Why National Media Systems Matter: A Longitudinal Analysis of How UK Left-Wing and Right-Wing Alternative Media Critique Mainstream Media (2015–2018)

Figures & data

Table 1. Percentage of alternative media items that include a critique of mainstream media (N in brackets).

	2015		2016		2017		2018		Total
	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Left wing sites	18.6% (13)	81.4% (57)	36.8% (63)	63.2% (108)	38.1% (313)	61.9% (508)	21.9% (57)	78.1% (203)	100.0% (1322)
Right wing sites	16.1% (48)	83.9% (250)	9.4% (30)	90.6% (289)	10.3% (106)	89.7% (919)	7.2% (35)	92.8% (453)	100.0% (2130)

Table 2. Percentage of alternative media items that include a critique of mainstream media (N in brackets).

	Yes	No	Total
Left wing sites
The Canary	33.3%	66.7%	100% (726)
Skwawkbox	32.2%	67.8%	100% (329)
Evolve Politics	29.4%	70.6%	100% (102)
Another Angry Voice	45.6%	54.4%	100% (136)
Novara Media	20.7%	79.3%	100% (29)
Right wing sites
Guido Fawkes	8.1%	91.9%	100% (849)
Breitbart UK	8.3%	91.7%	100% (626)
Westmonster	5.4%	94.6%	100% (389)
The Conservative Woman	28.9%	71.1%	100% (266)
Total	100%	100%	100% (3452)

Table 3. Percentage of alternative media items that include a critique of mainstream media between 2015 and 2018 (N in brackets).

	2015		2016		2017		2018		Total
	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Left wing sites
Canary	14.5% (9)	85.5% 2. (53)	35.2% (37)	64.8% (68)	38.5% (162)	61.5% (259)	24.6% (34)	75.4% (104)	100% (726)	YES (33.7) 446 NO (66.3) 876
Sk’box	–	–	41.9% (13)	58.1% (18)	36.2% (76)	63.8% (134)	19.3% (17)	80.7% (71)	100% (329)
Evolve Politics	–	100.0% (1)	40.9% (9)	61.9% (13)	32.1% (18)	67.8% (38)	13.0% (3)	87.0% (20)	100% (102)
AAV	50.0% (2)	50.0% (2)	50.0% (3)	50.0% (3)	46.2% (55)	53.8% (64)	28.6% (2)	71.4% (5)	100% (136)
Novara Media	66.7% (2)	33.3% (1)	14.3% (1)	85.7% (6)	13.3% (2)	86.7% (13)	25.0% (1)	75.0% (3)	100% (29)
Total	18.6% (13)	81.4% (57)	36.8% (63)	63.2% (108)	38.1% (313)	61.9 (508)	21.9% (57)	78.1% (203)	100.0 (1322)
Right wing sites
Guido Fawkes	15.4% (20)	84.6% (110)	8.1% (11)	91.9% (125)	7.8% (32)	92.2% (378)	3.5% (6)	96.5% (167)	100% (849)	YES 10.3 (219) NO 89.7 (1911)
Breitbart UK	17.0% (23)	83.0% (112)	1.5% (2)	98.5% (133)	7.6% (20)	92.4% (243)	7.5% (7)	92.5% (86)	100% (626)
West’er	–	–	–	–	7.4% (18)	92.6% (224)	2.0% (3)	98.0% (144)	100% (389)
CW	15.2% (5)	84.8% (28)	35.4% (17)	64.6% (31)	32.7% (36)	67.3% (74)	25.3% (19)	74.7% (56)	100% (266)
TOT	16.1% (48)	83.9% (250)	9.4% (30)	90.6% (289)	10.3% (106)	89.7% (919)	7.2% (35)	92.8% (453)	100.0 (2130)
Overall Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0
N	61	307	93	397	419	1427	92	656	3452

Table 4. Percentage of the type of media critque references by tone (N in brackets).

