(A News and Sentinel Op-Ed - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

West Virginians value independence. We believe in open debate, fair competition, and the idea that taxpayers — not partisan middlemen — should decide where public dollars are spent. That’s why it’s troubling that state and federal agencies increasingly rely on opaque “media rating” companies that quietly steer advertising dollars away from conservative and independent outlets.

One of the most prominent of these firms is NewsGuard, a for-profit company that sells so-called “media credibility ratings” to advertisers, schools, Big Tech platforms, and government agencies. These scores often determine which news outlets receive advertising revenue — and which are effectively blacklisted.

The problem is not transparency. The problem is bias masquerading as neutrality.

Independent analyses show that left-leaning outlets receive dramatically higher average scores than right-leaning ones. In some cases, foreign state-run outlets score higher than U.S. conservative media. That is not a neutral assessment of journalistic quality — it is an ideological filter that punishes viewpoint diversity.

This issue hits West Virginia especially hard.

First, it limits access to diverse coverage on issues that matter to our state — energy, land use, hunting rights, education, and rural economic development. When entire categories of lawful media are downgraded or stigmatized, citizens lose access to a range of perspectives that help us make the best choices for ourselves and our families.

Second, it undermines the effectiveness of taxpayer-funded advertising, to the detriment of local economies and businesses. When state agencies contract with ad firms that rely on biased media monitors, those agencies may not realize they are losing access to a large portion of the media market. The result: Fewer eyes on public-interest campaigns and less value for every dollar spent.

The damage is particularly severe for West Virginia’s outdoor and hunting economy — one of our most important sectors.

The overwhelming majority of outdoor, hunting, and firearms audiences consume conservative-leaning media. Yet these are precisely the outlets most likely to be downgraded or flagged by media-monitoring firms. Some monitors automatically penalize firearms-related publications altogether.

When state tourism and conservation campaigns are blocked from reaching these audiences, the consequences ripple outward: fewer hunting and fishing license sales, reduced sales of outdoor gear, lower state park and recreation revenue, slower recruitment of new hunters and anglers, and lost business for local restaurants, outfitters, and small towns.

This also weakens visibility for signature initiatives like “Wild and Wonderful” tourism branding, ATV and ORV trail systems, elk restoration viewing, public hunting land promotion, fishing season openers, and outdoor festivals. These programs depend on reaching the right audiences — not politically approved ones.

Further, West Virginia is a rural state. Small-market newspapers, independent outlets, and local content creators play an outsized role in keeping communities informed. Media monitors that brand these outlets as “less credible” undercut trust and demand at a time when many local papers are already struggling to survive.

In recent years, several local newspapers have shut down. When state advertising dollars are steered away from independent media — often without transparency — it accelerates that decline and leaves communities with fewer trusted sources of local news.

This is not a fringe concern. Policymakers across the country have begun pushing back.

Congress included an anti-censorship provision in the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, blocking the Pentagon from working with ad agencies that rely on biased media monitors. The Federal Trade Commission explicitly prohibited viewpoint discrimination as a requirement for approval of a major advertising merger. Florida enacted a budget provision preventing state agencies from contracting with ad firms that use partisan media-monitoring services.

These actions reflect a growing consensus: Government should not outsource speech policing to private, ideological actors.

West Virginia should take similar, common-sense steps. The first is to pass SB 531 and HB 4746, which prohibit state advertising contracts from flowing to firms that rely on partisan media monitors. West Virginia should also examine whether companies held by state pension funds engage in these practices; and publicly highlight the economic and civic harm caused by biased media ratings.

This is not about favoring one viewpoint over another. It is about ensuring that taxpayer dollars are not used to suppress lawful speech, distort markets, or undermine local media and our economy.

West Virginians deserve an advertising and media ecosystem that is open, competitive, and ideologically fair. Decisive action now will protect free expression, strengthen our outdoor economy, and ensure that public dollars serve the public interest — not partisan gatekeepers.

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Sen. Mike Azinger, R-Wood, represents the Third Senatorial District, which includes Wood, Pleasants, Ritchie and Wirt counties. He is chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance, and a member of the Confirmations, Education, Energy, Industry and Mining, Health and Human Resources and Judiciary committees.