Overview

Ad Fontes Media rates Cleveland.com | Cleveland Plain Dealer in the Middle category of bias and as Reliable, Analysis/Fact Reporting in terms of reliability. Cleveland.com | Cleveland Plain Dealer is the digital edition of the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper, with coverage focusing on news in the state of Ohio. It is owned by Advance Publications.

Overall Score

The following are the overall bias and reliability scores for Cleveland.com | Cleveland Plain Dealer according to our Ad Fontes Media ratings methodology.

Reliability: 45.01

Bias: -0.77

Panels of analysts from Ad Fontes Media regularly review representative sample content to rate it for reliability and bias. Each panel of analysts comprises one left-leaning, one right-leaning, and one center-leaning analyst.

The team considers a variety of factors when rating content. To determine its reliability score, we consider the content’s veracity, expression, its title/headline, and graphics. We add each of these scores to the chart on a weighted scale, with the average of those creating the sample content’s overall reliability score.

To determine sample content’s bias score, we consider its language, its political position, and how it compares to other reporting or analysis from other sources on the same topic. We add each of these scores to the chart on a weighted scale, with the average of those creating the content’s overall bias score.

The bias rating, demonstrated on the Media Bias Chart^®️ on the horizontal axis, ranges from most extreme left to middle to most extreme right. The reliability rating, demonstrated on the chart’s vertical axis, rates sources on a scale from original fact reporting to analysis, opinion, propaganda and inaccurate/fabricated information.

Reliability scores for articles and shows are on a scale of 0-64. Scores above 40 are generally good; scores below 24 are generally problematic. Scores between 24-40 indicate a range of possibilities, with some sources falling there because they are heavy in opinion and analysis, and some because they have a high variation in reliability between articles.

Bias scores for articles and shows are on a scale of -42 to +42, with higher negative scores being more left, higher positive scores being more right, and scores closer to zero being minimally biased, equally balanced, or exhibiting a centrist bias.

Individual Content Sample Scores

These are the most recent content samples that Ad Fontes Media analysts have rated for this source.

Content Sample URL	Bias	Reliability
Ohio Redistricting Commission passes new legislative maps with bipartisan support	2.67	44.33
Study: Gymnastics the most dangerous girls' sport	0	44
Cleveland is most stressed city in U.S., report says	0	28.67
First votes cast today on State Issue 1	-4.67	39.67
A small-bore way to give Washington, D.C., representation, short of statehood: Travis Hagelberg	-3.75	35.25
Mike Golic’s long ESPN career will come to a close at Fiesta Bowl	-0.33	43.17
Is the coronavirus pandemic causing us to become an athleisure society? We asked local fashion experts and brands	-0.67	41
Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley blasts DoorDash for charging customers ‘Cleveland fee’	-4.67	41.33
Ohio reports 8,178 new coronavirus cases: Wednesday update	0	50
How the pandemic is messing with kids’ mental health: Coping through COVID	0	44
Cleveland cop fired for stepping on man’s neck, using Taser on man in separate incidents	1	45.33
Strongsville schools plan return to in-person learning in mid-January	0	48
Ohio Supreme Court rules in favor of city in case brought by South Euclid Municipal Court	0	48
Ohio behind on vaccine shipments, but officials say new doses on the way	0	48.83
Three Cleveland police officers accused of attacking fellow officer during brawl at union hall	0.33	47.33
Ohio Senate avoids a Gov. Mike DeWine veto override vote on public health orders in an 11th hour bill amendment	-0.33	46
Lawmakers pass bill increasing penalties for trespassing, committing crimes at oil refineries, power stations, natural gas pipelines, other projects	0.33	48
National Guard member assaulted in jail, report says: Overnight News Links	0	49.67
Ohio lawmakers to end session without addressing scandal-drenched House Bill 6	-1	48.33
Gov. Mike DeWine says he hasn’t read letter from former PUCO commissioners calling for more aggressive investigation of FirstEnergy	-1.67	48.67
Cleveland reports 207 new cases of coronavirus: Tuesday update	0	49
Columbus police officer on noise complaint shoots, kills unarmed Black man	-0.67	48.33
Nurses question hospitals’ claims they’re contracting coronavirus in the community instead of at work	-4.33	48.33