The modern political climate can be characterized by drastic bipartisanship and widespread misinformation fueling people’s decisions as they cast votes every election cycle. The inaccuracy and bias demonstrated by many major national news sources has led to Americans lacking in trust for the media, but if you know where to look, you can find the factual news you deserve.

This article compiles research from a wide range of media sources and uses mediabiasfactcheck.com and Ad Fontes Media to assess the source’s credibility and level of bias in how they present the information.

Regardless of your understanding of politics, the sources below attempt to compile a list with different types of media from articles to podcasts, YouTube channels, broadcast news, and social media sources so that you can find the sources that best suit you. Explore the different sources and media with different political lenses and try to gather a complete picture as we move towards a potentially vital election in American politics.

National News:

In general, national news can be extremely biased on the political spectrum one way or the other. Major networks like FOX News and MSNBC tend to lack facts and unbiased perspectives in order to gain ratings, which is a similar trend to modern politics. The sources listed below are national news sources that go against this trend by instead focusing on factuality and containing little to no political bias.

• Associated Press – Politics:
  • The source has high factuality and credibility scores and only a very slight left-leaning bias. They publish political news under important topics like the 2024 election, Congress, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
• New York Times – Politics:
  • The New York Times does have a left-leaning bias, however, the influence that the New York Times holds to set agendas makes it an important source of news to keep in mind. NYT often publishes things first and is then followed by other news sources around the world so it may be worth the sometimes annoying paywall.
• Washington Post – Politics:
  • The Washington Post is more towards center than the NYT politically and has been known for great “watchdog” political journalism since exposing Nixon’s Watergate Scandal in the early 1970s. Their reputation of holding politicians accountable and informing the voter is a great reason to check out The Post for frequent political news.
• The Economist:
  • The Economist is rated by mediabiasfactcheck.com as a “least biased” source. The Economist publishes world and political news with a focus on how things affect the economy. They have great resources including articles, podcasts, and graphics that help to explain economics and political ramifications on the U.S. economy to the everyday person. If the economy and financial environment of the nation is of importance to you when voting, definitely check out The Economist for information you can trust.
• Politico:
  • Politico is a publication started by writers who left The Post who receive high credibility and factuality ratings and cover news about politics. On the homepage, there is a sidebar for important stories coming up in the next few days, a list of quick stories to take note of, and larger stories regarding the newest political candidates and the news surrounding candidates in the GOP presidential debates.

Local News: 

• The Baltimore Banner:
  • The Baltimore Banner is quickly growing into one of the most reliable sources of local news in Baltimore and Maryland in general. Under the sphere of politics, they have separate sections for local and state government, as well as a voter’s guide that should be updated in the coming months leading up to the election cycle.
• Local Broadcast News (WBAL, CBS Baltimore, and FOX Baltimore):
  • Local broadcast news typically provides more reliable and factual information than their larger national broadcast news affiliates. Local news updates the community on current events that could potentially affect said community, such as college students in the Baltimore area. WBAL TV 11 News is the most reliable station in Baltimore, ranked for high factual reporting and as a least biased source. CBS Baltimore and FOX Baltimore also report highly factually, but the news is reported with more of a political lean to the left or right respectively.

Other Media:

Podcasts:

• NPR News Now:
  • This is a daily news podcast consisting of five-minute episodes posted hourly. The podcast provides reliable and timely information on a wide range of topics surrounding current events and politics, boasting one of the highest credibility ratings across all news media. The short form content makes it easy to get a glimpse into important information in as little time as it takes to drive from Owings Mills North to main campus. NPR News Now is free and available online, through their app, or on all major podcast streaming platforms
• The Daily – NYT:
  • The Daily posts a 20-minute news podcast five days per week. The podcast does carry a slight left-leaning bias, as an affiliate of The Times, but it received among the highest rankings for reliable analysis and factual reporting across all news podcasts. The Daily also does a good job of incorporating actual recordings from important speeches and other political gatherings so you can hear the information directly from its source. This podcast is available online, on YouTube, or across all major podcast streaming platforms.

Social Media Sources:

• VICE News – Social Media:
  • VICE News has been an interesting source of journalism for the last 10 years. This publication posts content on their website and across their socials like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok that asks hard-hitting questions and travels around the world in efforts to document the often harsh nature of world events. VICE News does carry a left-leaning bias but the information is factual. In order to remove some of the effects of bias, pay attention to what language could be used to portray a person or group in a negative light and focus on the facts of whatever VICE content you choose.
• NowThis News – Instagram and TikTok:
  • NowThis News has great social media accounts specifically for political content, especially for Gen Z viewers. As a more modern source of news, the content seems to generally surround issues that people in the newest voting generation may hold to be more important. It is another source that carries a slight left bias but the information is primarily factual and the short form content is easy to take in.
• Other publications’ social media:
  • Most of the national news sources also have social media accounts that post the content in a shorter form for viewers who aren’t as in to reading articles for news. The Washington Post’s TikTok in particular is great for explaining current events and politics in a broken-down way that makes the news easier to understand. Social media can be a great introductory tool to start following news, politics, and current events, regardless of your level of experience.