The Virginian Pilot media bias and reliability
The rating organisations do not give The Virginian Pilot one shared verdict in the records we hold. Their published ratings are AllSides: Centre; Ad Fontes Media: Centre; Media Bias/Fact Check: Leans left. We have seen it on 31 published stories of ours.
The short answers
Is The Virginian Pilot biased?
The rating organisations do not give The Virginian Pilot one shared verdict in the records we hold. Their published ratings are AllSides: Centre; 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 The Virginian Pilot left or right?
The rating organisations do not give The Virginian Pilot one shared verdict in the records we hold. Their published ratings are AllSides: Centre; Ad Fontes Media: Centre; Media Bias/Fact Check: Leans left. In the three-way grouping used on story pages, that puts it under Centre.
Is The Virginian Pilot reliable?
The factual-reliability assessments we hold for The Virginian Pilot are Ad Fontes Media: Very high factuality; Media Bias/Fact Check: High factuality. These are outlet-level assessments, not a guarantee that every report is correct.
What The Virginian Pilot has been covering
Our account of each story, written from every outlet that ran it, with The Virginian Pilot’s own report linked underneath.
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy has been discharged from hospital following a stroke. The 53-year-old Democrat will enter a rehabilitation facility and is expected to miss several weeks of Senate votes as he recovers.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asConnecticut Sen. Chris Murphy discharged from the hospital after stroke (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
More than 34 million Americans have cast early ballots in the current midterm elections. This figure is on pace to surpass the early voting turnout of the 2022 midterms, according to data tracked by the UF Election Lab.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asWhat to know about voting in Hampton Roads on Election Day (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
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.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asWhat to know about voting in Hampton Roads on Election Day (opens The Virginian Pilot 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.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asStage giant Patrick Stewart, of ‘Star Trek’ and ‘X-Men’ fame, dies at 86 (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar announced she will move out of her D.C. residence after federal agents conducted a four‑to‑five‑hour search, seized 17 items and sparked safety concerns. The raid is linked to a fraud probe into her family’s immigration records.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asRep. Ilhan Omar says she will move out of her Washington, DC, home after federal search (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
Russia has indicated readiness to resume trilateral talks with Ukraine and the United States after November 4. Presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov described the potential next round as exploratory, suggesting initial meetings might not yield significant outcomes.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asRussia agrees to resume three-way talks on Ukraine war with Kyiv and Washington, Kremlin says (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
Russia's position on an energy truce with Ukraine remains unchanged, with Moscow seeking lasting peace rather than a temporary ceasefire, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. His remarks precede a meeting between President Putin and US special representative Steve Witkoff.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asRussia agrees to resume three-way talks on Ukraine war with Kyiv and Washington, Kremlin says (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
Preparations have begun for a trilateral summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and US President Donald Trump. The meeting is planned for the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, in November. Putin's attendance at a December G20 summit in Miami is contingent on APEC outcomes.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asRussia agrees to resume three-way talks on Ukraine war with Kyiv and Washington, Kremlin says (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
Donald Trump has publicly endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for re-election, stating he is a "great warrior prime minister" and "will never let you down." Netanyahu thanked Trump for his "extraordinary endorsement."
The Virginian Pilot reported it asJD Vance declines to endorse Netanyahu for reelection, says he’s focusing on midterms (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
Daniela Fuentes, a 32-year-old transgender woman from Cuba, has been deported from the United States to the Central African Republic. She lived openly in Miami, working as a hairdresser and performing in drag, but now lives in hiding in Bangui.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asDeported to Central African Republic, a transgender woman who lived openly in Miami is hiding again (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
President Donald Trump has approved a firing‑squad execution for Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people and wounded 32 in the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting. The decision follows a recommendation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asFiring squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan scheduled for December (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
A previously unreleased Army study from Fort Leavenworth showed that electric shock gloves intended for ICE agents inflict intense pain, trigger fear and force instant compliance. ICE signed a $16.7 million contract for 6,000 gloves, has not answered media queries, and senators have demanded answers.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asArmy study found shock gloves purchased by ICE cause pain, compliance and fear (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
Newly released police body-camera footage shows the aftermath of a shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, where a six-year-old boy shot his first-grade teacher, Abigail Zwerner. The footage was shown as evidence in a criminal trial and was later unsealed.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asUnsealed video shows 6-year-old cursing at officers after shooting Richneck teacher (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
The FBI has released a classified internal report, referred to as the 'Patel Report,' to its employees. The document examines historical instances where the bureau 'fell short,' a move that has drawn both support and criticism regarding its intent and potential impact on the bureau's reputation.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asFBI gives employees a classified ‘Patel Report’ about times when it ‘fell short’ (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued new guidance prohibiting high-speed car chases and establishing stricter rules for traffic stops. Agents must complete specific training before conducting stops, a move prompted by recent shootings.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asNew ICE guidance bans high-speed car chases and sets tighter rules for traffic stops, a memo shows (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
The United States is sending a third aircraft carrier strike group and additional Marine Corps ships to the Middle East. President Donald Trump has rejected Iran's latest proposal for a ceasefire, stating it was not sufficient.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asThird aircraft carrier and thousands of troops head to Mideast as Trump weighs new Iran strikes (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
A tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unknown projectile, causing minor injuries to two crew members. The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported the incident, and authorities are investigating.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asA projectile hits a tanker as it enters the Strait of Hormuz, and other Mideast developments (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
Three major news organizations have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging a violation of First Amendment rights after their White House press credentials were revoked. The outlets seek immediate restoration of access.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asCNN, MS NOW, Politico say they’ve notified Trump they’re suing over denied White House access (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
Pastor Daimon L. King, a registered sex offender with prior child-related convictions, delivered the opening prayer at a rally for North Carolina GOP Senate nominee Michael Whatley. Whatley's campaign stated they did not know King and that the event was not planned by the campaign.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asConvicted sex offender offered opening prayer at rally for GOP Senate nominee in North Carolina (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
AI company Anthropic reported that a group in northern Yemen used its Claude chatbot to develop guidance software for weapons, including a guided rocket and a ballistic missile. The company banned the accounts after detecting the activity.
The Virginian Pilot reported it asUsers in Houthi-held Yemen tried to develop advanced weapons with AI, Anthropic says (opens The Virginian Pilot in a new tab)
Who says so
3 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
Who owns it
- Tribune Publishingunknowndirect owner
- Alden Global CapitalPrivate Equityparent group
Where it publishes from
- Publishes from
- Norfolk, Virginia, United States
- Official site
- pilotonline.com
- Seen publishing on
- pilotonline.com
- Access
- Paywalled
- 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
- 31
- Reports listed
- 31
- We could read
- 0
- First seen
- 7 August 2026
31 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. The Virginian Pilot is rated centre, so there is no side for it to be counted against and we publish no figure here.
Across the 31 stories of ours where at least three of the reports we listed carried a time, we logged no report earlier than The Virginian Pilot’s on 1 of them. Overall it filed a median of 21 hours after the earliest report we logged.
Measured 9 November 2026. Last seen in a coverage list 9 November 2026. Ratings pulled 11 October 2026.
Other outlets rated the same way
Publishers carrying the same published leaning as The Virginian Pilot, also publishing from United States, 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 The Virginian Pilot 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.