The Watchdog with David Bozell

When I first became president of the MRC in 2025, I ran into a real paradox. Our work was hitting the mark. Trust in the media had cratered to historic lows, with ratings and circulation in free fall. Yet their influence wasn’t declining at the same rate. The math didn’t add up.

Until we found the missing factor: The Big Four News Apps — Apple News, Google News, MSN, and Yahoo News. They sit on every smartphone in America, feeding millions a steady diet of left-wing outlets like The New York Times, CNN, ABC, Al Jazeera, and NPR, conditioning the public on how to think, act, and vote.  

So I made the executive decision to launch MRC 2.0, laser‑focused on these apps. We created the Digital News Tracker to expose the imbalance. Nine months later, after forcing the issue into national view, we’ve made progress — right‑leaning outlets are finally breaking through. But the heavy leftward tilt is still baked into every feed.

That’s why two new MRC special reports this week are so important.

Apple News Hides Tourists Praising America. During the World Cup, foreign tourists flooded social media with viral videos celebrating the nation’s beauty, culture, and people. Apple News? Out of 69 stories, only one touched tourist reactions, and that was about America’s “air-conditioning." The rest skewed negative, including the LA Times whining about “Frustrated Iran” and its World Cup restrictions.  

Trace Gallagher spotlighted the report on his Fox News program, noting that Apple is always “bashing America.”

Big Four Apps Sour on America’s 250th. Over the July 4th weekend, the apps delivered their usual anti-American reflex. They pushed 52 stories about our nation’s milestone. Instead of celebrating America’s greatness, they questioned the Constitution, attacked President Trump, and cast the country in a bleak light. Just 6% featured right-leaning outlets with a patriotic vision.

Turning these Big Four around won’t be easy. It’s like steering a parade float through D.C. traffic. But we’re not backing down. What gives us the strength to battle these trillion-dollar tech giants is you. Your support keeps the pressure on and the fight alive.

Take it easy,

David Bozell
President