Associated Press (via PBS NewsHour / Las Vegas Sun)

U.S. lean-left

Background

The Associated Press traces its origins to 1846, when six major New York City newspapers began pooling telegraph dispatches during the Mexican-American War; it was formally reorganized in 1900 as a nonprofit membership cooperative under New York State law following antitrust disputes over access to its wire. Over the 20th century it grew into the world's largest newsgathering organization, distributing text, photographs, audio, and video to thousands of outlets in more than 100 countries. Its cooperative structure — with no single owner or government funder — was designed to prevent any one entity from exerting editorial control. AP has historically aimed for wire-service neutrality and factual precision, and it operates an IFCN-certified fact-checking unit; however, independent reviewers in recent years have identified recurring patterns of left-leaning word choice, story selection, and framing. AllSides moved AP's rating from 'Left' to 'Lean Left' after a May 2026 editorial review, while Media Bias/Fact Check places it 'Left-Center' with high factual credibility — reflecting ongoing disagreement about its precise position. In January 2022, Daisy Veerasingham became president and CEO, the first non-American to hold that role. Beginning in February 2025, AP entered a high-profile clash with the Trump White House when its reporters were barred from Oval Office pool coverage after the outlet refused to use the administration's preferred term 'Gulf of America' in place of 'Gulf of Mexico'; a district court initially ordered access restored, but a federal appeals court upheld the ban in June 2025, and AP was still pursuing the legal fight through at least late 2025.

Sources

1. Associated Press – Wikipedia
2. Associated Press Media Bias | AllSides
3. AP's Bias Shifts from Left to Lean Left, But Barely | AllSides
4. Associated Press (AP News) – Bias and Credibility | Media Bias/Fact Check
5. Who Owns AP News? Inside the Institution Shaping Global News Distribution | St. Augustine's University
6. Judge orders White House to give AP access to Oval Office | NPR
7. US federal court upholds White House restrictions on Associated Press | JURIST
8. In Gulf of America case, AP renews legal fight to end White House ban | Washington Post
9. Trump's anti-media rhetoric turns to action | NBC News
10. Trump administration's 'media bias' list raises alarm, CPJ says | Committee to Protect Journalists

Profile compiled 2026-07-19; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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