SBS News media bias and reliability
The rating organisations do not give SBS News one shared verdict in the records we hold. Their published ratings are Ad Fontes Media: Centre; Media Bias/Fact Check: Leans left. We have seen it on 34 published stories of ours.
The short answers
Is SBS News biased?
The rating organisations do not give SBS News one shared verdict in the records we hold. Their published ratings are Ad Fontes Media: Centre; Media Bias/Fact Check: Leans left. An outlet rating describes a broad pattern in its output, not every article it publishes.
Is SBS News left or right?
The rating organisations do not give SBS News one shared verdict in the records we hold. Their published ratings are Ad Fontes Media: Centre; Media Bias/Fact Check: Leans left. In the three-way grouping used on story pages, that puts it under Left.
Is SBS News reliable?
The factual-reliability assessments we hold for SBS News are Media Bias/Fact Check: High factuality. These are outlet-level assessments, not a guarantee that every report is correct.
What SBS News has been covering
Our account of each story, written from every outlet that ran it, with SBS News’s own report linked underneath.
President Donald Trump's address to the United Nations General Assembly included numerous claims that have been disputed by experts and official reports. These assertions covered topics from U.S. munitions stockpiles and global oil reserves to his record on settling wars and climate change warnings.
SBS News reported it asTrump's UN message on Iran was blunt. His AI pitch raised eyebrows (opens SBS News in a new tab)
President Donald Trump vetoed CNN, Politico, and MS NOW, impacting audiovisual coverage of his UN trip. In response, CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox halted their joint television coverage of Trump, citing solidarity with the banned outlets.
SBS News reported it asHow the US media's fightback will hit Donald Trump — and the legal right it's relying on (opens SBS News in a new tab)
Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on Moscow, targeting oil refineries and logistics facilities. The assault occurred on the final day of Russia's parliamentary elections, with reports differing on the number of drones used and casualties.
SBS News reported it asUkraine launches 'largest ever' drone attack on Moscow on final day of Russian elections (opens SBS News in a new tab)
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated Russia launched over 2,000 attack drones, 1,700 guided aerial bombs, and 19 missiles against Ukraine in the past week. The attacks targeted civilian and critical infrastructure across multiple regions, including a drone strike on a monastery that killed a priest.
SBS News reported it asUkraine launches 'largest ever' drone attack on Moscow on final day of Russian elections (opens SBS News in a new tab)
Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour has seen all supporting artists withdraw after the removal of rapper Macklemore. Macklemore was reportedly dropped due to his pro-Palestine stance. Greta Thunberg and Shane MacGowan's widow have commented on the situation.
SBS News reported it as'Unjustifiable': Ed Sheeran addresses Gaza war after Macklemore controversy (opens SBS News in a new tab)
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Apple Executive Chair Tim Cook at Apple Park. Cook reportedly described Australia's social media restrictions for under-16s as 'world-leading'. The pair also discussed user control over social media algorithms.
SBS News reported it asWe came to the Apple mothership to meet Tim Cook, but left with just a few photos and a silent movie (opens SBS News in a new tab)
Global freshwater reserves have fallen significantly, with the World Meteorological Organization reporting 2025 as one of the driest years for river flows in 35 years. The UN warns the water cycle is becoming more unpredictable, potentially exacerbated by El Niño.
SBS News reported it asThe world relies on this hidden water buffer. A ‘super’ El Niño is coming (opens SBS News in a new tab)
The Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration's request to enforce new U.S. Postal Service mail ballot regulations ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The court's order leaves in place a lower court injunction blocking the rules.
SBS News reported it asTrump blasts 'horrible' Supreme Court decision after it blocks plan to restrict mail-in ballots (opens SBS News in a new tab)
Leaders of the SNP, Plaid Cymru, and Sinn Féin met in Cardiff to sign a memorandum of understanding calling for self-determination and independence referendums. The meeting followed US President Donald Trump's public support for Irish unity.
SBS News reported it asCould a Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish independence pact threaten UK unity? (opens SBS News in a new tab)
Donald Trump confirmed he uses artificial intelligence but declined to specify how, stating only that it can be used for "a lot of things." He also commented on the technology's future, saying "whoever wins in artificial intelligence wins."
