Leans left
Summarized from more than one independent rater, including AllSides and Ad Fontes Media. We do not rate outlets ourselves.
A music magazine founded in 1967 that has published serious political reporting throughout its history, now owned by Penske Media. Its political coverage sits firmly on the left and its cultural authority gives that coverage unusual reach among younger readers.
Its defenders note a long record of investigative work, particularly on the financial crisis. Its critics point to the 2014 campus assault story it retracted in full after an independent review, which remains the most cited example of what happens when a narrative outruns the reporting.