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MRC study says Apple News ran 84 negative headlines on GOP priorities, none positive

The conservative Media Research Center says Apple News's top stories from Sept. 15-30 framed Republican priorities negatively 84 times and positively never. Apple had not responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

2 outlets · 0L · 0C · 2R First reported Account updated
Image: Fox News
Image: Breitbart

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The story, neutrally told

Right · 2The Media Research Center (MRC), a conservative media watchdog, published a study saying Apple News promoted more than 80 stories that negatively framed Republican priorities in the lead-up to the midterm elections and no positive ones. Right · 2The MRC examined Apple News's top 20 stories from Sept. 15 to 30 and said users were fed roughly five stories a day that negatively characterised the Republicans' top 10 policy priorities. Right · 1According to Fox News, the MRC found 117 stories from outlets Apple News promoted on GOP-aligned issues: 84 (72%) had negative headlines and 33 (28%) neutral ones, with none positive.

Right · 1The MRC chose the 10 issues based on recent polls: immigration and border security, the economy, law and order, reducing government spending, combating drug use, national security and foreign policy, taxes, countering terrorism, education and protecting the unborn. Right · 2The study's authors, MRC staffers Luis Cornelio and Madison Van Zant, wrote that Apple News framed immigration through court defeats and sensationalist stories, the economy through high gas prices, and efforts to curb waste through claims of unlawful cuts. Right · 2They said the findings add to a growing body of evidence that the platform's editors curate its feeds to push a left-wing political agenda.

Right · 1MRC President David Bozell said, "Apple News ran 84 negative headlines on Republican priorities and zero positive ones," and asked Apple to say who picks the stories and why. Right · 1Breitbart reported that Bozell has questioned whether Apple News is engaging in election interference ahead of the midterms. Right · 2Both outlets place the study within earlier MRC research: Breitbart cites a separate MRC finding that Apple News hid stories on the Democratic National Committee's finances, and Fox cites a prior MRC study saying the app increased the share of stories from left-leaning outlets in new CEO John Ternus's first month.

Right · 1Apple did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment, and the coverage does not include an independent check of the MRC's methodology or classification of headlines.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left0 outlets

No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Centre0 outlets

No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Right2 outlets

Framing
Both outlets relay the MRC study as evidence of long-alleged liberal bias at Apple News, leading with the 84-versus-zero figure and Bozell's quotes.
Emphasis
The 84 negative and zero positive headline count, the roughly five negative stories per day, Bozell's accusations, and the MRC's earlier studies on Apple News.
Leaves out or plays down
Neither outlet includes a response from Apple, outside experts, or a description of how headlines were rated. Fox mentions that 33 headlines were neutral, which Breitbart leaves out.
Charged language
“left-wing political agenda”“election interference”“bad-news buffet”“long been accused of having a liberal bias”
For example
“Apple News has long been accused of having a liberal bias” — Fox News
“Bozell, meanwhile, has questioned if Apple News is engaging in election interference in the lead-up to the midterms.” — Breitbart
“Apple News — which comes preinstalled on every iPhone in America — has long been charged with displaying a left-wing bias.” — Breitbart

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