WBAL-TV media bias and reliability
AllSides, Ad Fontes Media and Media Bias/Fact Check place WBAL-TV in the centre. We have seen it on 165 published stories of ours.
The short answers
Is WBAL-TV biased?
AllSides, Ad Fontes Media and Media Bias/Fact Check place WBAL-TV in the centre. An outlet rating describes a broad pattern in its output, not every article it publishes.
Is WBAL-TV left or right?
AllSides, Ad Fontes Media and Media Bias/Fact Check place WBAL-TV in the centre. In the three-way grouping used on story pages, that puts it under Centre.
Is WBAL-TV reliable?
The factual-reliability assessments we hold for WBAL-TV 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 WBAL-TV has been covering
Our account of each story, written from every outlet that ran it, with WBAL-TV’s own report linked underneath.
USPS halts Trump‑linked mail‑voting system, Postmaster General David Steiner says work stopped
Trust 56The United States Postal Service stopped work on a computer system designed to support President Donald Trump's plan to limit mail voting. Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed the pause on Thursday, following the Supreme Court's rejection of the related executive order earlier that week.
WBAL-TV reported it asUSPS top official says work stopped on computer system key to Trump effort to limit mail voting (opens WBAL-TV 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Three supporting acts have withdrawn from Ed Sheeran's tour following the removal of rapper Macklemore.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.
WBAL-TV reported it asEd Sheeran stadium drama turns to donations and humanitarian cooperation (opens WBAL-TV 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.
WBAL-TV reported it asFossil fuel pollution contributing to Earth's water cycle being 'off balance,' officials say (opens WBAL-TV in a new tab)
A Government Accountability Office report found the Trump administration spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for federal workers in 2025. The initiative, known as DOGE, led to a 435% increase in such leave, with an estimated $6.7 billion spent on a deferred resignation program.
WBAL-TV reported it asGovernment paid federal employees $9.5 billion not to work in 2025 under DOGE plan (opens WBAL-TV 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.
WBAL-TV reported it asFencing goes up around Kennedy Center building after board votes to close it (opens WBAL-TV 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.
WBAL-TV reported it asUS to restrict visas for some South African officials amid alleged 'race based discrimination' (opens WBAL-TV in a new tab)
The Trump administration is preparing to sell Israel a $2.8 billion arms package that includes 40,000 heavy aerial bombs. The sale, reported by The Washington Post, involves munitions that have been linked to civilian casualties in Gaza and Lebanon.
WBAL-TV reported it asTrump administration plans to send powerful bombs to Israel in $2.8 billion weapons sale (opens WBAL-TV 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.
WBAL-TV reported it as4 supporting acts quit Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore dropped over pro-Palestinian comments (opens WBAL-TV in a new tab)
Representative Thomas Massie has introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Massie alleges Hegseth continued U.S. military operations in Iran without congressional approval and criticizes his actions in Venezuela and Yemen.
WBAL-TV reported it asThomas Massie moves to impeach Pete Hegseth (opens WBAL-TV 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.
WBAL-TV reported it asTrump slams Supreme Court for rejecting his push to restrict mail ballots (opens WBAL-TV 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.
WBAL-TV reported it asSupreme Court rejects Trump mail ballot restrictions for now ahead of midterms (opens WBAL-TV in a new tab)
A Pentagon Inspector General report estimates Iranian attacks caused $184 million in damage to U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The report also details U.S. war costs and casualties.
WBAL-TV reported it asUS government watchdog tallies Iran war's hit to weapons stockpiles, military bases and more (opens WBAL-TV in a new tab)
Senator Mitch McConnell cast a vote to advance the farm bill in committee on September 16, after receiving voting instructions from Senator John Hoeven. The bill passed the committee 12-11 along party lines.
WBAL-TV reported it asMcConnell returns to the Senate for the first time since his June hospitalization (opens WBAL-TV in a new tab)
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and a coalition of Democratic-led cities and states have filed a lawsuit challenging a new Trump administration rule. The rule would allow immigration officials to deny green cards and visas to immigrants who use public benefits.
WBAL-TV reported it asStates sue to stop DHS rule that would make it harder for some to get green cards (opens WBAL-TV in a new tab)
Yemen's Houthi rebels have captured the strategic islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish in the southern Red Sea. This move strengthens their control over a vital maritime shipping route and pushes them closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
WBAL-TV reported it asWhat the closure of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline could mean for oil flows (opens WBAL-TV in a new tab)
A Department of Homeland Security inspector general report found that nearly 80 immigrant detainees at the 'Alligator Alcatraz' facility were held in small metal enclosures for periods ranging from several minutes to nearly two hours. The report described the enclosures as 'highly unconventional' and a risk to detainee health and safety.
WBAL-TV reported it as'Alligator Alcatraz' put detainees in metal cages labeled 'calming areas,' watchdog finds (opens WBAL-TV in a new tab)
Landowners, ranchers, and business owners in Texas are suing the Trump administration to stop border wall construction in the Big Bend region. The lawsuit argues the government is misusing powers to waive environmental and other regulations in an area with low rates of illegal crossings.
WBAL-TV reported it asTexas landowners ask a court to stop Trump's Big Bend wall plans (opens WBAL-TV in a new tab)
The Environmental Protection Agency is set to repeal rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions from coal and natural gas power plants. Administrator Lee Zeldin stated the move could save billions for the industry and boost American energy.
WBAL-TV reported it asEPA set to eliminate rule that limits pollution from coal and gas-fired power plants (opens WBAL-TV 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."
WBAL-TV reported it asTrump dismisses new AI guardrails, says there is a 'SICK conspiracy' against AI and data centers (opens WBAL-TV 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.
WBAL-TV reported it asTrump dismisses new AI guardrails, says there is a 'SICK conspiracy' against AI and data centers (opens WBAL-TV 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
- Hearst TelevisionCorporationdirect owner
- Hearst CommunicationsMedia Conglomerateparent group
Where it publishes from
- Publishes from
- Baltimore, Maryland, United States
- Official site
- wbaltv.com
- Seen publishing on
- wbaltv.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
- 165
- Reports listed
- 169
- We could read
- 0
- First seen
- 4 August 2026
169 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. WBAL-TV is rated centre, so there is no side for it to be counted against and we publish no figure here.
Across the 165 stories of ours where at least three of the reports we listed carried a time, another outlet was always ahead of WBAL-TV: its report arrived a median of 26 hours after the earliest one we logged.
Measured 18 September 2026. Last seen in a coverage list 18 September 2026. Ratings pulled 5 September 2026.
Other outlets rated the same way
Publishers carrying the same published leaning as WBAL-TV, 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 WBAL-TV 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.