Ad Fontes Media is a public benefit corporation based in Colorado that creates the Media Bias Chart, which assesses the political leanings and trustworthiness of various news outlets.
Individuals interested in media credibility, such as marketers or advertisers, consult this information alongside other resources that determine brand safety and source reliability.
External context
For content creators or businesses, Ad Fontes Media offers third-party ratings designed to help assess if a news source is safe for advertising purposes. The organization uses a panel of analysts across the political spectrum to evaluate articles with the goal of combating media bias. However, users should note that while it provides helpful rankings, the chart is considered a simple guide and not an exclusively authoritative measure of media bias.
Ad Fontes Media Wikipedia contributors, “Ad Fontes Media”, en.wikipedia.orgLicence01What it is and how it works
The organization reviews a sample of articles from each outlet, scoring them on two axes: political bias (left‑right) and reliability (fact‑checking, sourcing, transparency). Scores are averaged and plotted on a chart that uses color bands from green (high reliability) to red (low reliability). The methodology is described in their public documentation and is updated annually.
Ad Fontes Media rates news sites for bias and trust.
02What to do about it
This week you can: 1. Pull the latest Ad Fontes chart from their website. 2. Cross‑check any outlet that has mentioned your brand against its bias and reliability rating. 3. Flag low‑reliability mentions for deeper review before amplifying them. 4. Prioritize outreach to high‑reliability outlets when planning press releases. 5. Add the rating column to your media‑monitoring spreadsheet.
03How it is measured or noticed
Ad Fontes publishes a searchable list of outlets with a numeric score (0‑100) and a color label. The chart is visible on their homepage and can be downloaded as a CSV. When you see a brand mention, look for the outlet’s name in that list; the score tells you the outlet’s overall trust level at a glance.
How the record puts it
Ad Fontes Media, Inc.
04Common mistakes
- Treating a high reliability score as an endorsement of the specific article.
- Ignoring the bias axis and assuming all green‑rated outlets are neutral.
- Relying solely on the rating without checking the actual content for brand‑specific inaccuracies.
05Limits
The chart covers only English‑language news sites that meet a minimum publishing volume, so niche blogs or foreign outlets may be missing. It also does not measure the tone of coverage—an outlet can be reliable yet write a negative story about your brand. Confusing Ad Fontes with other bias tools (e.g., Media Bias/Fact Check) can lead to inconsistent assessments.
06Worked example
"Our recent feature in The Daily Gazette (Ad Fontes rating: 85 / 100, green) helped boost brand perception, while the same story in Opinion Weekly (rating: 42, red) required a corrective statement."
The entry above is written by GetLoopLoop. What follows is what independent catalogues hold about the same term — none of it is the source of this page.
- Also called
- Ad Fontes
- Kind of thing
- website, company, benefit corporation
The same term on Wikipedia
Catalogued in 2 languagesFrequently asked questions
How is Ad Fontes Media different from other media bias rating tools like Media Bias/Fact Check?
It depends on the methodology; Ad Fontes Media uses a double‑axis system that rates both political bias and reliability based on a structured review of a sample of articles. Other tools may focus only on bias or use crowdsourced ratings, which can lead to different results.
Should we rely on Ad Fontes Media scores when selecting news outlets for brand mentions?
Usually it is a good starting point, because the scores are based on systematic article sampling and fact‑checking criteria. However, you should also consider audience relevance and recent editorial changes before making a final decision.
How does Ad Fontes Media calculate its reliability scores for each outlet?
It works by having trained analysts review a random set of articles from each outlet and rate them on sourcing, transparency, and factual accuracy. The numeric reliability score (0‑100) is then averaged across the sample and combined with the bias rating.
Is the Ad Fontes Media chart still accurate given recent changes in the media landscape?
It depends on how frequently the organization updates its database; Ad Fontes Media refreshes its ratings several times a year, but very fast‑moving outlets may lag behind. Checking the last update date can help you gauge current relevance.
What are the risks of using an outlet with a low Ad Fontes reliability score for our PR campaign?
The main risk is damage to brand credibility, because audiences may perceive the brand as endorsing low‑quality or misleading content. You might also see lower engagement and potential backlash if the outlet publishes inaccurate information.
How long does it take for a new outlet to appear on the Ad Fontes Media list after it meets the inclusion criteria?
Typically the onboarding process takes a few weeks, as analysts need to collect enough articles to generate a reliable sample before assigning a score. During that period the outlet will not be searchable in the public list.
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Asked out loud
spoken, not typedThe same term in the words somebody uses speaking to an assistant rather than typing into a box — written from the situation, which is why each one carries the situation it came from.
Yes, you can use Ad Fontes Media, which provides a searchable list with bias and reliability scores for each outlet. The scores let you quickly see if a source meets your brand’s credibility standards.
Usually you can look up the source on Ad Fontes Media; the platform shows a numeric reliability rating and a color label that indicate fact‑checking quality. This helps you confirm whether the outlet aligns with the client’s expectations.
It works by searching the blog name in Ad Fontes Media’s online database; if the blog is included, you’ll see its bias axis and reliability score instantly. If it’s not listed, the blog likely falls outside the chart’s coverage criteria.