Some widely recognized news outlets often described as left-leaning or progressive include MSNBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, and PBS NewsHour.

Important nuance

“Far left” is a subjective label, and many mainstream outlets are better described as center-left rather than extreme. For more explicitly progressive or activist-leaning coverage, people often point to Democracy Now!, The Intercept, The Nation, Common Dreams, and The Lever.

Quick view

  • Mainstream center-left: MSNBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, PBS NewsHour.
  • More progressive / activist: Democracy Now!, The Intercept, The Nation, Common Dreams, The Lever.
  • Opinion-heavy or commentary-driven: Some audiences also include programs and channels like The Majority Report, Secular Talk, or Last Week Tonight in the broader left media ecosystem, though they are not traditional news channels.

A safer way to think about it

Instead of asking which outlets are “far left,” it’s usually more accurate to ask which sources have a clear left-leaning editorial stance versus which ones focus on straight reporting. That distinction matters because some outlets mix reporting with opinion, while others mainly provide analysis or advocacy.

Would you like a shortlist separated into TV channels, websites, and YouTube/podcast-style sources?