Variety media bias and reliability
The rating organisations do not give Variety one shared verdict in the records we hold. Their published ratings are AllSides: Leans left; Ad Fontes Media: Centre; Media Bias/Fact Check: Leans left. We have seen it on 39 published stories of ours.
The short answers
Is Variety biased?
The rating organisations do not give Variety one shared verdict in the records we hold. Their published ratings are AllSides: Leans left; 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 Variety left or right?
The rating organisations do not give Variety one shared verdict in the records we hold. Their published ratings are AllSides: Leans left; 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 Variety reliable?
The factual-reliability assessments we hold for Variety are Ad Fontes Media: High factuality; Media Bias/Fact Check: High factuality. These are outlet-level assessments, not a guarantee that every report is correct.
What Variety has been covering
Our account of each story, written from every outlet that ran it, with Variety’s own report linked underneath.
The White House posted a TikTok showing ICE arrests set to Zara Larsson's "Midnight Sun". Larsson replied on the platform, calling the video dehumanising and the administration "losers". The White House subsequently removed the song from the reel.
Variety reported it asZara Larsson Blasts Trump’s White House as ‘F—ing Losers’ for Using ‘Midnight Sun’ to Promote Deportations (opens Variety in a new tab)
The animated series South Park began its 29th season with a name change to South America, a new theme song, and a plot involving e-bikes and a Donald Trump cameo. The episode saw Kenny die when his e-bike exploded.
Variety reported it as‘South Park’ Season 29 Premiere Embraces ‘South America’ Name Change With New Theme Song And a Trump Cameo (opens Variety in a new tab)
Paramount has threatened to leave California since July, when the state sued to block its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is taking the threat seriously, while California's Attorney General Rob Bonta calls it blackmail.
Variety reported it asParamount May Be Bluffing About Leaving California, But L.A. Mayor Taking It Seriously (opens Variety 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Three supporting acts have withdrawn from Ed Sheeran's tour following the removal of rapper Macklemore.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.
Variety reported it asMacklemore Donating $1 Million Salary from Ed Sheeran Tour to Support Palestine: ‘I Invite Robert Kraft to Match My Donation’ (opens Variety 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.
Variety reported it asFinneas Drops Out of Ed Sheeran Tour in Solidarity With Macklemore: ‘I Stand With Palestine and Its People’ (opens Variety in a new tab)
The board of the Kennedy Center voted to close the performing arts venue due to financial problems and a disagreement about naming the building after President Donald Trump. A judge had previously blocked the venue from being renamed.
Variety reported it asKennedy Center Board Votes to Shut Down Facility Immediately After Judge Blocks Trump Again From Adding His Name to Building (opens Variety in a new tab)
A new study commissioned by the Motion Picture Association suggests a federal film and television tax credit could significantly increase U.S. production spending and create over 143,000 jobs by 2035. The proposal is gaining bipartisan support.
Variety reported it asMPA Projects Federal Film Incentive Would Double U.S. Production and Create 143,500 Jobs (opens Variety 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."
Variety reported it asTrump Says He’s the Only AI ‘Guardrail’ Needed and Mocks Anthropic CEO’s Call for AI Slowdown: ‘Pretending to Be a Perfect Little Angel’ (opens Variety 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.
Variety reported it asTrump Says He’s the Only AI ‘Guardrail’ Needed and Mocks Anthropic CEO’s Call for AI Slowdown: ‘Pretending to Be a Perfect Little Angel’ (opens Variety in a new tab)
The 59th season of "60 Minutes" premiered on CBS-TV on Sunday night. The broadcast did not directly address the behind-the-scenes turmoil and staff changes that have occurred in recent months.
Variety reported it as’60 Minutes’ Kicks Off Much-Scrutinized 59th Season With Old Ticks, Tricks (opens Variety in a new tab)
An interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, pulled from ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" due to FCC pressure, has garnered millions of views on YouTube. The move has sparked debate about censorship and the role of the FCC in broadcast content.
