IOL media bias and reliability
Media Bias/Fact Check places IOL in the centre. We have seen it on 41 published stories of ours.
The short answers
Is IOL biased?
Media Bias/Fact Check places IOL in the centre. An outlet rating describes a broad pattern in its output, not every article it publishes.
Is IOL left or right?
Media Bias/Fact Check places IOL in the centre. In the three-way grouping used on story pages, that puts it under Centre.
Is IOL reliable?
The factual-reliability assessments we hold for IOL are Media Bias/Fact Check: Mixed factuality. These are outlet-level assessments, not a guarantee that every report is correct.
What IOL has been covering
Our account of each story, written from every outlet that ran it, with IOL’s own report linked underneath.
The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that could allow President Donald Trump to impose up to 100% tariffs on countries buying Russian oil. India's Ministry of External Affairs stated the nation will take necessary steps to protect its trade and economic interests.
IOL reported it asUS approves sweeping Russia sanctions with 100% tariff threat for its trade partners (opens IOL in a new tab)
The European Commission plans to propose a ban on social media for children under 13. Those aged 13 to 15 would have restricted access, potentially via parent-supervised 'mini-accounts'. The legislation is to be known as the 'EU Kids Act'.
IOL reported it asEU to ban social media for under 13s, curb access until 15 (opens IOL in a new tab)
Three supporting acts have withdrawn from Ed Sheeran's tour following the removal of rapper Macklemore. Macklemore was dropped by tour promoters for pro-Palestinian comments made during a performance. The departing acts cited solidarity with Macklemore and opposition to perceived silencing of voices speaking out against Israeli actions.
IOL reported it asEd Sheeran tour loses four acts after Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian comments (opens IOL in a new tab)
The United States has imposed new visa restrictions on certain South African nationals, citing race-based discrimination and uncompensated land seizures. South Africa has rejected the US allegations, stating the measures are based on mischaracterised policies and fringe group information.
IOL reported it asSouth Africans face new US visa restrictions as tension over race policies intensifies (opens IOL in a new tab)
Leaders of the BRICS nations have issued a joint declaration expressing deep concern over escalating Middle East tensions. They called for maximum restraint and condemned unilateral sanctions not authorized by the UN, stating they violate international law.
IOL reported it asBRICS 2026: From Representation to Economic Agency (opens IOL in a new tab)
A multi-vehicle crash on South Africa's N1 highway in the Western Cape Province has resulted in at least 21 fatalities. Three individuals sustained serious injuries and were transported to hospital.
IOL reported it as21 people killed in horror N1 Western Cape crash (opens IOL in a new tab)
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks with an exhibit of artifacts. The display includes personal items from the day, presented openly due to fragility, as museum leadership navigates political criticism.
IOL reported it asTrump absent as New York marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 (opens IOL in a new tab)
August 2026 was the hottest month on record globally, tying with July 2023, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. The record heat was attributed to human-caused climate change and a strong El Niño event, with sea surface temperatures also reaching new highs.
IOL reported it asAugust hottest month ever recorded globally: EU monitor (opens IOL in a new tab)
Alex Gibney's documentary 'Musk' premiered at the Venice Film Festival. The nearly four-hour film examines Elon Musk's rise and legacy, featuring interviews and a simulated conversation with the billionaire. It is set for a U.S. theatrical release in October.
IOL reported it as‘Visionary or conman?’ Alex Gibney’s Musk documentary premieres in Venice (opens IOL in a new tab)
Leaked documents, videos, and communications suggest Sudan's army developed and used chemical weapons, including chlorine-based bombs, against rebel forces. The Sudanese government has denied the allegations.
IOL reported it asAllegations That Sudanese Army Used International Relief Materials to Produce Banned Weapons (opens IOL in a new tab)
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for the US to be held accountable for the deaths of 23 migrants in custody in 2026. Volker Türk also urged the US to stop deportations to countries where migrants may suffer irreparable harm.
IOL reported it as23 deaths in 2026 put Trump’s immigration crackdown under UN scrutiny (opens IOL in a new tab)
The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution to use maps that more accurately represent the true relative sizes of countries and continents. The move, driven by African nations, seeks to correct distortions caused by the centuries-old Mercator projection.
IOL reported it asNew World map puts Africa’s true size into perspective (opens IOL in a new tab)
US Vice President JD Vance stated the conflict with Iran is not a war and that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is nearly back to normal. President Trump is reportedly considering declaring victory.
IOL reported it asIran retaliates after US strikes oil tankers (opens IOL in a new tab)
A glacier collapse, not an earthquake, caused the devastating flash floods in Nepal and Tibet, according to the United States Geological Survey. The event sent ice, rock, and debris into a river, causing catastrophic flooding. Experts are now concerned about the potential for a second flood.
IOL reported it asFamilies descend on Nepal in search of missing tourists (opens IOL in a new tab)
French President Emmanuel Macron is in London to view the Bayeux Tapestry with King Charles III and meet UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham. They will discuss migration, the Russia-Ukraine war, and UK-EU relations. The tapestry is on loan from France for a 10-month exhibition.
IOL reported it asKing Charles, Macron to view Bayeux Tapestry as French leader starts UK visit (opens IOL in a new tab)
Thieves stole more than 50 gold objects from the Treasure of Villena, a Bronze Age collection, in a raid lasting approximately four minutes. The estimated value of the gold alone is €1.7 million.
IOL reported it asGold treasure looted in 'super-fast' raid on Spanish museum (opens IOL in a new tab)
Flash floods and landslides swept away villages along the Nepal-Tibet border, killing at least 165 people. Experts suggest a glacial collapse, not an earthquake, was the cause, with climate change and the region's topography exacerbating the risks.
IOL reported it asHow a glacier collapse may have caused Nepal-Tibet disaster (opens IOL in a new tab)
Eight South Koreans working on a hydropower plant project are missing and 10 others are stranded after a flash flood in Nepal. South Korea's Foreign Ministry has established a task force and plans to send a response team to the affected Rasuwa district.
IOL reported it asFour South Africans missing after deadly Nepal-Tibet flash floods (opens IOL in a new tab)
A 24-year-old Nepali labourer survived a flash flood by clinging to a mango tree after being swept away by a torrent of mud and rock. The disaster has killed at least 150 people and left hundreds missing in Nepal.
IOL reported it asFour South Africans missing after deadly Nepal-Tibet flash floods (opens IOL in a new tab)
Britain, Canada, and Australia have condemned Israel's decision to close its investigation into the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza in 2024. The incident occurred when a military strike hit their vehicle convoy.
IOL reported it asUK, Canada, Australia slam Israel ending probe into aid worker killings (opens IOL 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.
- Media Bias/Fact CheckcenterCheck 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.
Mixed factuality
- Media Bias/Fact CheckmixedCheck it
Who owns it
- Independent Media (Pty) LtdMedia Conglomeratedirect owner
Where it publishes from
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
- 41
- Reports listed
- 41
- We could read
- 0
- First seen
- 4 August 2026
41 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. IOL is rated centre, so there is no side for it to be counted against and we publish no figure here.
Across the 41 stories of ours where at least three of the reports we listed carried a time, another outlet was always ahead of IOL: its report arrived a median of 33 hours after the earliest one we logged.
Measured 18 September 2026. Last seen in a coverage list 18 September 2026. Ratings pulled 5 September 2026.
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 IOL 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.