Bias, Dark Money and Influence (BDMI)
Have you ever wondered what drives all those misleading headlines, who those bigoted social media trolls really are, and who stands to gain from so much disinformation?
You can find the answers here, in our database of reliable sources. We have categorised the sources based on whether they primarily address bias in the media and elsewhere, dark money from opaque sources that distort our democracy, or influence by powerful individuals or groups who seek to influence those in power without having democratic legitimacy.
Media Bias/Fact Check, the most comprehensive media bias resource on the internet, rate the Free Speach Union as strongly biased toward conservative causes through story selection and/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appealing to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports, and omit information that may damage conservative causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy
Overall, the Free Speech Union is right-biased based on advocacy and editorial positions that align with a conservative perspective. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to poor sourcing techniques and one-sided reporting that excludes opposing viewpoints.
#FreeSpeachUnion #FSU
Free Speech Union
The Free Speech Union (FSU) is a UK-based membership organisation, founded in 2020 by journalist Toby Young, which campaigns for freedom of speech and defends the speech rights of its members. Toby Young is a Conservative Life Peer who has written for several right-leaning publications including the Sun on Sunday, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph, and the Spectator. He has promoted COVID-19 misinformation and advocated for “progressive eugenics” - genetically engineering intelligence.
#FreeSpeachUnion #FSU #Lobby #Thinktanks
Who funds the Free Speech Union?
The Free Speech Union (FSU) has come a long way since its inception in 2020. Founder Toby Young now sits in the House of Lords and FSU spokespeople regularly appear on British media. Even JD Vance has endorsed its argument that the UK is suffering a ‘free speech crisis’.
The FSU has also backed numerous freedom of speech legal challenges. So I was somewhat surprised to learn that last week Young’s organisation had itself obtained a High Court injunction - banning the publication of a list of its donors.
According to Democracy for Sale:
Our investigation found the FSU has received significant sums from a vehicle linked to prominent Brexit campaigners and donors to Tufton Street think tanks that “incubated“ Liz Truss’s disastrous premiership. Other funders include a Conservative peer and a US organisation run by an anti-abortion lawyer.
#ForeignMoney #FreeSpeachUnion #FSU #Funding #Lobby #Thinktanks #Transparency #TuftonStreet
The Sun
Media Bias/Fact Check, the most comprehensive media bias resource on the internet, rate The Sun as Right Biased based on story selection and political affiliation that favors the right and rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to overly sensationalized headlines and numerous failed fact checks.
Founded in 1964, The Sun is a daily tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In surveys, The Sun is considered the Least Trusted UK news outlet by PressGazette.
The Sun is published by the News Group Newspapers division of News UK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The paper generates revenue through advertising, newsstand sales, and subscriptions.
The Sun is a classic trashy tabloid that features celebrity gossip, current events, and right-leaning news stories. There is significant use of sensational loaded headlines.
Politically, the paper has endorsed conservatives since 2010. The paper generally publishes sensationalized, misleading stories with a right-wing bias. Further, a Reuters institute survey found that only 13% of respondents trust their news coverage and 64% do not, ranking them last in trust of the major UK news providers.
#Newspapers #TheSun
Media Literacy Guide: How to Detect Bias in News Media
An excellent guide to detecting bias in news media.
Media have tremendous power in shaping political and cultural narratives—telling us what and who matters, why things are as they are and what it would mean to change them. An informed and critical audience challenges news media to be fair, independent and accurate.
#Media #Newspapers #SocialMedia
Detecting bias in the news
A really useful article from the University of Washington on how bias appears in the news and the different types of bias that manipulate our perceptions.
#Media #Newspapers #SocialMedia
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) is a charity that conducts and funds research aimed at solving poverty in the UK. JRF's stated aim is to "inspire action and change that will create a prosperous UK without poverty."
#JosephRowntreeFoundation(JRF) #Thinktanks
The Resolution Foundation
The Resolution Foundation is an independent British think tank established in 2005. Its stated aim is to improve the standard of living of low- to middle-income families.
#ResolutionFoundation #Thinktanks
Institute for Public Policy Research
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) is a progressive think tank based in London. It was founded in 1988 by Lord Hollick and Lord Eatwell, and is an independent registered charity. The think tank aims to maintain the momentum of progressive thought in the United Kingdom through well-researched and clearly argued policy analysis, reports, and publications; as well as a high media profile.
#InstituteforPublicPolicyResearch(IPPR) #Thinktanks
Which think tanks are cited most often by the UK Government?
Think tanks play an influential role in the policymaking process in the UK and their research and recommendations are often picked up by government policymakers. Using Overton’s database of policy documents, we wanted to see which think tanks feature most often in policy documents published by the UK government.
#Thinktanks