Allegations of political bias in US election media

During the midterm election period, Apple News faced accusations of political bias regarding its personalized voting guides. Critics, including Heritage Foundation fellow Robby Starbuck, reported that news alerts directed iPhone users toward media outlets perceived as favoring Democratic candidates. Investigations suggested that in certain battleground areas, coverage emphasized Democratic accomplishments while framing Republican candidates through their associations with Donald Trump.

Following these initial reports, a study by the Media Research Center (MRC) expanded the scope of the allegations to include major television networks. The MRC analysis of Apple News claimed that of the platform’s top 20 daily stories, 84 headlines regarding Republican priorities were negative, with none presenting those issues positively. The study further alleged that ABC, CBS, and NBC evening newscasts provided significantly more negative coverage of Republicans than Democrats, suggesting audiences were three times more likely to encounter negative reporting on the former.