	Overt criticism	Implied criticism	Overt praise	Implied praise	Total
Left wing sites
Canary	83.8% (537)	9.8% (63)	2.2% (14)	4.3% (27)	100.0% (641)
Another Angry Voice	89.6% (1380)	5.2% (8)	2.6% (4)	2.6% (4)	100.0% (154)
Skwawkbox	72.3% (167)	13.8% (32)	13.4% (31)	0.4% (1)	100.0% (231)
Evolve Politics	68.4% (26)	21.1% (8)	5.3% (2)	2.6% (1)	100.0% (38)
Novara Media	85.7% (6)	–	–	14.3% (1)	100.0% (7)
Total	81.6% (874)	10.4% (111)	4.9% (52)	3.2% (34)	100.0% (1071)
Right wing sites
Westmonster	77.8% (14)	16.7% (3)	5.6% (1)	–	100.0% (18)
Guido Fawkes	70.2% (59)	16.7% (14)	10.7% (9)	2.4% (2)	100.0% (84)
Breitbart UK	78.7% (85)	21.3% (23)	–	–	100.0% (108)
The Conservative Woman	89.4% (143)	3.8% (6)	2.5% (4)	4.4% (7)	100.0% (160)
Total	81.4% (301)	12.4% (46)	3.8% (14)	2.4% (9)	100.0% (370)
Overall	81.5% (1175)	10.9% (157)	4.6% (66)	3.0% (43)	100.0% (1441)

Table 5. Percentage of media critique references about either journalists, editors, specific programmes or media generally (N in brackets).

	IJ	IEIC	P/O	L/O	GRMSM	GRAM	Total
Left wing sites
Canary	15.1% (97)	0.5% 2. (3)	47.0% (303)	7.5% (48)	29.3% (189)	0.6% (4)	100.0% (644)
Another Angry Voice	6.5% (10)	–	37.0% (57)	9.1% (14)	45.5% (70)	1.9% (3)	100.0% (154)
Skwawkbox	20.7% (48)	0.4% (1)	37.9% (88)	3.4% (8)	35.3% (82)	2.2% (5)	100.0% (232)
Evolve Politics	10.5% (4)	–	47.4% (18)	–	42.1% (16)	–	100.0% (38)
Novara Media	–	–	42.9% (3)	–	42.9% (3)	14.3% (1)	100.0% (7)
Total	14.8% (159)	0.4% (4)	43.6% (469)	6.5% (70)	33.4% (360)	1.2% (13)	100.0% (1075)
Right wing sites
Westmonster	11.1% (2)	16.7% (3)	55.6% (10)	5.6% (1)	11.1% (2)	–	100.0% (18)
Guido Fawkes	24.4% (21)	1.2% (1)	67.4% (58)	3.5% (3)	2.3% (2)	1.2% (1)	100.0% (86)
Breitbart UK	26.6% (29)	0.9% (1)	58.7% (64)	0.9% (1)	12.8% (14)	–	100.0% (109)
The Conservative Woman	29.3% (49)	2.4% (4)	61.1% (102)	0.6% (1)	6.6% (11)	–	100.0% (167)
Total	26.6% (101)	2.4% (9)	61.6% (234)	1.6% (6)	7.6% (29)	0.3% (1)	100.0% (380)
Total	17.9% (260)	0.9% (13)	48.3% (703)	5.2% (76)	26.7% (389)	1.0% (14)	100.0% (1455)

NB: IJ – Individual Journalist, IEIC – Individual Editor in Chief, P/O – Publication/Outlet, L/O – Leader/Ownership, GRMSM – General reference to MSM, GRAM – General reference to Alt Media.

Table 6. Percentage of media critiques about specific mainstream media outlets (N in brackets).

	BBC	OB	RWNM	LWNM	RAM	LAM	Other	Total
Left wing sites
Canary	33.0% (146)	8.6% (38)	35.3% (156)	12.4% (55)	0.5% (2)	–	10.2% (45)	100.0% (442)
Another Angry Voice	7.4% (5)	2.9% (2)	76.5% (52)	2.9% (2)	/	1.5% (1)	8.8% (6)	100.0% (68)
Skwawkbox	43.0% (55)	5.5% (7)	14.1% (18)	15.6% (20)	4.7% (6)	10.9% (14)	6.3% (8)	100.0% (128)
Evolve Politics	18.2% (4)	13.6% (3)	27.3% (6)	27.3% (6)	/	/	13.6% (3)	100.0% (22)
Novara Media	33.3% (1)		33.3% (1)	33.3% (1)	/	/		100.0% (3)
Total	31.8% (211)	7.5% (50)	35.1% (233)	12.7% (84)	1.2% (8)	2.3% (15)	9.4% (62)	100.0 (663)
Right wing sites
Westmonster	43.8% (7)	25.0% (4)	12.5% (2)	/	/	/	18.8% (3)	100.0% (16)
Guido Fawkes	27.7% (26)	5.3% (5)	22.3% (21)	20.2% (19)	/	14.9% (14)	9.6% (9)	100.0% (94)
Breitbart UK	37.9% (36)	14.7% (14)	16.8% (16)	18.9% (18)	1.1% (1)		10.5% (10)	100.0% (95)
The Conservative Woman	74.2% (115)	2.6% (4)	9.0% (14)	7.1% (11)	1.9% (3)	0.6% (1)	4.5% (7)	100.0% (155)
Total	51.1% (184)	7.5% (27)	14.7% (53)	13.3% (48)	1.1% (4)	4.2% (15)	8.1% (29)	100.0% (360)
Overall	38.6% (395)	7.5% (77)	28.0% (286)	12.9% (132)	1.2% (12)	2.9% (30)	8.9% (91)	100.0% (1023)