SBS News reported it as'Hoax': Donald Trump dismisses warnings that AI could destroy humanity (opens SBS News in a new tab)
Donald Trump has rejected calls for new regulations on artificial intelligence, stating that the U.S. government already possesses adequate power to control AI firms. He described efforts to implement guardrails as a "sick conspiracy" that could cede technological leadership to China.
SBS News reported it as'Hoax': Donald Trump dismisses warnings that AI could destroy humanity (opens SBS News in a new tab)
A fire broke out at an oil refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl region following a Ukrainian drone attack. The fire was extinguished, and regional officials reported that 65 drones were shot down over the area.
SBS News reported it asTrump calls on Zelenskyy to stop striking Russian diesel, says attacks are causing a shortage (opens SBS News in a new tab)
Daniel Billings has been sentenced to 28 years in jail for the murder of Molly Ticehurst. He broke into her home and stabbed her 15 times in April 2024. The murder was motivated by revenge after Ticehurst reported alleged sexual assault to police.
SBS News reported it asMolly Ticehurst's killer sentenced to 28 years in prison (opens SBS News in a new tab)
Houthis attacked energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, wounding 73 people and causing oil prices to rise sharply. Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slowed amid heightened regional tensions and Iranian threats against the United States.
SBS News reported it asSaudi oil sites hit as Houthi attacks intensify amid US-Iran fighting (opens SBS News in a new tab)
Iran has threatened to retaliate against any new US attacks on its assets, warning that American oil and gas companies in the region share the exposure of Iranian assets. The exchange follows US strikes on three Iranian oil tankers.
SBS News reported it asIran says US energy assets in the Gulf are 'exposed' after latest clashes (opens SBS News in a new tab)
Iran's government will increase gasoline prices for consumers exceeding 110 liters per month. The price for the third tier of fuel will rise significantly, while the first two tiers will remain unchanged. Revenue from the increase is earmarked for improving citizens' living conditions.
SBS News reported it asIran warns the US of 'more intense and more painful' counterattacks (opens SBS News in a new tab)
The Anak Krakatau volcano erupted on September 4-5, 2026, with an ash column observed by satellite. Loud booms were heard up to 150km away, and Indonesian authorities placed the volcano under Alert Level III, prohibiting access within a 3km radius.
SBS News reported it asVolcanic eruption triggers six airport closures, affecting hundreds of flights in Indonesia (opens SBS News in a new tab)
Eight Indonesian airports, including Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma, were closed on 7 September due to ash from the Mount Anak Krakatau eruption. The transport ministry reported 170,000 people were affected by flight cancellations.
SBS News reported it asVolcanic eruption triggers six airport closures, affecting hundreds of flights in Indonesia (opens SBS News in a new tab)
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The talks occurred as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a potential ceasefire, while Russian missiles struck airports near Kyiv.
SBS News reported it asUS envoys head to Kyiv for first-ever visit after 'extremely frank' talks with Vladimir Putin (opens SBS News in a new tab)
Israeli forces conducted strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, resulting in at least three deaths and 23 injuries, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The Israeli military stated the action followed a Hezbollah drone attack.
SBS News reported it asIsraeli strikes leave three dead in Lebanon despite ceasefire agreement (opens SBS News in a new tab)
Who says so
2 organisations have published a rating for this outlet, in their own words. Where they disagree, the disagreement is the useful part and it is left standing.
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.
Very high factuality
- Media Bias/Fact CheckhighCheck it
Who owns it
- Special Broadcasting Serviceunknowndirect owner
- Australian GovernmentGovernmentparent group
Where it publishes from
- Publishes from
- Artarmon, Willoughby City Council, New South Wales, Australia
- Official site
- sbs.com.au
- Seen publishing on
- sbs.com.au
- 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
- 34
- Reports listed
- 34
- We could read
- 2
- First seen
- 11 August 2026
32 of those reports were paywalled or blocked to us. Our reading of this outlet is built on the 2 we could open, not on everything it published.
On 8 of those stories, outlets rated left were largely absent from the coverage and SBS News ran the story anyway.
Across the 34 stories of ours where at least three of the reports we listed carried a time, we logged no report earlier than SBS News’s on 1 of them. Overall it filed a median of 28 hours after the earliest report we logged.
Measured 26 September 2026. Last seen in a coverage list 26 September 2026. Ratings pulled 11 September 2026.
Other outlets rated the same way
Publishers carrying the same published leaning as SBS News, also publishing from Australia, 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 SBS News 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.