Rooster Today
As you read articles from various magazines and newspapers, you will sometimes notice trends in the types of articles/subjects featured, the writing style of the authors, or the opinions in the editorials. Many periodicals have a general “slant” or bias toward one political direction or another. Some media is very clear about the bias while others are more subtle. An awareness of the underlying bias is valuable as you select the sources for research.
Below is a list of magazines and newspapers showing their leanings or emphases. This list was taken, with permission from Micca Gray, from her Santa Rosa Junior College Library LibGuide, Project Censored 2013. Annotations have been made in brackets.
CURRENT EVENTS AND OPINION PERIODICALS: Emphases And Biases
America. Although sponsored by the Jesuits, this periodical shows no religious bias. Covers contemporary social, ethical and political questions.
American Legion. Provides coverage on topics reflecting a broad spectrum of issues. Conservative.
American Spectator. Articles focus on issues of concern to both traditional conservatives and neoconservatives.
Animals Agenda. Devoted to articles written from the animal rights perspective.
Atlantic. Contains consistently well-written articles on a variety of topics. Liberal.
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Experts address the “political, ethical and social aspects of nuclear science.”
Christian Century. Presents “a voice of responsible liberal religious views, inclusive of Christian as well as non-Christian.”
[Christian Science Monitor. Viewed as either center or liberal, depending on the source.]
Christianity Today. Presents the conservative Protestant Christian point of view on current political and social issues.
Chronicle of Higher Education. Provides the most complete coverage of the world of higher education in America.
Commentary. Sponsored by the American Jewish Committee, this outstanding periodical is a “strategic forum for policy debate on a critical range of issues.” Neoconservative.
Commonweal. Although this is a Catholic periodical most articles are nonsectarian and liberal in point of view.
Congressional Digest. Each issue is devoted to the pros and cons of one topic of debate in Congress.
Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report. Provides thorough, objective reports on developments in politics and government.
Conservative Chronicle. A reprint periodical which features some of the best syndicated conservative opinion and commentary.
CQ Researcher. Each detailed 6000 word report objectively covers a current topic of interest. This is a good source to help a student select a topic for research. The “At Issue” column covers pros and cons of controversial issues. Bound volumes contain a ten-year index. Also available online.
Current. An unbiased reprint periodical which selects articles for originality and relevancy from over 600 publications each month.
Current History. Each issue of this journal of contemporary world affairs targets for discussion a single country, region or continent.
Daedalus. Each issue of this publication of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is devoted to a theme relevant to contemporary American society. Available in Student Resource Center database.
E Magazine. An independent periodical with articles on a wide range of environmental topics.
Economist. An outstanding British newsmagazine which covers economic conditions, current events and politics around the world. Conservative.
Environment. Covers environmental problems and solutions.
Foreign Affairs. Sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations this prestigious periodical presents divergent views on foreign policy issues.
Foreign Policy. Published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a typical issue contains about a dozen articles on American foreign policy and international relations.
Futurist. Published by a nonprofit, nonpolitical society, each issue contains provocative articles dealing with all aspects of the future.
Governing. Published by Congressional Quarterly, each issue focuses on state, local, and intergovernmental problems and issues.
Harper’s. Liberal opinion magazine with commentary on contemporary politics, culture and society.
Humanist. Focuses on social and moral issues from the humanist viewpoint. Articles are thought-provoking and sometimes controversial. Liberal.
Issues and Controversies on File. This digest of news analysis and background information provides an objective presentation of current issues and controversies. Available in Facts.com database.
Maclean’s. Similar to newsweeklies in the United States, this magazine reports the news from a Canadian perspective.
Mother Jones. A readable and provocative magazine, supporting social and political reform from a left-of-center perspective.
Nation. Features some of the best left-of-center writers of this country. Articles cover social and political issues.
National Interest. Readable, provocative foreign policy periodical. Neoconservative.
National Review. The best conservative periodical in the U.S. today.
New American. The voice of the John Birch Society, this magazine offers a right-of-center view of the world. [Not indexed]
New Leader. This bi-weekly newsmagazine offers a variety of opinions and reviews. Liberal.
New Perspectives Quarterly. A multidisciplinary, transnational forum of ideas treated with originality, insight, and depth.
New Republic. One of the best sources of political commentary. Neoliberal.
New York Review of Books. Excellent source of commentary on new books and the ideas they contain. Liberal.
Newsweek. One of the three major news weeklies published in the United States, this magazine covers domestic and world affairs from a middle-of-the-road perspective.
Policy Review. A major forum for conservative debate on the major political issues of our time.
Progressive. Award-winning, highly acclaimed left-of-center periodical.
Society. Prominent authors write on social science and public policy. Focus is on the U.S. Available in Sociological Collection database.
Texas Observer. Features investigative reports on social and political issues in Texas. Liberal.
Time. Similar in content and format to the two other major U. S. newsmagazines, this periodical covers the news from a centrist point of view. [NOTE: Others label Time liberal or leftist.]
USA Today. Excellent objective news magazine.
- U. S. News & World Report.One of the three major newsweeklies published in the United States, this magazine tends to focus on the practical issues associated with current events. Moderately conservative.
Utne Reader. Each issue contains 10-15 articles reprinted from mainstream and alternative presses.
Vital Speeches of the Day. Each issue contains reprints of 8-10 speeches on vital issues given by leaders of public opinion.
Washington Monthly. Articles cover controversial issues and the Washington political scene. Neoliberal.
World Press Review. Contains feature stories from foreign newspapers and magazines. Useful for presenting foreign perspectives on U.S. events.
Other Assessments of Newspaper and Magazine Bias
You can look at other lists to find additional titles of magazines and newspapers and to compare the “labeling” on a particular one. You will frequently notice differences!
another listing of magazines’, newspapers’ and journals’ biases
lists magazine and newspaper titles in left, right and non-partisan categories. Useful for descriptions of magazines and newspapers, but links are NOT tied to LCCC and OhioLINK collection.
- How To Understand the Bias of a Publication
A publication’s bias is its outlook or perspective on topics. Conservative, liberal, and moderate types of bias are discussed. Political and social viewpoints associated with right wing, left wing, and centrist positions are presented. Examples of periodicals with conservative, liberal, or moderate bias are provided.
Newspapers (editorial position)
Liberal: New York Times, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post
Conservative: Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Washington Times
Non-Partisan: Christian Science Monitor, Chronicle of Higher Education
Magazines
Liberal: The Nation, Harper’s, The Progressive, Monthly Review, Mother Jones, Dissent, American Prospect
Conservative: National Review, The American Spectator, The New American, The American Conservative, The Weekly Standard
Libertarian/Independent: Dissent, Reason, Skeptical Inquirer
Non-Partisan: Newsweek, Time, U.S. News & World Report, Business Week, New Republic
Journals
Liberal: Politics and Society, Science and Society
Conservative: The National Interest, Policy Review, The Public Interest
Libertarian/Independent: The Freeman, Liberty
Non-Partisan: Public Opinion Quarterly, The Washington Quarterly, Foreign Affairs, Wilson Quarterly