I have a friend who points out to me on a regular basis that all the news sources on the internet (and off) have an inherent bias. I don’t disagree with him.
In fact, I think it’s a good idea to sample the news from multiple sources. In this post, I list and link to the top 10 left leaning news sources on the internet. I’ll follow it up with a list of right leaning news sources next.
1- CNN
CNN stands for “Cable News Network.” It’s owned by CNN Global, a division of Warner Bros. Discover. CNN’s headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia, and the network was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld. Originally it was a 24-hour news network, but CNN now has a strong internet presence, too.
CNN was the first news television to broadcast nothing but news 24 hours a day in the United States.
2- New York Times
Almost all the content at the New York Times is located behind a paywall, but depending on your interest in the news, this might be worth it.
How would I describe the New York Times? It’s a daily newspaper in New York City, and it’s read by people all over the world. CNN is the new kid on the block when contrasted with the New York Times. One launched in 1980, while the other launched in 1851.
The New York Times is the national paper of record in the United States and has won over 132 Pulitzer Prizes. It’s the 18th biggest newspaper in the world and the 3rd biggest newspaper in the United States.
3- Washington Post
The Washington Post leans even further to the left than CNN or the New York Times. Like the New York Times, the Washington Post is a daily newspaper that’s been around seemingly forever. The paper launched in 1877. It’s the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington DC area. It’s also widely read internationally.
Also like the New York Times, the Washington Post is considered a paper of record, and it’s also won a staggering number of Pulitzer Prizes — 65 in total, which is second only to the New York Times.
Jeff Bezos is the current owner.
4- Vice
Vice launched in 1994. The news division is digital and focuses on a younger audience than the three news sources I’ve already listed. Their news tends to focus more on culture-related topics than straight-up political news, but it does cover both.
5- Huffington Post
I guess I’m old school because it’s not really Huffington Post any more and hasn’t been for years. HuffPost is the new name. The site was launched in 2005 to compete with the Drudge Report, which I will, of course, be covering in my next post about right-leaning news sites.
HuffPost is now owned by Buzzfeed, which is next on my list.
6- Buzzfeed
Buzzfeed owns multiple properties, but they report news at Buzzfeed News. They originally focused on viral content like listicles and quizzes; news came later. They’ve been in business since 2006. The site has an undeserved reputation as an unreliable news source, but I think that has a lot to do with its focus on viral content early in the life of the site.
7- The Guardian
So far, all the news sources I’ve listed here have been based in the United States. But the Guardian is a British-based newspaper with a US edition. It’s the oldest news source on this list. It was founded in 1821. Over 23 million people in the UK get their news from the Guardian.
8- Politico
Politico focuses on political news, especially in Washington DC.
9- LA Times
The LA Times is a daily newspaper from the West Coast and has been published since 1881. Along with the Washington Post and the New York Times, it’s considered a paper of record in the United States.
10- The Daily Beast
This one’s basically a tabloid that sometimes publishes legitimate news along with the gossip and viral stuff. It’s not on the level of something like the National Enquirer, though — it’s was more high end than that. The Daily Beast launched in 2008.
Honorable Mentions
These news sites are also notable and tend toward a liberal perspective:
Check back soon for my post about the top 10 right leaning news sources.