- Lean
- Lean Left (AllSides)
- Reliability
- High factual reporting (MBFC)
- Founded
- 2022
- Headquarters
- New York City
- Owner
- Privately held, founded by Ben Smith and Justin Smith
- Funding
- Semafor is a privately held company, launched in 2022 with about $25 million from private investors.
On this page
Is Semafor Left or Right?
AllSides gives Semafor a Bias Meter score of -1.50 (Lean Left), Ad Fontes Media scores it -5.30, near the left edge of its Middle band, and Media Bias/Fact Check rates it Least Biased (-0.4). Averaged on our shared scale, Semafor sits inside the center zone, close to its left edge.
Semafor's largest early investor was Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the crypto exchange FTX, who put in about $10 million of its first $25 million. After FTX collapsed in November 2022, Semafor said it would buy back his stake and hold the money until the authorities decided where it should go.
See where Semafor sits next to other outlets on our media bias chart.
How Reliable Is Semafor?
Media Bias/Fact Check rates Semafor's factual reporting High. Ad Fontes Media rates it Generally Reliable (39.76), just under its Reliable range, so Semafor meets our reliability criterion through Media Bias/Fact Check.
Semafor Bias: What the Ratings Show
AllSides rates Semafor Lean Left; Ad Fontes Media scores its bias at -5.30 (Middle) and its reliability at 39.76 (Generally Reliable/Analysis OR Other Issues); and Media Bias/Fact Check rates it Least Biased with High factual reporting.
Compare Semafor with every other outlet on the media bias chart.
Semafor 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 (-5.30) | 39.76: Generally Reliable/Analysis OR Other Issues |
| Media Bias/Fact Check | Least Biased (-0.4) | High, High Credibility |
Who Funds Semafor?
Semafor is a privately held company, launched in 2022 with about $25 million from private investors. Its revenue comes from advertising and sponsorships, including the events it organizes.
Why Semafor Is in Aplomb
Semafor adds coverage of global politics and business from a young newsroom founded by two former leaders of BuzzFeed News and Bloomberg Media. It meets our six source criteria, and its videos appear in Latest, the feed of international newsrooms. What to watch for: it is a newer outlet that raters score slightly differently, and it posts only one or two short videos a day.
Looking for other apps that take bias seriously? See our comparison of the best unbiased news apps.
Watch Semafor next to Reuters, BBC and AP, one swipe at a time.
Latest Semafor Videos
2:04 Why Airbnb's CEO gets directly involved in recruiting
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0:47 How NYC views AOC
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1:36 Why Democrats moved right on transgender issues
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Semafor FAQ
Is Semafor biased?
Raters differ slightly: Least Biased according to Media Bias/Fact Check, Middle according to Ad Fontes Media (-5.30), and Lean Left according to AllSides (-1.50). Averaged, it sits in the center.
Who owns Semafor?
Semafor is privately held. It was founded in 2022 by Ben Smith, a former editor in chief of BuzzFeed News, and Justin Smith, a former CEO of Bloomberg Media, with money from private investors.
Is Semafor reliable?
Media Bias/Fact Check rates its factual reporting High. Ad Fontes Media rates it Generally Reliable, one step below its Reliable range.
What happened with Sam Bankman-Fried's investment in Semafor?
He was its largest early investor, with about $10 million. After FTX collapsed in late 2022, Semafor said it would buy back his stake and set the money aside until the authorities decided what to do with it.
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