Yahoo News was founded in 1997, originally under the name au.news.yahoo.com, with the primary goal of delivering comprehensible and accessible news coverage to Australians. Over the years, it has expanded its scope to include sports, politics, finance, and entertainment. Integration into Yahoo’s Global Network has further enabled Yahoo News to incorporate global perspectives and international politics into its offerings.
Yahoo has long employed a hybrid approach, blending algorithmic content surfacing with editorial judgment—particularly for major events and section front pages. This model earned praise from Pew Research, which highlighted Yahoo’s curated election pages as a strong example of a clearly labeled, multi-source aggregator experience. More recently, a May 2025 YouGov survey identified Yahoo News as the most-used online-only news site among 52 tracked outlets, with 19% of Americans reporting they had accessed it in the past month.
Today, Yahoo News delivers global coverage and attracts an average of about three million monthly visitors. To assess its media bias, both AI tools and media analysts have scrutinized its content, sources, and funding to determine its overall political leaning.
![Bar chart showing main news sources by political views: CNN leads liberals, Fox News dominates conservatives, and no single source prevails among liberal or mixed groups. Pew Research Center.]()
Source: Pew Research Center
Yahoo News is primarily aggregated news from various news outlets. Yahoo News frequently aggregates outlets, such as CNN and MSNBC, that are more heavily consumed by liberal audiences. This analysis examines how readers rely on frequently cited sources for accurate, fact-based coverage. To see which sources Yahoo writes about on its website, visit our Reliability section below.
Is Yahoo News Biased?
Based on Biasly’s evaluations, Yahoo News is rated as Somewhat Left.
By examining content patterns and the broader context of media influence, we aim to offer a balanced perspective on Yahoo News’s political bias and contribute to the ongoing discussion about bias in the news.
How Does Biasly Rate News Sources?
Biasly uses proprietary algorithms and a team of analysts to provide comprehensive bias evaluations across thousands of news outlets. Over 200,000 articles from more than 3,200 sources have been analyzed to identify the most accurate and unbiased stories.
Biasly assigns each outlet three key scores:
- Reliability Score – Reflects factual accuracy
- AI Bias Score – Generated via natural language processing
- Analyst Bias Score – Assessed by human political analysts
These scores are based on seven core metrics: Tone, Tendency, Diction, Author Check, Selection/Omission, Expediency Bias, and Accuracy. These elements help analysts and algorithms evaluate the political attitude conveyed by each article.
Biasly’s Bias Meter ranges from -100% (most left) to +100% (most right), with 0% indicating neutrality. The system evaluates individual articles based on political terms, policies, figures, and sentiment to calculate precise bias ratings.
Is Yahoo News Politically Biased?
Yahoo News earns a Somewhat Left rating for its AI Bias Score and a Somewhat Right for its Analyst Bias Score. The Analyst Bias Score is generated by reviewers from liberal, moderate, and conservative backgrounds. Analysts reviewed and evaluated 15 Yahoo News articles and noted preferences in areas like abortion, anti-discrimination laws. The paper maintained objectivity on topics like border asylum for refugees, affirmative action, assisted suicide, border wall, and anti-terrorism spending.
For example, coverage on upcoming elections, the reporter mostly focused on democratic candidates and their democratic opposition. The article presents little to no information about Republican candidates.
Analysis of Bias in Yahoo News Online Articles
To evaluate the bias of online articles, we can analyze select Yahoo News articles through several of Biasly’s bias rating criteria: Tone, Tendency, Author, Diction, and Expediency Bias.
- Tone: The overall attitude conveyed by the article
- Diction: Specific word choices made by the writer
- Author: The background and social presence of the journalist
- Tendency: Patterns of bias in the writer’s broader body of work
- Expediency Bias: Quick visual or textual indicators like headlines and photos that imply bias
![Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a podium in the Oval Office with former President Donald Trump and Mehmet Oz standing behind him, in front of flags and a portrait.]()
Source: Yahoo News
One article titled, “Federal employees in mental health and disease control were among targets in weekend firings”, remains objective in reporting. The article explains why federal employees are being fired as a political move by the Trump administration to put pressure on Democrats. The reporters also cover the potential effects that losing these employees may have on state programs, and give quotes from different mental health departments and the CDC.
