The Conversation

The rating

Left: Mainstream liberal perspectives focusing on social equality and regulation.

Articles written by academics; explanatory rather than breaking news. Mantle v1 rating based on story selection, framing and sourcing in recent news coverage, cross-checked against independent public ratings. Under review; see the methodology page.

The rating covers The Conversation’s news reporting, not its opinion pages. It is Mantle’s editorial judgement, last reviewed Sep 27, 2026. How outlets are rated. Disagree with this rating?

Rating history

• Rated LeftSep 27, 2026

  Opening rating on the five-point spectrum

Recent coverage

• 2 hr ago

  Chiricahua is the nation’s newest national park – what does that mean?

  Part of: Chiricahua in Arizona becomes the newest US national park

• 5 days agoOpinion

  Starlink slowdown underscores Ukraine’s reliance on the US in the battle for the skies

  Part of: Starlink limits hit Ukrainian military missions; report says Musk ordered slowdown

• 6 days agoOpinion

  Ketamine’s role in alleged Cornell rape highlights flood of psychoactive drugs on campus

  Part of: Cornell suspends fraternity parties for rest of academic year amid assault allegations

• Oct 14, 2026Opinion

  Yemen’s Houthis are bringing their war to Saudi Arabia – and reframing the narrative of being an Iranian proxy

  Part of: Houthis and Saudi-led coalition exchange airstrikes as fighting continues in Yemen

• Oct 13, 2026Opinion

  Social Security benefits will rise 3.6% in 2027, but that may not be enough to offset healthcare costs

  Part of: Social Security benefits to rise 3.6% in 2027, up from 2.8% this year

• Oct 13, 2026Opinion

  Social Security benefits are rising again, but probably not enough to offset healthcare costs

  Part of: Social Security benefits to rise 3.6% in 2027, up from 2.8% this year

• Oct 13, 2026Opinion

  Guilfoyle resigns as ambassador to Greece – adding to the global vacancies sapping US embassies

  Part of: Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle leaves Greece post amid misconduct allegations

• Oct 13, 2026Opinion

  Guilfoyle may soon be an ex-ambassador to Greece – adding to the global vacancies sapping US embassies

  Part of: Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle leaves Greece post amid misconduct allegations

• Oct 8, 2026Opinion

  Handling of rape allegations at Cornell shows why so many assaults go unreported – victims don’t trust the institutions that are supposed to help them

  Part of: Former Cornell student alleges 2024 gang rape at fraternity; case draws wide attention

• Oct 5, 2026Opinion

  Optogenetics wins the Nobel – one neuroscience breakthrough in a line of technological innovations helping scientists map and control the brain

  Part of: Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded for Optogenetics Research

• Oct 1, 2026Opinion

  Christa Pike survived a lethal injection attempt – the latest person to endure a failed execution

  Part of: Christa Pike’s execution in Tennessee proceeds after Supreme Court ruling, then fails

• Sep 30, 2026

  Question of whether taxpayers or fossil fuel companies pay for climate change damage heads to Supreme Court

  Part of: Supreme Court hears case on whether oil companies can be sued for climate damage costs

• Sep 29, 2026Opinion

  The ‘War Games’ problem: Computer science has long understood what it takes to keep AI under control

  Part of: Nvidia unveils AI safety platform to curb ‘rogue’ agent behavior

• Sep 29, 2026

  The ‘WarGames’ problem: Computer science has long understood what it takes to keep AI under control

  Part of: Nvidia unveils AI safety platform to curb ‘rogue’ agent behavior

• Sep 29, 2026Opinion

  Starship’s first orbital flight put its heat shield to the test – how it fares could determine if SpaceX’s vision is possible

  Part of: SpaceX’s Starship rocket reaches orbit for first time on 14th test flight

• Sep 29, 2026Opinion

  Oil and gas industry expected surplus – but war brought shortage instead

  Part of: Oil prices and bond yields rise after Trump rejects Iran's Hormuz reopening proposal

• Sep 29, 2026

  Why Trump’s plan to cut Head Start regulations could undermine services for the country’s poorest families

  Part of: Trump administration proposes sweeping changes to Head Start, including English-only rule

• Sep 28, 2026

  Why fuel prices may go higher still

  Part of: Oil prices and bond yields rise after Trump rejects Iran's Hormuz reopening proposal

• Sep 24, 2026

  How due process, not the First Amendment, got the White House ban on reporters blocked in court

  Part of: White House media ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico continues despite court order