- Lean
- Center (AllSides)
- Reliability
- Mostly Factual (MBFC)
- Founded
- 1922
- Headquarters
- London
- Owner
- British Broadcasting Corporation (public corporation under Royal Charter)
- Funding
- The BBC is a public corporation.
On this page
BBC Bias: What the Ratings Show
AllSides rates BBC Center; Ad Fontes Media scores its bias at -1.36 (Middle) and its reliability at 44.63 (Reliable, Analysis/Fact Reporting); and Media Bias/Fact Check rates it Least Biased with Mostly Factual factual reporting.
Compare BBC with every other outlet on the media bias chart.
Is BBC Left or Right?
BBC News is rated Center by AllSides, Middle by Ad Fontes Media and Least Biased by Media Bias/Fact Check. In the UK, it is accused of bias by both sides of politics, often on the same story, which is one reason it publishes detailed editorial guidelines and a public complaints process.
The BBC is required to be impartial under its Royal Charter, and its editorial guidelines set out what due impartiality means in practice. It is criticized from both left and right in the UK. In 2025 it admitted that a documentary had edited a speech by Donald Trump in a way that framed it negatively, which Media Bias/Fact Check cites in its rating.
See where BBC sits next to other outlets on our media bias chart.
How Reliable Is BBC?
Ad Fontes Media rates the BBC Reliable for analysis and fact reporting. Media Bias/Fact Check rates its factual reporting Mostly Factual: it credits generally reliable sourcing but lowered the score after the edit of Donald Trump's speech and over occasional issues in sensitive social coverage.
How BBC Handles Corrections
The BBC publishes a corrections and clarifications page and a formal complaints process, with Ofcom, the UK media regulator, as the final stage.
BBC Bias Rating From Independent Raters
All bars use one shared scale: the shaded band is each rater's own center zone, lined up. How we combine the raters
| Rater | Bias rating | Factual / reliability |
|---|---|---|
| AllSides | Center | Not rated (lean only) |
| Ad Fontes Media | Middle (-1.36) | 44.63: Reliable, Analysis/Fact Reporting |
| Media Bias/Fact Check | Least Biased (1.5) | Mostly Factual, High Credibility |
Who Funds BBC?
The BBC is a public corporation. The licence fee paid by UK households brought in about £3.9 billion of the BBC Group's £5.96 billion income in 2025/26; most of the rest comes from its commercial arm, BBC Studios. The BBC World Service's 2025/26 budget of £358 million included £137 million from the UK Foreign Office.
Why BBC Is in Aplomb
BBC News meets all six of our source criteria. It is publicly funded but editorially independent from government under its Royal Charter, publishes corrections, and separates news from opinion. Aplomb shows BBC News videos only.
Looking for other apps that take bias seriously? See our comparison of the best unbiased news apps.
Watch BBC next to Reuters, AP and NPR, one swipe at a time.
Latest BBC Videos
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BBC FAQ
Is the BBC biased?
Independent raters place BBC News near the center: Center (AllSides), Middle (Ad Fontes Media) and Least Biased (Media Bias/Fact Check).
Is the BBC left or right?
Neither on the scales we use. In the UK it is criticized by both sides.
Is the BBC reliable?
Ad Fontes Media rates it Reliable. Media Bias/Fact Check rates its factual reporting Mostly Factual.
Who funds the BBC?
Mainly the UK licence fee, about £3.9 billion of £5.96 billion in group income in 2025/26, plus commercial income from BBC Studios. The World Service also receives UK government funding.
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