouping used on story pages, that puts it under Centre.
Is Belfast Telegraph reliable?
The factual-reliability assessments we hold for Belfast Telegraph are Ad Fontes Media: High factuality. These are outlet-level assessments, not a guarantee that every report is correct.
What Belfast Telegraph has been covering
Our account of each story, written from every outlet that ran it, with Belfast Telegraph’s own report linked underneath.
On Tuesday, Americans vote in the 2026 midterms that will decide whether Republicans keep their narrow House majority and Senate seats. Trump faces low approval ratings, a war with Iran and a costly cost‑of‑living squeeze, while polls show 54% of his base would back him even if he loses.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asTrump says midterms most important ‘in our lifetime’ as voters head to polls (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
Polls have opened across the United States for midterm elections, with a potential 'Blue Wave' threatening Republican control of Congress. President Trump made a final campaign address as his approval ratings hover near a record low.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asTrump says midterms most important ‘in our lifetime’ as voters head to polls (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
Democrats hope midterm elections will curb President Trump's power, but Canadians may be disappointed as bilateral tensions are likely to remain. Experts point to persistent protectionist policies and potential presidential unpredictability as reasons for continued strain.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asTrump says midterms most important ‘in our lifetime’ as voters head to polls (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
Donald Trump has acknowledged that the war with Iran, alongside the cost of living, played a role in the Republican Party's defeat in the midterm elections. The conflict's financial toll was also noted.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asTrump says midterms most important ‘in our lifetime’ as voters head to polls (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
Police in Northern Ireland are investigating a report of an alleged assault on a cleric. The incident occurred at St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral in Armagh and involved Enoch Burke confronting Archbishop John McDowell. A video appears to show Burke grabbing the Archbishop's arm.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asPolice investigating ‘report of assault’ after video is posted of Enoch Burke confronting Archbishop of Armagh (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
Patrick Stewart, the British actor famous for his roles as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in 'Star Trek' and Professor Charles Xavier in 'X-Men', has died at the age of 86. His death was announced by his family.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asPatrick Stewart: Before accepting Star Trek fame, his first love was Shakespeare (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
Patrick Stewart, the British actor famous for his roles as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in 'Star Trek' and Professor Charles Xavier in 'X-Men', has died at the age of 86. His death was announced by his family.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asPatrick Stewart, star of X-Men and Star Trek: The Next Generation, dies aged 86 (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
A US judge has ordered Donald Trump to produce documents by November 23 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC. The judge warned that failure to comply could result in sanctions, including the dismissal of his case.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asDonald Trump warned BBC libel case could be dismissed unless he releases records (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
A localized ceasefire in Oleshky, Ukraine, brokered by First Lady Melania Trump, began on Tuesday to facilitate humanitarian aid. This comes as President Zelenskyy reported a significant overnight barrage of Russian missiles and drones.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asCeasefire in devastated Ukrainian city holds for first 30 hours, officials say (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Morris, a US Air Force officer stationed at the embassy in London, left the United Kingdom in August 2026 before British police could question him. He is under investigation for alleged possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, and his brother is on trial in the US.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asUS embassy worker accused over child abuse images is senior air force officer (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
The UK government is set to invest £15 million in a new fund aimed at tackling misogyny. The initiative will provide support for mentoring, training, and public awareness campaigns, with the investment expected to be confirmed at the upcoming Budget.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asChancellor invests £15m in fund to tackle misogyny (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
The Chancellor has announced plans to cut import tariffs on more than 100 products, including food staples, as part of a series of 'everyday fixes' ahead of the upcoming Budget. Other measures include changes to parental pay and carer's allowance.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asPM promises end of carers ‘cliff edge’ in cost-of-living package on Budget eve (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
The BBC agreed to pay £400,000 to documentary producer Lucie Kon, who said BBC colleagues called Zionists like her “evil” after the October 7 attacks. An internal investigation did not uphold her complaint, and the corporation reiterated that antisemitism is not tolerated.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asBBC agrees to pay £400,000-plus to Jewish producer after antisemitism complaint (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has secured a fourth term as Brazil's president, defeating right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro challenged the election results, while international leaders congratulated Lula on his victory and commitment to democracy.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asLula is declared winner of Brazil’s election as Bolsonaro rejects results (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
NHBC reports 13% drop in new‑home registrations in Q3 2026 as government scheme faces scrutiny
Trust 86In the third quarter of 2026 the NHBC recorded 26,231 new‑home registrations, a 13% year‑on‑year fall. Private‑sector registrations slipped 8% and the rental‑affordable sector fell 23%. The government’s Your First Home scheme offers a 2.5% deposit and a 20% state loan, but industry leaders warn the market is at a critical point.
