- Lean
- Lean Left (AllSides)
- Reliability
- High factual reporting (MBFC)
- Founded
- 2007
- Headquarters
- Arlington, Virginia
- Owner
- Axel Springer
- Funding
- Politico has been owned by Axel Springer since 2021.
On this page
Is Politico Left or Right?
AllSides gives Politico a Bias Meter score of -1.20 (Lean Left), Media Bias/Fact Check rates it Left-Center (-2.8), and Ad Fontes Media scores it -5.47, near the left edge of its Middle band. Averaged, it sits just left of our center zone. Most of its reporting covers Congress, the White House, campaigns and policy.
Raters place Politico's news coverage slightly left of center. Its owner, Axel Springer, asks staff to share company principles such as support for the transatlantic alliance; according to 2021 reporting, Politico journalists are not required to sign them, and we found no record of the owner directing its news coverage.
See where Politico sits next to other outlets on our media bias chart.
How Reliable Is Politico?
Media Bias/Fact Check rates Politico's factual reporting High, and Ad Fontes Media rates it Reliable for analysis and fact reporting (41.43). Its best-known scoop was the leaked draft of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision in May 2022, which Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed was authentic.
How Politico Handles Corrections
Politico lists corrections to its stories on a public corrections page.
Politico Bias: What the Ratings Show
AllSides rates Politico Lean Left; Ad Fontes Media scores its bias at -5.47 (Middle) and its reliability at 41.43 (Reliable, Analysis/Fact Reporting); and Media Bias/Fact Check rates it Left-Center with High factual reporting.
Compare Politico with every other outlet on the media bias chart.
Politico 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 | Lean Left | Not rated (lean only) |
| Ad Fontes Media | Middle (-5.47) | 41.43: Reliable, Analysis/Fact Reporting |
| Media Bias/Fact Check | Left-Center (-2.8) | High, High Credibility |
Who Funds Politico?
Politico has been owned by Axel Springer since 2021. Revenue comes from advertising and Politico Pro, its subscription service for policy professionals.
Why Politico Is in Aplomb
Politico follows US politics and policy in detail, from Congress to the campaign trail. It clears our six source criteria. You will find it in the app's United States tab. What to watch for: it writes for readers who follow Washington closely, and raters see a slight left lean, so a wire service such as AP gives you the plainer version of the same story.
Looking for other apps that take bias seriously? See our comparison of the best unbiased news apps.
Watch Politico next to Reuters, BBC and AP, one swipe at a time.
Latest Politico Videos
1:48 We break the news to DNC Chair Ken Martin that Dems won in South Carolina
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0:58 Trump to POLITICO: 'We're going to work with the Democrats'
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Politico FAQ
Is Politico biased?
AllSides rates it Lean Left (-1.20) and Media Bias/Fact Check Left-Center, so raters see a slight left lean. Ad Fontes Media scores it -5.47, still inside its Middle band.
Who owns Politico?
Axel Springer, the German publisher, which bought it in 2021 in a deal reported at more than $1 billion.
Is Politico reliable?
Yes. Ad Fontes Media gives it a reliability score of 41.43 (Reliable), and Media Bias/Fact Check rates its factual reporting High.
What is Politico Pro?
A subscription service for policy professionals, with detailed coverage of specific policy areas. It is one of Politico's main sources of revenue, with advertising.
Vetted news, in the format you already scrollA vertical news feed from vetted newsrooms only.