The Results • Measuring & Ranking

how do you measure the transparency of news?

Here are the 5 most important concerns. 

1.  CORRECTIONS:  Does a news outlet openly correct mistakes? Does the news organization visibly and/or publicly correct its mistakes, even when those mistakes are embarrassing?

2.  OWNERSHIP:  Is the news outlet open about its ownership? Is it clear to the audience (ie: readers, viewers and listeners) who owns the news organization?  Is there other information about the parent corporation that is divulged, such as any other media and non-media holdings ?

3.  STAFF POLICIES:  How candid is a news outlet about conflicts of interest? Does the news outlet post its standards intended to guide the behavior of reporters, editors, producers?   Can journalists be taken out to lunch, can they contribute to a political candidate, can they accept speakers’ fees?  Is the news organization upfront about any business or other relationships that might put individual reporters or the news organization in a position where the news judgment could be clouded?

4.  REPORTING POLICIES:  Is a news outlet willing to explain its editorial decisions — including the values and ethics behind them?  Does the news organization let its readers know how it does what it does and why?    What are the newsroom’s writing and editing policies:  when can reporters use politicized terms such as “terrorist,” how many sources does it take to confirm a story?  In general, does the news outlet make public its reporting standards (such as its sourcing guidelines) and ethical rules (such as its handling of stories about children)?

5.  INTERACTIVITY:  How open is a news outlet to readers and viewers comments and criticism? Does the news organization have an ombudsman?  Does the news organization publish letters to the editor and/or provide other ways for the readers to interact with the people who collect, edit and disseminate the news, such as by posting email addresses for reporters and editors, or by making staff accessible via on-site blogs, live chats, or space to leave remarks at the bottom of stories?

The chart below scored the news outlets with the following symbols

four stars
 Excellent
three stars
 Very Good
two stars
 Average
one star
 Poor
zero
 Not Acceptable

 
Overall Score
Corrections
Ownership
Staff Policies
Reporting Policies
Interactivity
1. The Guardian 3.8 four stars four stars four stars four stars three stars
2. New York Times
3.4
 four stars four stars four stars two stars three stars
3. BBC News
3.2
 two stars four stars four stars four stars two stars
3. CBS News
3.2
 three stars two stars four stars four stars three stars
3. Christian Science Monitor
3.2
 four stars four stars one star four stars three stars
3. NPR
3.2
 four stars four stars four stars three stars one star
4. Financial Times
2.8
 three stars three stars two stars two stars four stars
5. LA Times
2.6
 four stars three stars two stars one star three stars
5. Miami Herald
2.6
 three stars four stars one star one star four stars
6. Washington Post
2.4
 four stars three stars one star one star three stars
7. PRI
2.2
 Zero Stars four stars three stars three stars one star
8. MSNBC
2
 four stars four stars Zero Stars Zero Stars two stars
8. Wall Street Journal
2
 four stars four stars Zero Stars Zero Stars two stars
9. Int’l Herald Tribune
1.8
 Zero Stars four stars Zero Stars two stars three stars
10. Newsweek
1.6
 three stars three stars Zero Stars Zero Stars two stars
11. USA Today
1.4
 Zero Stars three stars one star Zero Stars three stars
12. ABC News
1.2
 Zero Stars four stars Zero Stars Zero Stars two stars
12. Fox News
1.2
 Zero Stars four stars Zero Stars Zero Stars two stars
12. The Economist
1.2
 Zero Stars four stars Zero Stars one star one star
12. Daily Telegraph
1.2
 Zero Stars three stars one star Zero Stars two stars
13. CNN
1
 Zero Stars three stars Zero Stars Zero Stars two stars
14. Al Jazeera English
0.8
 Zero Stars two stars Zero Stars one star one star
14. ITN
0.8
 Zero Stars four stars Zero Stars Zero Stars Zero Stars
15. TIME
0.6
 Zero Stars one star Zero Stars Zero Stars two stars
16. Sky News
0.4
 Zero Stars one star Zero Stars Zero Stars one star