A recent analysis shows that the most prominent news outlets featured on Apple News and Google News have not supported Republican candidates in any of the last ten presidential elections. This raises concerns about potential anti-conservative bias in these widely used news aggregators.
The Media Research Center, a group that monitors media bias from a conservative perspective, found that newspapers and magazines highlighted in Apple and Google News have exclusively backed Democratic candidates since 1988, with no endorsements for Republicans.
For instance, the top five news organizations on Apple News—The New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, and USA Today—have collectively endorsed Democrats 28 times over this period.
The Times Editorial Board has favored Democratic candidates in every election since 1988, supporting them a total of ten times. The Washington Post has done so eight times, The Guardian five, Los Angeles Times four, and USA Today once.
Similarly, on Google News, the same top five organizations have supported Democrats 27 times, with The Atlantic endorsing Democratic candidates three times since 2016.
In total, these news outlets have maintained a 31-0 record in favor of Democratic candidates.
One statement summed it up by saying that while executives at major tech companies claim their platforms are neutral, the evidence suggests a strong pattern of promoting certain media sources. It noted that Apple and Google appear to have directed millions of users toward sources that have not endorsed a Republican in 40 years.
There’s a sense that these feeds are skewing national discourse, subtly guiding voters away from conservative voices while elevating partisan left-leaning news as the standard authority.
Meanwhile, another aggregator, Microsoft’s MSN, offers a slightly more balanced view. Since 1988, its five major newspapers—The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, and USA Today—have issued 25 endorsements for Democratic candidates, compared to just two for Republicans, the latter including support for George H.W. Bush.
Google has opted out of commenting on the analysis, asserting that it “refutes” the methodology used by the Media Research Center. Apple and Microsoft representatives have not responded to inquiries either.
The MRC’s report involved examining the top 20 stories featured on Google News and Apple News over specified periods in late 2025 and early 2026, looking for patterns in editorial endorsements of candidates. The analysis focused on high-frequency news organizations and excluded those that did not endorse any candidates.
In the years following President Trump’s election, these major news aggregators have faced increasing scrutiny for their influence in shaping news media consumption on smartphones.
Earlier this year, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson issued a warning to Apple after the MRC’s report highlighted perceived biases in Apple News. Additionally, a different study from AllSides in April showed that platforms like Google News and Apple News are featuring only a minimal number of articles from right-leaning sources.
