Indian Media Year in Review 2025: Which News Outlets Were Most Biased?
TL;DR: 2025 exposed deep media bias across Indian news outlets. Right-leaning channels (Republic TV, Zee News, Times Now) pushed nationalist narratives and pro-government spin, while left-leaning outlets (The Wire, NDTV, Scroll) focused on government criticism and minority rights. Center outlets (The Hindu, Indian Express) maintained relative balance. Key events like Operation Sindoor, Delhi/Bihar elections, and the RCB stampede revealed how the same story gets radically different coverage depending on the outlet's political leaning.
2025 was a tumultuous year for India's media landscape. From the historic Operation Sindoor military strikes to high-stakes state elections and tragic public disasters, news outlets were tested like never before. The results? A stark reminder that media bias in India runs deep on both sides of the political spectrum.
This year-end analysis examines which outlets showed the most bias, how they covered major events differently, and what news consumers can learn from the patterns we observed.
The Media Bias Spectrum in 2025
Before diving into specific outlets, let's understand how Indian media positioned itself across the political spectrum this year:
| Political Leaning | Major Outlets | Typical Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Far Right | Republic TV, OpIndia, Zee News | Pro-government cheerleading, nationalist framing, communal undertones |
| Center-Right | Times of India, Times Now, News18 | Subtle pro-establishment lean, corporate-friendly coverage |
| Center | The Hindu, Indian Express | Balanced reporting, investigative journalism, editorial independence |
| Center-Left | NDTV, The Print | Government accountability focus, liberal-democratic values |
| Left | The Wire, Scroll, The Quint | Sharp government criticism, minority rights focus, anti-establishment |
Most Biased TV News Channels in 2025
Republic TV: The Propaganda Machine
Republic TV, founded by Arnab Goswami in 2017, continued its role as India's most overtly biased English news channel in 2025. Media analysts describe Republic as "unapologetically supportive of the ruling BJP", routinely framing stories to aggressively criticize opposition parties while giving the government a free pass.
Key bias indicators:
- Nationalist framing of virtually every story
- Primetime debates that function as ruling party communication
- Shouting down panelists who dissent from the nationalist view
- Ignoring or spinning stories embarrassing to the government
- The infamous "Nation Wants to Know" catchphrase pushing singular narratives
During Operation Sindoor, Republic virtually declared victory before the conflict concluded, airing unverified claims of Pakistani cities being destroyed. The channel's bias was so pronounced that even media trust surveys note such "extremely uncritical of power" outlets suffer low credibility in polarized environments.
Zee News & Times Now Navbharat: The Hindi Hardliners
Both Zee News and Times Now Navbharat (Hindi) earned notoriety—and regulatory sanctions—for peddling communal and inflammatory content throughout 2025.
In March 2024 (carrying into 2025), the News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) fined and reprimanded these channels for shows that spread hate, including sensational "love jihad" segments that "failed to present controversial issues with impartiality."
Aaj Tak, while hugely popular, also tilted right. It was fined for a primetime show where the anchor used inflammatory labels like "tukde-tukde gang" against critics, breaching neutrality standards.
NDTV: The Left-Center Counterweight
New Delhi Television (NDTV) maintained its centre-left, liberal leaning throughout 2025. Despite its takeover by the Adani Group (seen as closer to the government), NDTV's editorial stance remained notably independent and often critical of the ruling establishment.
NDTV's characteristics in 2025:
- Emphasis on government accountability stories
- Coverage of minority rights and institutional freedoms
- Skeptical tone toward official claims
- Platform for opposition voices and civil society
- Professional standards despite ideological lean
Notably, NDTV was ranked as the most popular TV news channel in 2025 according to the Reuters Institute, showing that a sizable audience trusts it despite (or because of) its stance.
Print & Digital Media Bias Analysis
Times of India: The Subtle Establishment Ally
The Times of India, India's largest English daily, maintained a subtle but discernible pro-establishment slant in 2025. Media watchdogs rate TOI as "Right-Center Biased" due to story selection that often favors the ruling party's agenda.
Why TOI leans right:
- Heavy reliance on government advertising (Bloomberg reports India's government spent $640 million on ads)
- Headlines highlighting government achievements prominently
- Critical stories relegated to later pages or toned-down language
- "Paid news" concerns and failure to aggressively fact-check government claims
However, TOI strives to appear balanced by including diverse op-eds and occasionally carrying investigative pieces. Its tone is not extreme, which is why Reuters surveys found TOI among India's most trusted news brands.
The Wire & Scroll: The Liberal Watchdogs
Left-leaning digital outlets like The Wire and Scroll wore their bias openly in 2025, remaining staunchly critical of Prime Minister Modi and the BJP.
Their 2025 focus areas:
- Minority rights and religious freedom
- Government overreach and institutional erosion
- Electoral manipulation allegations
- Press freedom concerns
- Dissent and civil liberties
The Wire ran investigative reports on institutional issues and gave extensive coverage to allegations of electoral manipulation. Such coverage earned these outlets labels of being "anti-government"—a stance their editors would argue is holding power to account.
