The AllSides report you linked to cites a Pew survey that found that "the majority of The Economist readers hold political values to the left-of-center," which I think might reflect left-leaning social values more than economics. AllSides themselves even say that their readers disagree:
> As of August 2018, 608 AllSides readers agreed with this media bias rating, while 1,302 disagreed. Of those who disagreed, the average said The Economist has a Center media bias.
I think that differences in economic vs. social issues as well as The Economist's international perspective make it difficult to categorize on a simple left/right metric. They claim[0] to support lots of positions that seem socially left-leaning to me as an American (drug legalization, gay marriage in 2004, repealing the Second Amendment), but OC seems to be talking more about economically left-leaning positions ("scrutiny of their ballooning compensation").
I said right-leaning, and centrist mainstream democrats in the United States would fit the bill there. The republicans, especially in the last decade, have gone fully right-wing and driven nearly all centrists from their party.
The Economist is one of the voices of the City of London. They appear centrist until they start talking against public schooling, nationalisation, or government-subsidised utilities.
They're sort of sane, educated, privileged business elites writing for other educated priviliged business elites.
To most lefties that gives a slight right-wing bias, even if they aren't ranting demagogues going on about foreigners.
To less sane and educated right wing people, that makes them seem like "the liberal elite" and so they see them as left.
They do seem to have pivoted towards an American audience somewhat more recently, which means they're sucked into the whole anti-woke thing, which these articles veer worrying close to.
AnnikaL|3 years ago
> As of August 2018, 608 AllSides readers agreed with this media bias rating, while 1,302 disagreed. Of those who disagreed, the average said The Economist has a Center media bias.
I think that differences in economic vs. social issues as well as The Economist's international perspective make it difficult to categorize on a simple left/right metric. They claim[0] to support lots of positions that seem socially left-leaning to me as an American (drug legalization, gay marriage in 2004, repealing the Second Amendment), but OC seems to be talking more about economically left-leaning positions ("scrutiny of their ballooning compensation").
[0] - https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2013/09/02/...
macinjosh|3 years ago
People need to get out of their bubbles and understand better the full range of political beliefs and how they fit into that range.
FabHK|3 years ago
FWIW, they have endorsed the Democrat candidate in 6 of the last 8 US presidential elections.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Economist_editorial_stance...
mullingitover|3 years ago
mFixman|3 years ago
ZeroGravitas|3 years ago
To most lefties that gives a slight right-wing bias, even if they aren't ranting demagogues going on about foreigners.
To less sane and educated right wing people, that makes them seem like "the liberal elite" and so they see them as left.
They do seem to have pivoted towards an American audience somewhat more recently, which means they're sucked into the whole anti-woke thing, which these articles veer worrying close to.