SME media bias and reliability
The bias data this site ingests places SME as leaning left. It does not name the organisation that made that assessment, so we publish it as an unattributed rating and nothing more. We have seen it on 30 published stories of ours.
The short answers
Is SME biased?
The bias data this site ingests places SME as leaning left. It does not name the organisation that made that assessment, so we publish it as an unattributed rating and nothing more. An outlet rating describes a broad pattern in its output, not every article it publishes.
Is SME left or right?
The bias data this site ingests places SME as leaning left. It does not name the organisation that made that assessment, so we publish it as an unattributed rating and nothing more. In the three-way grouping used on story pages, that puts it under Left.
Is SME reliable?
The factuality data this site ingests describes SME as high factuality. It reaches us without a named assessor, so it is an unattributed rating rather than our verdict. It does not guarantee that every report is correct.
What SME has been covering
Our account of each story, written from every outlet that ran it, with SME’s own report linked underneath.
EU member states have provisionally agreed to lift sanctions on Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman. Ukraine's Foreign Minister stated this move is unacceptable and would send the wrong message to Moscow.
SME reported it asBratislava and Paris Have Not yet Forced a Concession From the Russians. The EU Is to Impose Sanctions for Three Years in Return. (opens SME in a new tab)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced he had spoken with Donald Trump and they agreed to meet in New York. Zelensky also thanked Trump for a visit by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Kyiv. The meeting is expected to occur during the UN General Assembly.
SME reported it asSME Online: Zelenskyy Reported that He Spoke with Trump. They Agreed to Meet in New York (opens SME 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.
SME reported it asSME Online: Zelenskyy Reported that He Spoke with Trump. They Agreed to Meet in New York (opens SME in a new tab)
The United States, Denmark and Greenland plan to sign a security pact at the UN General Assembly next week. President Donald Trump says the deal gives the US permanent control over security matters, while other outlets report no sovereign US control. A joint working group will discuss future cooperation.
SME reported it asTrump Announces Deal with Denmark on Greenland. The United States Will Protect Its Interests There, He Says (opens SME in a new tab)
European intelligence officials have warned that Russia could escalate actions against NATO countries in the coming months. While some suggest potential incursions or drone attacks, others emphasize a lack of imminent threat, suggesting a focus on spreading fear.
SME reported it asThe Situation Has Never Been so Serious. Fico Travels to Ukraine, Warns of War in Europe (opens SME in a new tab)
Russian Major General Anton Grunis has been killed in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces. Grunis commanded the 4th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade and had reported to Vladimir Putin about the alleged capture of Konstantinovka.
SME reported it asSME Online: Russian Major General, Honored by Putin for Capture of Kostyantynivka, Dies in Ukraine (opens SME 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.
SME reported it asOne by One They Are Denied Refugee Status. Trump Has Changed His Mind with Africans (opens SME 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.
SME reported it asThe United Kingdom Faces Pressure to Break up. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Sign a Self-Determination Agreement (opens SME in a new tab)
A Russian drone struck a train near the Ukrainian-Polish border. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other European officials had travelled on a train that passed through the area shortly before the attack, according to reports. Poland's Prime Minister warned of intensified Russian attacks.
SME reported it asSME Online: A Russian Drone Hit a Train Heading to Warsaw About Two Kilometers From the Border with Poland (opens SME 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.
SME reported it asA Volcano that Once Triggered a Deadly Tsunami Is Erupting Again. Indonesia Cancels Flights and Closes Airports (opens SME 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.
SME reported it asA Volcano that Once Triggered a Deadly Tsunami Is Erupting Again. Indonesia Cancels Flights and Closes Airports (opens SME 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.
SME reported it asThe Map Is Not Neutral. The UN Supported the Abandonment of Mercator, Africa Should Be Larger on the Map (opens SME 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.
SME reported it asSME Online: American Negotiators Witkoff and Kushner Met with Putin in the Kremlin (opens SME in a new tab)
Germany accused Russia of a drone attack at Leipzig airport on August 4-5. Russian President Vladimir Putin denied involvement, suggesting Germany fabricated evidence to address domestic political issues. Germany closed Russia's consulate and cultural center in Bonn and summoned its ambassador.
SME reported it asGermany Accuses Russia of Hybrid Attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport. Will Take Measures, Moscow Announces Response (opens SME in a new tab)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has cancelled its planned 2027 Met Gala exhibition featuring designer John Galliano. The decision follows significant backlash over the designer's past antisemitic and racist comments.
SME reported it asHe Insulted Jews and Asians and Spent Fifteen Years Repenting. Society Has Not yet Forgiven Him. (opens SME in a new tab)
Russia's Ministry of Defence announced preparations for large-scale strikes targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Moscow stated these actions are in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian and energy facilities.
SME reported it asSME Online: Russian Attack on Kiev Suburb Kills 37 People, Dozens Injured, Area Evacuated (opens SME in a new tab)
Russia's Foreign Ministry has warned the UK of 'catastrophic consequences' and potential attacks on British military targets in retaliation for supplying arms to Ukraine. The Kremlin also denied reports of plans to attack NATO countries, while the CIA director visited Moscow.
SME reported it asIs Putin in Trouble? Diplomats Are Already Warning of a Possible Russian Attack in the Baltics (opens SME 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.
SME reported it asFlash Floods and Landslides on the Nepal-Tibet Border Have Killed Dozens and Left Hundreds Missing. (opens SME 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.
SME reported it asFlash Floods and Landslides on the Nepal-Tibet Border Have Killed Dozens and Left Hundreds Missing. (opens SME in a new tab)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that holding elections during wartime poses a great risk and would split the country. His remarks were in response to a call from former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov for elections, with Zelensky describing potential elections as a 'tsunami' that would 'tear apart' Ukraine.
SME reported it asZelensky Responds to Fedorov: Elections Now Would Be Like a Tsunami for the State and Would Divide the Country (opens SME in a new tab)
Who says so
The lean above is carried in the coverage data this site ingests, which names no rater for it. We publish it because it is what the rest of the site groups SME on, and we will not present it as an assessment by anyone in particular until we hold one.
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
The rating above reaches us without a named assessor, and is published as that rather than as anyone’s verdict.
Who owns it
We hold no ownership record for SME.
Where it publishes from
- Publishes from
- Bratislava, Bratislava Region, Slovakia
- Seen publishing on
- sme.sk, eubrief.sme.sk
- Access
- Free to read
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
- 30
- Reports listed
- 30
- We could read
- 0
- First seen
- 3 August 2026
30 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.
On 8 of those stories, outlets rated left were largely absent from the coverage and SME ran the story anyway.
Across the 30 stories of ours where at least three of the reports we listed carried a time, we logged no report earlier than SME’s on 1 of them. Overall it filed a median of 21 hours after the earliest report we logged.
Measured 25 September 2026. Last seen in a coverage list 24 September 2026. Ratings pulled 3 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 SME 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.