You’ve seen the headlines. Big, bold, and sometimes a little bit crazy. The New York Post doesn't exactly do "subtle." If you walk past a newsstand in Manhattan, it’s the paper screaming at you about a "Headless Body in Topless Bar" or some local politician’s latest mess. But beneath the puns and the Page Six gossip, there is a massive, ongoing debate about New York Post political bias and whether the paper is a reliable news source or just a megaphone for a specific ideology.
Honestly, it depends on who you ask. To some, it's the last "real" paper that calls out the elite. To others, it’s a Murdoch-owned tabloid designed to stir the pot and help Republicans win elections.
The Hamilton Roots and the Murdoch Shift
It’s kinda wild to think about, but Alexander Hamilton actually started this paper back in 1801. Yeah, that Hamilton. Back then, it was a Federalist broadsheet meant to take down Thomas Jefferson. Politics was baked into the DNA from day one.
But if we’re talking about the version of the Post we know today, we have to talk about 1976. That’s when Rupert Murdoch bought the thing. Before Murdoch, the Post was actually known for being pretty liberal under Dorothy Schiff. Once the News Corp era started, the tone shifted. It got louder. It got punchier. And it definitely got more conservative.
Modern watchdogs like AllSides and Ad Fontes Media have spent years tracking where the Post lands on the spectrum. As of early 2026, AllSides consistently gives the New York Post a "Lean Right" rating. They note that while the reporting can be factual, the "story choice" is where the bias really shows up. Basically, they choose to cover stories that make the right look good and the left look, well, not so good.
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Is the New York Post Political Bias Fact or Fiction?
Is it biased? Yes. Is it "fake news"? Not exactly.
The Post has a reputation for being sensational, but they also break huge stories that the "prestige" media ignores. The most famous example is probably the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020. At the time, social media platforms suppressed it and other outlets called it "Russian disinformation." Later, it turned out the laptop was real. That win gave the Post a lot of "I told you so" energy that they still lean on today.
How the Bias Actually Works
It’s not just about what they say; it’s about how they say it. Experts point to a few specific ways the New York Post political bias manifests in daily editions:
- Loaded Language: They love a good nickname. If they don't like a politician, you'll see words like "woke," "radical," or "clown" in the actual news headlines, not just the opinion section.
- The Editorial Board: This is where the paper is most explicitly right-wing. The editorial board is unapologetically pro-business, pro-police, and generally aligns with the GOP platform.
- Omission: You might notice they give massive front-page real estate to a crime in a blue city, but maybe bury a story that reflects poorly on a conservative figure they like.
Ad Fontes Media, which maps the news on a "Media Bias Chart," typically places the Post in the "Skews Right" category. They also tend to give it a "Mixed Reliability" score. This means that while they aren't out here just making up stories from thin air, the heavy slant and "opinion-as-fact" style can make it tricky for a casual reader to separate the news from the noise.
The "New York" Factor
You can't talk about the Post without talking about New York City. Even though it's a national player now, it's a local paper at its heart. It fights with the New York Times constantly. While the Times is seen as the "Grey Lady"—serious, academic, and leaning left—the Post is the scrappy, blue-collar alternative.
It focuses heavily on "quality of life" issues. Crime, the subway, trash, high taxes. These are the things that keep New Yorkers up at night. Because the Post hammers these points so hard, they often clash with Democratic city leadership. This makes them look "biased" to some, while to others, they’re just the only ones reporting on the reality of the streets.
Why People Still Read It
Despite the constant criticism, the New York Post is still one of the most-read papers in the country. People love the attitude. It’s fast. It’s funny. It’s easy to read on a phone.
Even if you don't agree with their politics, the Post is incredibly good at "setting the agenda." They’ll run a story about a specific migrant center or a controversial school policy, and within 24 hours, every other major news outlet is forced to cover it because the Post made it go viral. That’s power.
How to Read the Post Without Getting Fooled
If you're going to use the Post as a news source, you've gotta be smart about it. You can't just take the headlines at face value.
Check the bylines. The Post has some truly great investigative reporters who do deep dives into city corruption. But they also have "opinion columnists" whose work looks almost exactly like a news report. Look for the label. If it says "Opinion" or "Post Editorial," remember you're reading an argument, not just a report.
Compare the coverage. If you see a wild story in the Post, go see how the AP or Reuters is reporting it. Usually, the "truth" is somewhere in the middle. The Post adds the spice; the other guys provide the bland, raw data.
Actionable Steps for the Informed Reader
To get the most out of your news consumption and navigate the New York Post political bias effectively, follow these steps:
- Check the "Opinion" Tag: Always verify if you are reading a news report or a column by someone like Miranda Devine or Phil Mushnick. The formatting can be deceptive.
- Verify the Headlines: If a headline sounds too perfect for a political "gotcha," search for the primary source. The Post is famous for taking a small, true detail and building a massive, sensational narrative around it.
- Use a Bias Aggregator: Use tools like AllSides or Ground News to see how the same story is being framed by the Post versus a left-leaning outlet like MSNBC or a centrist one like the BBC.
- Watch the Adjectives: Train your brain to ignore the adjectives. If a headline says "Radical Leftist Proposes Insane Tax," just read it as "Politician Proposes Tax Change" and then look at the numbers yourself.
The New York Post isn't going anywhere. It’s a 200-year-old institution that has mastered the art of the digital age. It's loud, it's biased, and it's often the most entertaining thing in the room. Just make sure you know what you're biting into before you swallow the whole thing.