OpIndia: The Far-Right Digital Platform
OpIndia, which openly claims to counter "liberal" narratives, pushed numerous misleading stories aligning with the ruling ideology throughout 2025. The platform represents the far-right end of the digital media spectrum, often publishing content that mainstream outlets won't touch due to factual concerns.
Case Study: Bihar Election Coverage Bias
A telling example of media bias emerged during the Bihar elections when opposition leader Rahul Gandhi alleged large-scale voter list manipulation ("vote chori").
How different outlets covered it:
| Outlet Type | Coverage Approach |
|---|---|
| Mainstream TV (pro-govt) | Quickly parroted ruling party rebuttal: "Rahul is making excuses for an impending loss" |
| Major newspapers | Shifted focus to trivial side-angle about a "Brazilian model" photo misused in fake voter IDs |
| Independent outlets (Newslaundry, The Wire) | Probed the core issue of electoral rolls tampering, lambasted mainstream press for silence |
As noted in a media backstory by The Wire, this orchestrated diversion was repeated "show after show; newspaper report after newspaper report"—revealing pro-government bias across much of the mainstream media.
Operation Sindoor: When Bias Became Dangerous
The India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025 exposed media bias at its most dangerous. TV channels across the spectrum indulged in hyper-nationalistic theatrics, with some virtually declaring victory and Pakistani surrender on live TV—long before the conflict had actually concluded.
The misinformation crisis:
- 68% of all BOOM Live fact-checks in May 2025 related to Operation Sindoor
- India's Chief of Defense Staff admitted 15% of military operational time was spent countering fake news
- Video game footage and old war videos passed off as real
- Anchors proclaimed "Karachi is seeing its worst nightmare since 1971" without evidence
Even channels typically seen as more balanced—like NDTV—aired unverified reports of "major destruction" in Pakistani cities. The competitive pressure to be first overwhelmed journalistic caution.
Read our detailed analysis: How Indian Media Covered Operation Sindoor
The Trust Paradox: Who Do Indians Actually Trust?
According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report, there's a fascinating paradox in Indian media trust:
"Brands that are either extremely critical or extremely uncritical of those in power have lower trust scores."
This means both Republic TV (extreme pro-government) and The Wire (extreme anti-government) suffer credibility issues with the general public—even if they're popular within their respective echo chambers.
Most trusted outlets in 2025:
- NDTV (most popular overall)
- Times of India (despite bias concerns)
- Indian Express (strong investigative reputation)
- The Hindu (editorial independence)
How to Navigate Media Bias in India
Given the polarized landscape, here's how news consumers can stay informed without being manipulated:
1. Consume Across the Spectrum
Read both government-friendly and critical outlets. If you only watch Republic TV or only read The Wire, you're getting a distorted reality.
2. Use Bias Detection Tools
Platforms like The Balanced News analyze coverage from 50+ Indian sources, showing you how left, right, and center outlets cover the same story differently.
3. Check Multiple Sources
Before believing any sensational claim, verify it across at least 3 outlets with different political leanings.
4. Follow Fact-Checkers
BOOM Live, Alt News, and other fact-checking organizations debunk misinformation from all sides.
5. Recognize Emotional Manipulation
When coverage makes you feel extreme anger, fear, or pride—pause. That emotional reaction is often the goal, not informed citizenship.
The Verdict: Most Biased Outlets of 2025
On the Right:
- Republic TV (unabashed propaganda)
- Zee News (communal undertones, regulatory sanctions)
- OpIndia (misleading content, far-right ideology)
- Times Now Navbharat (inflammatory content)
On the Left:
- The Wire (sharp anti-BJP stance)
- The Quint (consistent government criticism)
- Scroll (liberal-progressive framing)
Most Balanced:
- The Hindu (editorial independence)
- Indian Express (investigative courage)
- Reuters India (fact-centric reporting)
Conclusion: Truth Lies in the Middle
2025 proved that no major Indian outlet is free of bias. Each has either a political or commercial predisposition that shapes their coverage.
The "most biased" label belongs to those at the extremes—outlets that consistently gave only one side of the story. If you watched only Republic TV in 2025, you saw a very different India than someone who stuck to The Wire or NDTV.
The remedy? Consume news across the spectrum. Read both the government-friendly and the critical outlets. As 2025 showed, truth usually lies somewhere in between.
Want to see how different outlets cover today's news? Try The Balanced News app—we show you left, right, and center perspectives on every major story.
Sources & Citations
- The Balanced News - Political Bias in Indian Media 2025 Analysis
- NBDSA orders on biased TV content - Hindustan Times
- MediaBiasFactCheck - Times of India Bias Rating
- The Wire - Bihar Election Media Coverage Analysis
- Reuters Institute - NDTV Most Popular News Source
- IFJ Blog - Operation Sindoor Misinformation
- Washington Post - India News Channels Misinformation
