Overview

Ad Fontes Media rates PBS in the Middle category of bias and as Reliable, Analysis/Fact Reporting in terms of reliability. PBS (Public Broadcasting System) is a nonprofit public broadcaster and distributor of educational television founded in 1969. It is publicly funded and provides programming to TV stations across the United States.

Overall Score

The following are the overall bias and reliability scores for PBS according to our Ad Fontes Media ratings methodology.

Reliability: 45.14

Bias: -3.90

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
How to help Morocco earthquake victims	0	44.67
Biden cancels last oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Arctic Refuge, overturns sales held by Trump	-4	50.67
Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin’s 8-year prison term reduced to a single year	0	45
Why Tulsa public schools are under threats of takeover in Oklahoma	-7.33	42.67
Loch Ness monster search party uses new tools to look for an old cryptid	0	44
Economy adds 187,000 jobs in August despite Federal Reserve’s high interest rates	-0.67	46
The connections between decline of local news and growing political division	-1.33	51.67
Football coach who won lawsuit against public school for on-field prayers returns to gridiron	-1	45
Texas law requiring age verification to view pornographic websites will not go into effect, federal judge says	-2	45
Departing governor races to move prisoners off death row in Louisiana	-0.67	49.67
Authorities begin identifying bodies as emergency services leave South Africa fire scene	0	48
Unsolicited land offers under investigation as Hawaii tries to keep Lahaina in local hands	0	46.33
Niger’s military regime orders police to expel French ambassador and revokes his diplomatic immunity	0	45
Senate GOP leader McConnell can continue with his work schedule, congressional physician says	0	45.33
Can the 14th Amendment be used to block Trump from 2024 ballots?	0	45.67
Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia case, judge rules trial will be televised	0	45.33
Giuliani liable in defamation lawsuit from Georgia election workers	0	47.33
FEMA administrator discusses federal response to Hurricane Idalia	0	43.33
A look at the damage after Hurricane Idalia slammed Florida as a Category 3 storm	-1	44
$5.6 million bid for one offshore location marks modest start for Gulf of Mexico wind energy	0	42
Guatemala’s president-elect and his anti-corruption party faces legal challenges. Here’s what’s happening	0	46.67
EPA head says he’s fully supports decision to block Alaska mine and protect salmon-rich Bristol Bay	-5	42.33
Guatemalan president calls for democratic transition of power amid legal attacks on rising anti-corruption party	0	45
Landscape architect Kate Orff shares visionary goal of nature-based infrastructure	-5	44.33
Devestating Greek wildfire now in its 11th day is the biggest ever recorded in the EU	0	46.33