WBUR media bias and reliability
The rating organisations do not give WBUR 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 47 published stories of ours.
The short answers
Is WBUR biased?
The rating organisations do not give WBUR 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 WBUR left or right?
The rating organisations do not give WBUR 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 WBUR reliable?
The factual-reliability assessments we hold for WBUR are Media Bias/Fact Check: High factuality. These are outlet-level assessments, not a guarantee that every report is correct.
What WBUR has been covering
Our account of each story, written from every outlet that ran it, with WBUR’s own report linked underneath.
In the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, juror Michael P. Desronvil was the sole holdout against an insanity acquittal, leading to an 11‑1 deadlock and a mistrial declared by Judge William Sullivan. Desronvil maintains prosecutors proved Clancy knowingly killed her three children.
WBUR reported it asPodcast: What happens next in the Lindsay Clancy case? (opens WBUR in a new tab)
On 17 September 2026 a federal judge struck down a Trump‑era rule that required the US Education Department to terminate millions of dollars in diversity, equity and inclusion grants. The decision was first reported by Reuters and was covered by several centre and right outlets.
WBUR reported it asMass. judge strikes down Trump policy that cut millions in teacher-training money (opens WBUR in a new tab)
House Speaker Mike Johnson has sent representatives home early for their pre-election recess. This move postpones a vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which had been initiated by Rep. Thomas Massie over Hegseth's actions in Iran and Venezuela.
WBUR reported it asWhy is the House going on recess after it just returned from summer vacation? (opens WBUR 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.
WBUR reported it asEPA eliminates rule limiting greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Will it change anything? (opens WBUR in a new tab)
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has proposed new initiatives to enhance postpartum care, including free nurse home visits for all new parents and updated mental health screening regulations. The proposals follow the mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy case, which highlighted concerns about maternal mental health.
WBUR reported it asHealey launches push to expand maternal mental healthcare (opens WBUR 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."
WBUR reported it asAmerican AI companies want to 'pace' development. What does that really mean? (opens WBUR 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.
WBUR reported it asAmerican AI companies want to 'pace' development. What does that really mean? (opens WBUR in a new tab)
The trial of Jason Eaton has begun in Burlington, Vermont, for the attempted murder of three Palestinian college students. Eaton claims intelligence agencies ordered him to shoot, while prosecutors contend he acted with intent and was not legally insane.
WBUR reported it asTrial of man accused of shooting 3 Palestinian college students begins in Vermont (opens WBUR 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.
WBUR reported it asThe country united after 9/11. So why is there so much division now? (opens WBUR 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.
WBUR reported it asApple announces foldable iPhone: What to know (opens WBUR 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.
WBUR reported it asApple announces foldable iPhone: What to know (opens WBUR in a new tab)
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee is facing a primary challenge from Helena Foulkes. McKee is attempting to avoid a rare defeat for an incumbent governor, while Foulkes has focused on his administration's handling of the Washington Bridge replacement project.
WBUR reported it asRhode Island Gov. Dan McKee faces rematch with Helena Foulkes amid turmoil over Washington Bridge (opens WBUR in a new tab)
The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to reject a federal judge's order that halts new rules for mail-in voting. The appeal comes as North Carolina prepares to send out mail ballots, with a whistleblower report warning the new rules could prevent millions of ballots from being sent.
WBUR reported it asNorth Carolina prepares to send out first ballots in midterms (opens WBUR in a new tab)
Jurors deliberated for a third day without reaching a verdict in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, who is accused of strangling her three young children in January 2023. The case hinges on whether she acted due to postpartum psychosis or made a conscious choice.
WBUR reported it asClancy jurors tell judge they're still deadlocked on fifth day of deliberations (opens WBUR in a new tab)
A whistleblower has raised alarms about a new U.S. Postal Service system designed to verify mail ballots, alleging it is being developed with inadequate testing and a rushed timeline. The system, intended to comply with a Trump executive order, could lead to the rejection of large numbers of ballots.
WBUR reported it asWhistleblower: 'Rushed' USPS plan could derail the midterm election (opens WBUR in a new tab)
A U.S.-backed company, North American Blue Energy Partners, is set to take over oilfields in Venezuela previously operated by Chinese and Russian firms. The deal grants the U.S. government a significant stake and preferential access to production.
WBUR reported it asWhat we know about Trump's oil deal with Venezuela (opens WBUR in a new tab)
Dan Koh has won the Democratic primary for Massachusetts' 6th Congressional District. He will seek to replace Rep. Seth Moulton, who is running for the Senate. Koh, a former Biden White House aide, defeated state Rep. Tram Nguyen in a crowded field.
WBUR reported it asKoh tops crowded 6th District Democratic primary field (opens WBUR in a new tab)
Dan Koh has won the Democratic primary for Massachusetts' 6th Congressional District. He will seek to replace Rep. Seth Moulton, who is running for the Senate. Koh, a former Biden White House aide, defeated state Rep. Tram Nguyen in a crowded field.
WBUR reported it asLynch fends off progressive challenge to win Democratic primary in Mass. 8th Congressional District (opens WBUR in a new tab)
U.S. President Donald Trump stated the United States does not need Canada, while simultaneously imposing a 50% tariff on Canadian aluminum. Reports highlight the significant economic interdependence between the two nations, with Canada being the US's second-largest trading partner.
WBUR reported it asTrump's executive order renames Lake Ontario as Lake America (opens WBUR in a new tab)
The Trump administration has begun building a border wall project on land belonging to the Tohono O'odham Nation in southern Arizona. The tribe alleges federal agents and contractors trespassed on its land, damaging sacred sites, while U.S. Customs and Border Protection states the area is a dangerous smuggling route.
WBUR reported it asTrump administration is building a border wall in Arizona. A tribal nation says they're trespassing (opens WBUR 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
- Media Bias/Fact CheckhighCheck it
Who owns it
- Boston UniversityOtherdirect owner
Where it publishes from
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
- 47
- Reports listed
- 48
- We could read
- 0
- First seen
- 5 August 2026
48 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. WBUR is rated centre, so there is no side for it to be counted against and we publish no figure here.
Across the 47 stories of ours where at least three of the reports we listed carried a time, we logged no report earlier than WBUR’s on 1 of them. Overall it filed a median of 2 days after the earliest report we logged.
Measured 20 September 2026. Last seen in a coverage list 20 September 2026. Ratings pulled 8 September 2026.
Other outlets rated the same way
Publishers carrying the same published leaning as WBUR, 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 WBUR 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.