Variety reported it asJimmy Kimmel’s Pulled TV Interview With James Talarico Hits 5 Million Views in 24 Hours on YouTube (opens Variety in a new tab)
The film 'Being Heumann' dramatizes the 1977 protest that launched the disability-rights revolution. Led by Judy Heumann, the 28-day occupation of the Federal Building in San Francisco aimed to pressure officials to enact Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Directed by Siân Heder, the film stars Ruth Madeley and Mark Ruffalo.
Variety reported it as‘Being Huemann’ Review: Siân Heder’s First Film Since ‘CODA’ Is a Bold and Stirring Dramatization of the Protest That Launched the Disabled-Rights Revolution (opens Variety in a new tab)
The Venice Film Festival has added 'NAZA,' a documentary directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, to its main competition. The film, produced by The Guardian and filmmakers behind 'The Zone of Interest,' examines the civilian impact of the Israel-Hamas war.
Jimmy Kimmel announced his interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico would not air on ABC due to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) pressure. The interview will instead be posted on YouTube. The decision comes amid a broader dispute between ABC's parent company, Disney, and the FCC over broadcast licenses.
Variety reported it as‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ Moves Interview With Texas Senate Candidate James Talarico From TV to YouTube Due to FCC Threats (opens Variety 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.
Variety reported it asApple Introduces iPhone Duo, Its First Foldable Smartphone (opens Variety 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.
Variety reported it asApple Introduces iPhone Duo, Its First Foldable Smartphone (opens Variety in a new tab)
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has warned that artificial intelligence poses an 'existential' risk to humanity. He called for immediate action and 'cast-iron guarantees' to ensure AI safety and security, citing potential disruptions to critical infrastructure and democratic institutions.
Variety reported it asAI ‘Could Kill Us All,’ Warns Anthropic Researcher as He Quits the Company: AI Companies Are ‘Gambling With Our Lives’ (opens Variety in a new tab)
Jacob Coxon has resigned from AI company Anthropic, warning that the rapid development of artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to humanity. His departure and warnings have been reported across several outlets, highlighting concerns about AI safety and the race for superintelligence.
Variety reported it asAI ‘Could Kill Us All,’ Warns Anthropic Researcher as He Quits the Company: AI Companies Are ‘Gambling With Our Lives’ (opens Variety in a new tab)
A 27-year-old British researcher, Jacob Coxon, has resigned from Anthropic and the AI industry, citing concerns over the rapid, irresponsible development of self-improving superintelligence. He fears this race poses a significant risk to humanity, with some reports suggesting an existential threat by the end of the decade.
Variety reported it asAI ‘Could Kill Us All,’ Warns Anthropic Researcher as He Quits the Company: AI Companies Are ‘Gambling With Our Lives’ (opens Variety in a new tab)
An Anthropic researcher has warned of a greater than 10% chance of AI causing human extinction in the next ten years. The warning follows a colleague's resignation over concerns about reckless AI development.
Variety reported it asAI ‘Could Kill Us All,’ Warns Anthropic Researcher as He Quits the Company: AI Companies Are ‘Gambling With Our Lives’ (opens Variety 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.
High factuality
Who owns it
- Penske Media CorporationMedia Conglomeratedirect owner
Where it publishes from
- Publishes from
- Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States
- Official site
- variety.com
- Seen publishing on
- variety.com
- 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
- 39
- Reports listed
- 41
- We could read
- 17
- First seen
- 4 August 2026
24 of those reports were paywalled or blocked to us. Our reading of this outlet is built on the 17 we could open, not on everything it published.
On 1 of those stories, outlets rated left were largely absent from the coverage and Variety ran the story anyway.
Across the 39 stories of ours where at least three of the reports we listed carried a time, we logged no report earlier than Variety’s on 2 of them. Overall it filed a median of 14 hours after the earliest report we logged.
Measured 19 September 2026. Last seen in a coverage list 19 September 2026. Ratings pulled 4 September 2026.
Other outlets rated the same way
Publishers carrying the same published leaning as Variety, 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 Variety 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.