The Citizen media bias and reliability
Media Bias/Fact Check places The Citizen as leaning right. We have seen it on 42 published stories of ours.
The short answers
Is The Citizen biased?
Media Bias/Fact Check places The Citizen as leaning right. An outlet rating describes a broad pattern in its output, not every article it publishes.
Is The Citizen left or right?
Media Bias/Fact Check places The Citizen as leaning right. In the three-way grouping used on story pages, that puts it under Right.
Is The Citizen reliable?
The factual-reliability assessments we hold for The Citizen are Media Bias/Fact Check: High factuality. These are outlet-level assessments, not a guarantee that every report is correct.
What The Citizen has been covering
Our account of each story, written from every outlet that ran it, with The Citizen’s own report linked underneath.
Three supporting acts have withdrawn from Ed Sheeran's tour following the removal of rapper Macklemore.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.
The Citizen reported it asArtists exit Sheeran tour in solidarity with Macklemore's pro-Palestinian comments (opens The Citizen 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.
The Citizen reported it asRubio slaps new visa restrictions on SA officials over 'race‑based discrimination' (opens The Citizen in a new tab)
US President Donald Trump has downplayed reports that Chinese entities provided Iran with satellite imagery of a US military base in Jordan. The attack killed three American soldiers. Trump stated that China spies on the US, and the US spies on China as well, calling accusations of assistance 'unfounded'.
The Citizen reported it asTrump downplays report China entities helped Iran before attack that killed US troops (opens The Citizen in a new tab)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked alongside leaders including Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian at the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi. Modi was seen holding hands with the Iranian president, a gesture underscoring solidarity within the expanded grouping.
The Citizen reported it asRamaphosa demands UN reform, accountability at Brics Summit in India (opens The Citizen in a new tab)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the BRICS Business Forum, calling for the removal of trade barriers and emphasizing the importance of secure sea lanes for global trade. He highlighted the economic contributions of BRICS nations and India's role as a hub for growth and stability.
The Citizen reported it asRamaphosa demands UN reform, accountability at Brics Summit in India (opens The Citizen 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.
The Citizen reported it as'We have no justice': US marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks (opens The Citizen in a new tab)
Firefighters have entered a charred ferry in Philippine waters following a blaze that killed at least five people and left 84 missing. Rescuers are continuing their search for those unaccounted for after the vessel caught fire two nights prior.
The Citizen reported it asPhilippine Coast Guard finds bodies aboard ferry after blaze (opens The Citizen in a new tab)
Apple has launched its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, at its 'Surprise and Shine' event. The company also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. This marks the first major product launch under new CEO John Ternus.
The Citizen reported it asThe foldable iPhone Duo arrives, plus every big reveal from Apple's event (opens The Citizen in a new tab)
Apple CEO John Ternus posted a cryptic video ahead of the company's expected iPhone 18 Pro unveiling. The video appears to hint at a new variable aperture camera feature for the device, which is set to be announced alongside new Apple Watch models.
The Citizen reported it asThe foldable iPhone Duo arrives, plus every big reveal from Apple's event (opens The Citizen in a new tab)
Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced on Tuesday they seized a U.S. unmanned submarine drone in the Strait of Hormuz. The Guards described the drone as highly advanced and equipped with the latest technology. The incident occurs amid the ongoing Middle East war and existing blockades.
The Citizen reported it asIran says it captured US submarine drone in Strait of Hormuz (opens The Citizen in a new tab)
Russia resumed drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, after a three-day pause. The strikes killed at least four people and injured 83 across the country, according to Ukrainian officials.
The Citizen reported it asRussia hits Kyiv after brief pause for US envoys' visit, killing two (opens The Citizen in a new tab)
Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate said its Active Operations Department struck a Russian Su‑24 in temporarily occupied Crimea on the night of 7 September. Video shows tail number 49; the extent of damage is still being evaluated.
The Citizen reported it asRussia hits Kyiv after brief pause for US envoys' visit, killing two (opens The Citizen in a new tab)
Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, died on Monday, September 7, 2026, in Zanzibar. Vice President Deogratius Ndejembi announced the death, stating Hassan was being treated for a heart condition at Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital.
The Citizen reported it asSamia’s husband Hafidh Ameir dies (opens The Citizen 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.
The Citizen reported it asUN approves resolution in support of map that shows Africa's true size (opens The Citizen in a new tab)
Iran has warned the United States it will respond forcefully to an Israeli offensive on the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. Iranian military personnel are reportedly positioned alongside Hezbollah fighters on the ridge, which Hezbollah states it controls and will defend.
The Citizen reported it asIran warns US against Israeli attack on south Lebanon ridge held by Hezbollah (opens The Citizen in a new tab)
Donald Trump told reporters he was 'happy' Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had left the US for the UK, calling them disrespectful to the Royal Family. He said he would not have taken them back if he were in the royal family, citing his good relationships with Queen Elizabeth and King Charles.
The Citizen reported it asTrump 'happy' Harry and Meghan left the United States: 'I was not a fan' (opens The Citizen in a new tab)
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov at a G20 summit in North Carolina. They discussed Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Ukraine. Siluanov's attendance prompted objections from European governments, and he did not appear in a group photo.
The Citizen reported it asUS irks G20 ministers by bringing back Russia, barring journalists (opens The Citizen 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.
The Citizen reported it asJohn Galliano pulls US exhibition after antisemitism backlash (opens The Citizen in a new tab)
King Harald's coffin was transported from the National Hospital to the Royal Palace in Oslo on Friday evening. Thousands of people lined the streets to witness the procession, which was accompanied by the royal family. The coffin will remain at the palace until the funeral.
The Citizen reported it asNorway mourns King Harald as crowds gather at royal palace (opens The Citizen in a new tab)
US President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Venezuela granting the United States majority control over more than 65 billion barrels of the country's oil reserves. Trump described the deal as the largest in world history, predicting it would increase US reserves and reduce fuel prices.
The Citizen reported it asTrump says US to take majority control of Venezuela oil reserves (opens The Citizen 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 CheckleanRightCheck 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
- Media Bias/Fact CheckhighCheck it
Who owns it
- Caxton and CTP Publishers and PrintersMedia Conglomeratedirect owner
Where it publishes from
- Publishes from
- Johannesburg, City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng, South Africa
- Official site
- citizen.co.za
- Seen publishing on
- citizen.co.za, thecitizen.co.tz
- 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
- 42
- Reports listed
- 42
- We could read
- 1
- First seen
- 4 August 2026
41 of those reports were paywalled or blocked to us. Our reading of this outlet is built on the 1 we could open, not on everything it published.
On 9 of those stories, outlets rated right were largely absent from the coverage and The Citizen ran the story anyway.
Across the 42 stories of ours where at least three of the reports we listed carried a time, we logged no report earlier than The Citizen’s on 1 of them. Overall it filed a median of 27 hours after the earliest report we logged.
Measured 19 September 2026. Last seen in a coverage list 19 September 2026. Ratings pulled 6 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 The Citizen 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.