Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 26
MRC Says Apple, Google News Showed 0 Negative El-Sayed Headlines After Feb. 10
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 26

MRC Says Apple, Google News Showed 0 Negative El-Sayed Headlines After Feb. 10

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 26

Summary

  • 0 negatively framed headlines about Abdul El-Sayed appeared in the top 20 morning Apple News and Google News stories reviewed after Feb. 10, according to a Media Research Center study released before Michigan’s Aug. 4 Democratic primary.
  • 104 stories from right-leaning outlets about El-Sayed’s record, statements and policies were identified by MRC as absent from the feeds, while each platform carried only one Michigan Senate race headline that did not center on his controversies.
  • Nov. 1 to July 21 tracking underpinned the study: researchers searched “Michigan,” “Abdul” and “El-Sayed,” then classified headlines by sentiment, but the report relied on one morning snapshot and did not detail timing, location or personalization controls.
  • Google previously rejected a similar MRC study on Maine candidate Graham Platner as methodologically flawed, while Apple says Top Stories are editor-selected and identical for all users, with other feed sections personalized.
  • Aug. 4 voting will decide a narrowed Michigan Democratic contest between El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens, whom Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorsed Friday after Mallory McMorrow left the race.

Insights

When watchdog groups use sentiment analysis to grade tech platforms, who actually verifies the accuracy of their data?