Apple News featured over 80 headlines that framed Republican priorities negatively in the period leading up to the midterm elections, while offering no positive coverage of GOP-aligned issues, according to a study by the Media Research Center (MRC).
The conservative media watchdog's analysis examined the top 20 stories on Apple News from September 15-30. During this two-week span, the study found that users of the platform received approximately five stories daily that characterized Republicans' top policy priorities in a negative light. Conversely, the platform did not promote any stories with a positive framing of these issues.
"Apple News ran 84 negative headlines on Republican priorities and zero positive ones. Zero!" David Bozell, president of the MRC, stated. "My dentist finds more good news in a root canal."
Bozell added, "Millions of voters open that app before they vote, and Apple's editors are in there like a bartender who waters down only one party's drinks. Come on, Apple, tell us who picks these stories and why Republicans got the whole bad-news buffet."
MRC staffers Luis Cornelio and Madison Van Zant, who conducted the study, concluded that their findings contribute to a "growing body of evidence that the platform’s editors continue to curate its feeds to push a left-wing political agenda."
Overall, the MRC found that out of 117 stories from outlets promoted by Apple News that touched on GOP-aligned issues during the review period, 84 headlines (72%) were negative, and 33 (28%) were neutral. None presented GOP issues positively.
According to the study authors, Apple News framed specific issues such as immigration through "court defeats and sensationalist stories," the economy through "high gas prices," law and order through "positive portrayals of police abolition," and efforts to curb government spending through "accusations of radicalism."
The MRC identified 10 prominent Republican-aligned issues based on recent polling to guide its analysis: 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.
This is not the first time Apple News has faced accusations of liberal bias. Previous reports indicated that many of the company's top executives and board members have made significant financial contributions to Democratic candidates over multiple election cycles. A prior MRC study also suggested that the news aggregator increased its promotion of stories from left-leaning outlets following John Ternus's assumption of the CEO role.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.