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Iffy Info

Bias vs. B.S.

Bias doesn’t get a publisher into Iffy.news, only bullshit does. Iffy is blind to bias. However, when bias becomes B.S., data can help determine which direction bias most often turns.

Political bias is not the same as B.S: Biased news presents a political opinion. Bullshit news is when that opinion or statement isn’t backed up by independently verifiable evidence from reliable sources.

Bias doesn’t get a publisher into the Iffy index, only B.S. does — identified by a failed MBFC factual rating (“low” or “very low”).

I know from experience, this won’t stop the wing nuts, right and left, from accusing me of treachery and treason because their favorite bullshit-news site is in Iffy or some site they’re sure is biased isn’t.

But Iffy is blind to bias. However, when bias becomes B.S., data can help determine which direction bias most often turns.

Media Bias/Fact Check rating: Extreme Right
MBFC bias rating

As of now (2020-05), the Iffy index lists 388 sites. Of those, MBFC gave 210 a left- or right-bias rating.

In this sample (the 210 Iffy sites with a bias rating), only 2% lean left, either Extreme-Left (3) or Left (1). The other 98% all swing right, a few to Right-Center (1) and Right (22), but the bulk peg out max-red at the Extreme-Right (183, or 87%).

What does this mean: That right-wingers are bigger bullshiters? Or that left-wingers hide their B.S. better? The data doesn’t care about why. It only tells us how many.

Notes: MFBC doesn’t assign a left-right bias to sites in their Conspiracy-Pseudoscience category or to some in Questionable Sources. Raw data for above table is in a public spreadsheet.

Also, can anyone tell me who made that BS meter image at the top? I’d love to credit them, but can’t find the original in a Google Image Search.