Though this article is not originally written by Yahoo News, it shows how Yahoo News does provide some centered news coverage. The article, written by AP News, which has the same Somewhat Left, remains centered by using a neutral tone and unbiased language. Phrases such as “ongoing legislation” and “full scope” reinforce neutrality by trying to explain the situation, rather than blaming a particular political party. By giving both perspectives, the reporters stay even-handed and balanced. The article lays out both sides without adding personal opinions. These reporters avoid ideological slants or opinions.
One of the reporters, Ali Swenson, spends time on social media debunking misinformation and reposting articles by AP News. This reinforces her neutrality and professionalism. An example of some of her tweets can be found below. More of her tweets can be found here.
In another article written by Yahoo News, titled ‘No idea’ how the government shutdown might end, House speaker says as Senate rejects funding bill for the 10th time, leans progressive in its reporting. Reporter Mike Bebernes calls out Speaker Mike Johnson for insinuating that the government shutdown is solely due to Democrats not wanting to vote for a plan to reopen the government. Bebernes also explains why the government is shut down and whether the President can pay the military during a shutdown.
“It is true that Democrats have not budged from the stance that they’ve held since before the government ran out of funding on Oct. 1, which is that they will only allow a budget to get through the Senate if it includes some of their policy priorities. But Johnson and his fellow Republicans have been equally unyielding.”
The reporter uses specific word choices and emotionally charged statements about President Trump’s actions, such as “punish his political opponents” and “reshape the government”, that create a negative tone in the article. This strong presence of opinion highlights bias in the article. While there is a neutral tone in reporting policy, bias is shown in the reporter’s coverage of republican politicians.
Another Yahoo News article gives readers information on the upcoming NYC mayoral debate. The reporter discusses the candidates, where to watch the debate, and what voters should watch for. However, the reporter mostly focuses on the democratic and independent candidates. The author even goes as far as discussing some of the political views of the democratic candidate. The republican candidate, on the other hand, is barely mentioned. Based on this article, the only thing mentioned about the republican candidate is that he is a conservative radio host and ran against the current NYC mayor, Eric Adams, in 2021.
The reporter not discussing further the political opinions or background of the republican candidate can suggest a bias. The article is meant to inform readers about what to look out for in the upcoming mayoral debate. Only giving one sentence to describe the Republican candidate does not fully inform readers for the upcoming debate.
“Sliwa — a conservative radio host — is the Republican nominee; he has been a familiar figure in New York since founding the Guardian Angels, a civilian crime-fighting group, in the late 1970s.”
Overall, the author uses a neutral tone when discussing each candidate and avoids any heated language. Using language such as “wider implications” and “reflect a larger argument” leaves the opinion up to the readers. New York is primarily a Democratic city, so focusing on the Democratic and Independent candidates does inform many about the mayoral options. To increase objectivity, the author should provide comparable detail on all candidates, not just the Democratic and independent contenders.
To summarize, Yahoo News shows inconsistent bias throughout its reporting. Articles such as this one from AP News remain balanced in reporting with a neutral tone, unbiased language, and multiple perspectives. On the other hand, many articles like the government shutdown piece reveal a progressive slant through framing, disapproving tone, and criticisms that align with left-leaning values. Despite attempts to remain balanced in reporting, Yahoo News articles can be framed and highlight policies that lean towards the liberal side of the political spectrum.
Analysis of Yahoo News Opinion Articles
To fully understand political bias in the media, it is important to differentiate between factual reporting and opinion pieces. Although the goal of reporting is to present facts and let readers form their own conclusions, opinion articles express personal perspectives on current issues. While the previous section examined factual reporting, this section turns to how bias surfaces through Yahoo News’s selection and tone of opinion content.
