House Oversight Committee Investigates NewsGuard Ratings for Potential Censorship

The House Oversight Committee is investigating whether the news-rating system NewsGuard, which receives federal funds, is influencing what news it attempts to suppress and if it is an extension of federal efforts to censor conservative media outlets.

The House Oversight Committee has launched an investigation into NewsGuard, a news-rating system that purports to rank which news outlets are trustworthy. The probe focuses on whether NewsGuard's contracts with federal agencies influence the ratings it assigns, potentially suppressing certain news content.

Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) has requested documents from NewsGuard on its business relationships with government entities, its adherence to anti-bias policies, and potential conflicts of interest. Comer noted concerns about potential involvement of federal agencies in censorship campaigns.

House Oversight Committee Investigates NewsGuard Ratings for Potential Censorship

NewsGuard, according to its website, uses a team of journalists and editors to evaluate news sources based on nine journalistic criteria and assigns reliability scores from 0 to 100. NewsGuard has received nearly a million dollars in federal funding, primarily from the Department of Defense.

Comer's letter to NewsGuard seeks information on disciplinary actions taken over violations of its editorial employee pledge, which prohibits political activities that could create the appearance of bias. However, Comer claims that social media accounts of some editorial employees cast doubt on NewsGuard's commitment to this pledge.

House Oversight Committee Investigates NewsGuard Ratings for Potential Censorship

Several advertisers use NewsGuard to target niche audiences or avoid doing business with outlets that spread "misinformation." Comer expressed concerns about the potential for government entities to interfere with free expression and the need for transparency in rating systems.

Comer alleges that NewsGuard may be biased against conservative media outlets, citing its favorable ratings for MSNBC and CNN and lower ratings for OAN, Newsmax, and Fox.

House Oversight Committee Investigates NewsGuard Ratings for Potential Censorship

The investigation aims to determine whether NewsGuard's intervention in protected speech has been sponsored by any government entity and assess the impact of NewsGuard's ratings on First Amendment speech and the public's access to information.

Comer's request for documents is due on or before June 27, 2024. The committee's findings and recommendations will likely shape the future of government partnerships with news-rating systems and the role of such systems in the media landscape.

House Oversight Committee Investigates NewsGuard Ratings for Potential Censorship