Apple News is facing allegations of anti-Republican bias after a media watchdog concluded that the platform repeatedly promoted stories portraying the GOP’s key issues in a negative light.
The news app highlighted more than 80 articles with negative framing of Republican positions ahead of the midterm elections, according to an analysis by the Media Research Center (MRC).
The MRC examined Apple News’ top-pushed stories between September 15 and September 30. Its review found no positive stories about Republican-aligned subjects during that period.
Of the 117 stories Apple News promoted on GOP-related issues over the 15-day span, 84 carried negative framing and 33 used neutral headlines. None were classified as positive.
Based on those findings, the MRC said Apple News users would encounter roughly five stories a day presenting Republican priorities in an unfavorable way.
Lauren Kern has served as Apple News’ editor-in-chief since 2017. Before joining Apple, she was executive editor of New York Magazine and deputy editor of New York Times Magazine.
Apple News is pre-installed on Apple devices and aggregates reporting from major publishers, using curated feeds and algorithms to deliver what it considers the day’s leading stories.
The MRC said its findings challenge the platform’s stated aim of offering an impartial news experience, arguing that conservative issues are presented negatively while liberal perspectives receive greater emphasis.
MRC researchers Luis Cornelio and Madison Van Zant said the report added to a “growing body of evidence that the platform’s editors continue to curate its feeds to push a left-wing political agenda.”
Apple News is under scrutiny after a media watchdog said it promoted stories that negatively portrayed Republican priorities ahead of the midterm elections
Apple News is installed on Apple devices and draws stories from major publishers to populate users’ feeds
In 2018, Kern told The New York Times that Apple News’ algorithm was highly meticulous and said her team devoted “so much care and thought” to its editorial curation.
“It’s seen by a lot of people, and we take that responsibility really seriously,” Kern said at the time.
Critics, however, dispute that assessment. Media commentator David Bozell told Fox News Digital that the platform’s apparent imbalance could influence voters who rely on the app for political news.
“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,” Bozell said.
“Come on, Apple, tell us who picks these stories and why Republicans got the whole bad-news buffet.
“Apple News ran 84 negative headlines on Republican priorities and zero positive ones. Zero! My dentist finds more good news in a root canal.”
Cornelio and Van Zant said the MRC review found negative framing across several GOP-associated topics, including immigration coverage focused on court setbacks and sensationalized deportation stories.
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The researchers said economic coverage frequently emphasized elevated gas prices and the pressure of rising living costs.
Foreign policy, they wrote, was presented through “portrayals of America’s adversaries as warriors,” while law-and-order coverage included “positive portrayals of police abolition.”
Our News Outlet has contacted Apple for comment on the MRC’s findings.
Apple News is headquartered in California
Apple CEO John Ternus at the F1 Grand Prix on October 25, 2026
The report comes as Republicans brace for a difficult midterm election on November 3, with polls indicating the GOP could face significant losses
Protesters have repeatedly interrupted Trump’s rallies, including one demonstrator on Monday who shouted: “Shove that ballroom up your fat a**”
A Trump rally in Ohio on October 12 was also disrupted by a protester wearing a shirt that read “Release The Epstein Files”
The controversy comes as Republicans confront the possibility of a damaging midterm result on November 3, with polling suggesting the party is entering the election under pressure.
As Republicans seek to overcome that challenge, President Trump has stepped up his campaign appearances to support candidates in competitive races.
Several of Trump’s recent rallies have been disrupted by protesters and demonstrators attempting to interrupt his speeches.
During a Monday night event in Mississippi, Trump paused his remarks after a protester shouted: “Shove that ballroom up your fat a**.”
Video showed Trump briefly silenced by the outburst before responding, “Oh go home… He’s a paid protester.”
At a South Carolina rally several days earlier, at least six protesters interrupted the event during its first 20 minutes.
Trump responded by claiming the protesters had been “all paid” and dismissing them as “a bunch of losers.”
Another Trump event in Ohio on October 12 was disrupted by a protester wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words “Release The Epstein Files.”
Trump supporters punched and kicked the demonstrator before Trump mocked the protester from the stage, saying: “Oh he’s gotta go on a diet.”
