As Billionaire George Soros Takes Control of 235 Radio Stations, AllSides Offers Path to Protect Media Integrity

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Feb 20, 2024, 13:58 ET

AllSides announces new AllSides Balanced News Minute™, part of its suite of tools and services that combat biased news from partisan interests on the left and right ahead of the 2024 election

DENVER, Feb. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AllSides Technologies, Inc., a technology solutions company providing balanced news and 1,400 media bias ratings, is providing a solution to radio stations and other news stations suffering from a crisis of integrity as news broke that George Soros' Soros Fund Management would become the largest shareholder in Audacy, Inc., the third largest radio company in the U.S. and owner of 235 radio stations across 48 media markets, months before the 2024 election.

AllSides offers technology tools and services to help newsrooms and news consumers combat bias, misinformation and manipulation. Today, AllSides also announced a new service, the AllSides Balanced News Minute™, a daily radio feature that monitors key differences in reporting across national headlines. It will supplement existing AllSides news syndication feeds that offer turnkey, unbiased content to listeners and digital news readers. AllSides Balanced News Minute will be available nationwide starting in Q2 of 2024. Interested parties can contact AllSides at [email protected].

AllSides also offers tools to measure whether audiences see political bias in news reporting and provide actionable insights to help newsrooms provide more balanced, trustworthy news. AllSides Media Bias Audits™ are already being used in 40 newsrooms nationwide; they rely on expert review as well as surveys of Americans.

LEARN MORE: allsides.com/mediaservices

"AllSides is concerned about any partisan manipulation of the news that will further polarize our nation and jeopardize the credibility of the news industry overall. The size and timing of this acquisition is deeply concerning," said AllSides CEO John Gable. "To combat the threat, AllSides is offering all radio broadcasters and listeners multiple options."

Audacy filed for bankruptcy in January. Court documents show Soros' fund had assumed about $415 million of Audacy's debt, which would make it the broadcaster's biggest shareholder.

Soros is known to aggressively spend his money and influence to back political causes he supports. After Soros Fund Management acquired Vice News in 2023 and 18 Hispanic radio stations in 2022, critics raised concerns about partisan influence in the news.

"News consumers naturally distrust when a large partisan donor on either side takes an ownership stake of a media company, but their owners' bias doesn't have to impact trust," Gable said. "Newsrooms can prove their integrity by utilizing tools that measure and combat bias, and provide a balanced view so readers can decide for themselves."

News companies can contact AllSides at [email protected] to submit requests to review radio stations for bias or if your company or foundation is interested in reviving news media. AllSides welcomes opportunities to work together to combat bias and improve news media integrity.

ABOUT ALLSIDES

AllSides™ is a technology solutions company that strengthens our democratic society with balanced news, media bias ratings, diverse perspectives, and real conversation. AllSides' balanced newsfeed provides news from the left, center, and right and is powered by over 1,400 AllSides Media Bias Ratings™ that reveal the average judgment of Americans.

The AllSides Media Bias Chart™ has earned tens of millions of online impressions. AllSides Media Bias Ratings™ reflect the insights of Americans, not just a panel of insiders. AllSides rates bias using methods such as Blind Bias Surveys of Americans and Editorial Reviews by a multi-partisan expert panel.

AllSides serves news consumers at AllSides.com and provides patented technologies, tools and services — including bias audits — to media companies, nonprofits, businesses and other organizations at AllSides.com/services.

SOURCE AllSides Technologies, Inc.