N.B: BBC – BBC; OB – other broadcasters; RWNM – Right wing newspapers or magazines; LWNM – Left wing newspapers or magazines; RAM – Right Alt Media and LAM – Left Alt Media.

Table 7. Percentage of media critiques expressing either overt or implicit criticism of the BBC (N in brackets).

Year	Right-wing sites	Left-wing sites	Percentage
2015	92.9% (13)	7.1% (1)	3.8% (14)
2016	52.0% (26)	48.0% (24)	13.6% (50)
2017	40.2% (103)	59.8% (153)	69.4% (256)
2018	65.3% (32)	34.7% (17)	13.3% (49)
Total	47.1 (174)	195 (52.8)	100.0% (369)

Table 8. Percentage of media critiques by topics in alternative media sites (N in brackets).

	FA	I/B	Q	CO	C + R	Other	Total
Left wing sites
Canary	14.6% (94)	52.3% (337)	13.2% (85)	13.0% (84)	0.8% (5)	6.1% (39)	100.0% (644)
Another Angry Voice	5.8% (9)	61.7% (95)	15.6% (24)	9.1% (14)	3.9% (6)	3.9% (6)	100.0% (154)
Skwawkbox	21.1% (49)	37.9% (88)	22.0% (51)	12.5% (29)	–	6.5% (15)	100.0% (232)
Evolve Politics	15.8% (6)	36.8% (14)	28.9% (11)	10.5% (4)	–	7.9% (3)	100.0% (38)
Novara Media	–	71.4% (5)	–	–	28.6% (2)	–	100.0% (7)
Total	14.7% (158)	50.1% (539)	15.9% (171)	12.2% (131)	1.2% (13)	5.9% (63)	100.0% (1075)
Right wing sites
Westmonster	5.6% (1)	61.1% (11)	5.6% (1)	–	22.2% (4)	5.6% (1)	100.0% (18)
Guido Fawkes	22.1% (19)	23.3% (20)	34.9% (30)	7.0% (6)	–	12.8% (11)	100.0% (86)
Breitbart UK	14.7% (16)	50.5% (55)	8.3% (9)	6.4% (7)	15.6% (17)	4.6% (5)	100.0% (109)
The Conservative Woman	3.6% (6)	59.6% (99)	12.7% (21)	6.6% (11)	12.7% (21)	4.8% (8)	100.0% (166)
Total	11.1% (42)	48.8% (185)	16.1% (61)	6.3% (24)	11.1% (42)	6.6% (25)	100.0% (379)
Overall	13.7% (200)	49.8% (724)	16.0% (232)	10.7% (155)	3.8% (55)	6.1% (88)	100.0% (1454)

N.B: FA – Factual Accuracy; IB – Impartiality/Bias; Q – Quality; CO – Coverage Omissions; C + R – Culture and Regulations; Other – Other.

Table 9. Percentage of media critiques expressing either overt or implicit criticism about impartiality/bias in alternative media sites (N in brackets).

Year	Right-wing sites	Left-wing sites	Percentage
2015	46.9% (23)	53.1% (26)	6.8% (49)
2016	26.2% (28)	73.8% (79)	15.1% (107)
2017	21.8% (110)	78.2% (395)	71.0% (505)
2018	40.4% (21)	59.6% (31)	7.2% (52)
Total	25.5% (182)	74.5% (531)	100.0% (713)