🔬 UNA's Methodology & Bias Statement
This tracker applies identical scrutiny to all sources regardless of political lean. Every outlet — left, right, center, and independent — is evaluated using the same criteria: ownership transparency, funding source diversity, editorial independence from funders, and public financial disclosure. UNA does not assign credibility based on ideology. A billionaire-funded progressive outlet receives the same funding scrutiny as a billionaire-funded conservative one. A state-funded broadcaster is flagged identically whether it's the BBC or RT. Dark money is dark money regardless of which direction it flows.
How scores are calculated: Transparency scores (0-100) measure how easy it is to trace where a source's money comes from — not whether the source is "good" or "bad." High scores mean open books; low scores mean opaque funding. Revenue breakdowns use the most recent SEC filings, nonprofit 990s, public financial statements, and investigative journalism where direct disclosures are unavailable. Lean indicators reflect editorial positioning as assessed by AllSides, Ad Fontes Media, and Media Bias/Fact Check — all of which use multi-partisan review panels.
📊 Same criteria for all
🔍 Follow the money, not the ideology
📄 SEC · FEC · IRS 990 · Public filings
⚖️ Multi-source bias assessment
🔄 Updated quarterly
6
Corps Control 90% US Media
$1.1B
Dark Money in Media Since 2020
72%
Local News Owned by Hedge Funds
$0
Federal Public Media Funding 2025+
⚠️ Dark Money in Media — Both Sides
Dark money flows across the political spectrum. On the right: Donors Trust/Donors Capital Fund funneled $1B+ to conservative media since 2010. On the left: Arabella Advisors' network moved $1.6B+ through liberal nonprofits in 2020 alone. In both cases, original donors are shielded from public view. The problem isn't left or right — it's opacity. When you can't see who's paying, you can't evaluate the motive.
All Sources
← Left Lean
Center-Left
Center
Center-Right
Right Lean →
Independent
State-Funded
🚩 Dark Money
💎 Billionaire-Backed
💰 Money Flow — Who Funds What
Sankey diagram showing how money flows from billionaires, corporations, and funding networks to media outlets. Hover for details. Wider bands = more money.
🕸️ Ownership & Funding Network
Interactive force-directed graph showing connections between owners, funders, and media outlets. Drag nodes to explore. Click for details.
Data compiled from SEC filings, FEC records, IRS 990 nonprofit returns, OpenSecrets archives, Columbia Journalism Review, Ad Fontes Media, AllSides, Media Bias/Fact Check, and public financial disclosures. Revenue figures are estimates from most recent available data. Transparency scores measure funding disclosure clarity, not editorial quality. Lean indicators reflect multi-source assessments. Last updated: March 2026.