In an op-ed titled, “Trump’s Nobel peace prize campaign is the least important part of the Gaza deal” by MSNBC reporter Nicholas Grossman condemns President Trump and media publications for thinking that Trump would win the Nobel peace prize. The article employs a critical tone and a progressive argument. The reporter states that the peace agreement is extremely similar to former President Joe Biden’s suggestion of a liberal bias.
In contrast, “Marjorie Taylor Greene explains real America First agenda” by The Hill applauds Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene as an ‘ideologically consistent’, ‘America First’ member of Congress. The article engages a praising tone, stating Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for speaking her mind by criticizing some of this administration’s policies. The article also praises President Trump for his ideals, but doubts that his methods are the way to go. The reporter appears to have a conservative slant, but tries to remain balanced by giving criticisms of immigration and tariff policies.
These examples show that while not all Yahoo News opinion pieces are always liberal, the platform also publishes opinion pieces that give conservative viewpoints. This selection of opinion pieces can contribute to the overall consistency of bias, particularly since the majority of editorials support liberal causes. This tendency highlights the importance of discerning personal viewpoints from straight reporting, especially when interpreting the political leanings of any news organization.
Who Owns Yahoo News?
![A man in a dark suit stands on a staircase inside a building with brick walls and large windows, smiling at the camera.]()
Source: Wikipedia
In 2017, Yahoo News was under the ownership of Verizon Communications, after Verizon acquired Yahoo and AOL in 2015 and 2017, respectively. The addition of these two conglomerates resulted in the creation of Oath Inc., a subsidiary of Verizon Communications. In 2021, Apollo Global Management took over Verizon Media, in turn, taking over Yahoo News.
The current CEO of Yahoo News is Jim Lanzone. He has over 25 years of leadership and entrepreneurial experience in technology and media. Prior to joining Yahoo News, Lanzone was the CEO of Tinder, the CEO of CBS Interactive, and the first Chief Digital Officer of the CBS Corporation.
Who Funds Yahoo News?
Yahoo News is funded primarily through digital advertising, sponsored content, and partnerships across the broader Yahoo ecosystem. As part of a large media and technology portfolio, it also benefits from revenue generated through Yahoo’s search ads, display ads, video ads, and data-driven marketing products. Subscription-based products play a much smaller role, meaning advertising remains the dominant financial driver of the platform. Because Yahoo News aggregates content from numerous external publishers—including AP, Reuters, USA Today, and various opinion outlets—its funding model is tied not only to its own traffic, but also to overall engagement within the Yahoo network.
This ad-driven structure introduces some potential risk of bias. Platforms reliant on high-traffic engagement may surface stories that align with user interests or trending topics rather than strictly prioritizing balanced reporting. Sponsored content and commercial partnerships may also influence the placement or prominence of certain news topics, even if not the editorial stance itself. While Yahoo News maintains guidelines intended to separate editorial decisions from commercial influence, readers should be mindful that advertising priorities and algorithmic content promotion can shape which stories are featured most prominently.
How to Evaluate Bias
Although Biasly rates Yahoo News as Somewhat Left, it’s important to remember that bias can vary from article to article. Yahoo News also covers liberal-leaning policies with objectivity on many issues, from national legislation to social developments. This complexity underscores the importance of examining each article individually. So, let’s learn how to evaluate media bias.
Recognizing media bias requires awareness and critical thinking. Often, readers trust news sources that affirm their existing beliefs, a psychological tendency known as confirmation bias. This makes it harder to identify slanted narratives or one-sided reporting.
To combat this, it’s essential to challenge your assumptions by consulting multiple viewpoints and verifying news through third-party analysis. Tools like Biasly’s media bias ratings allow readers to compare the same news story across the political spectrum.
Ultimately, bias isn’t always a matter of what is said, it’s also about what is left out, how topics are framed, and which stories are chosen for coverage. Learning to recognize these patterns can help readers make more informed decisions and develop greater media literacy.
To start comparing news outlets and gain a better understanding of bias, sign up for Biasly’s Media Bias & News Analytics Platform to see how stories vary between sources.