Belfast Telegraph reported it as‘Critical point’ for housing industry as fall in new home registrations recorded (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit Party is projected to win seven to ten seats in Israel's upcoming election. This could make his party a key coalition partner for Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, giving Ben-Gvir significant leverage.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asIsraeli army carries out massive operation in West Bank ahead of election (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called for an open discussion about the UK readopting EU free movement rules. He plans to meet EU leaders on November 20 and wants to explore options for a closer relationship with the bloc.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asBurnham: Time for ‘honest discussion’ about freedom of movement with EU (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
US special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, calling him a 'humanitarian' and thanking him for the release of American Stephen Hubbard. Witkoff also presented documents outlining potential peace agreement approaches.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asDowning Street rejects American description of Vladimir Putin as ‘humanitarian’ (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
Christiane Amanpour will depart CNN in June 2027 after 43 years. Her daily shows on CNN and PBS will end by the close of 2026, with a weekly CNN show continuing through May 2027. She will also continue her podcast with ex-husband Jamie Rubin.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asChristiane Amanpour announces she is leaving CNN after 43 years (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
An undercover investigation by ITV has revealed an aspiring Reform UK MP suggesting asylum seekers should be placed in 'concentration camps' and stating that Muslims cannot be British. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has stated there is no room for racism in the party.
Belfast Telegraph reported it asUndercover footage shows Reform activist claiming Muslims cannot be British (opens Belfast Telegraph in a new tab)
Who says so
One organisation has published a rating for this outlet. Where they disagree, the disagreement is the useful part and it is left standing.
- Ad Fontes MediacenterCheck it
How reliably it reports fact
A rating of the newsroom in general, by others, and a different thing from the Trust score we publish on each story, which judges one piece of reporting.
High factuality
- Ad Fontes MediahighCheck it
Who owns it
- Independent News & Mediaunknowndirect owner
- MediahuisMedia Conglomerateparent group
Where it publishes from
- Publishes from
- Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
- Official site
- belfasttelegraph.co.uk
- Seen publishing on
- belfasttelegraph.co.uk
- Access
- Free to read
- Wikipedia
- Entry
What we have seen ourselves
Counted across the stories this site has published, which is the only denominator a reader can check: every one of them has a page, and every page lists the reports it was written from.
- Stories
- 109
- Reports listed
- 113
- We could read
- 0
- First seen
- 4 August 2026
113 of those reports were paywalled or blocked to us. Our reading of this outlet is built on the 0 we could open, not on everything it published.
A blindspot is measured against one side of the spectrum. Belfast Telegraph is rated centre, so there is no side for it to be counted against and we publish no figure here.
Across the 109 stories of ours where at least three of the reports we listed carried a time, we logged no report earlier than Belfast Telegraph’s on 4 of them. Overall it filed a median of 24 hours after the earliest report we logged.
Measured 4 November 2026. Last seen in a coverage list 4 November 2026. Ratings pulled 4 November 2026.
Other outlets rated the same way
Publishers carrying the same published leaning as Belfast Telegraph, also publishing from United Kingdom, ordered by how often we have seen them on a story. Sharing a rating is not the same as being alike.
Think this page is wrong?
The leanings above are published by AllSides, Ad Fontes Media and Media Bias/Fact Check, and we republish them rather than make them. If you think one is misapplied, the strongest place to say so is with the organisation that made it, and every verdict here links to their page.
What we are responsible for is everything else: the ownership chain, where Belfast Telegraph publishes from, which of our stories we have listed it on, and whether we have the right publisher at all. Tell us what is wrong and an editor reads it.
Report something wrong on this page
Anything we correct is written up in the public corrections log. We do not publish reader votes as a rating, because an unattributed rating is the thing this site exists to argue against.
Every rating on this page is a named third party’s published work, republished with its author and, where one exists, a link to it. Our own coverage record is the section we measure ourselves. Neither is a judgement of any individual report: those are scored story by story, and the reasoning is on our methodology page.