Breitbart News is a far-right American news and opinion website founded in 2007 by Andrew Breitbart. It became one of the most influential platforms of the alt-right and populist conservative movements, known for aggressive coverage of immigration, Islam, feminism, and establishment politics. Under Steve Bannon’s leadership, it became a key media ally of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. It is controversial, widely cited by supporters, and widely condemned by critics for spreading misinformation and inflammatory content.
Definition
Breitbart is a conservative news and commentary website that positions itself as an alternative to mainstream media. It covers politics, culture, and technology from a right-wing perspective, often using sensational headlines and combative rhetoric. The site has been described as a platform for the alt-right, nationalist, and populist movements in the United States.
Why It Matters
Breitbart matters because it represents a fundamental shift in how political movements communicate. Before Breitbart, conservative media was dominated by Fox News and talk radio. Breitbart brought the ethos of internet-native media—clickbait, outrage, memes, and tribal identity—to political journalism. It proved that a website could shape an election, mobilize a base, and terrify the establishment. It also became a case study in media polarization: to its readers, it is the only honest source; to its critics, it is a propaganda machine.
Example
A political analyst, studying the 2016 election, notes that Breitbart articles were shared more frequently on Facebook than any other major news outlet in the final months of the campaign. The content was not designed to inform but to mobilize: every headline was a call to arms.
Internet Angle
On social media, Breitbart is both a source and a symbol. Sharing a Breitbart article is a political statement, a declaration of allegiance. The site’s comment sections are notoriously toxic, and its stories frequently appear in fact-checking databases. The internet has also produced a counter-culture: parody accounts, debunking threads, and memes that mock Breitbart’s headlines. The site is a Rorschach test for the American media landscape: what you think of it reveals what you think of truth itself.
Related Terms
- Alt-right — the political movement that Breitbart helped platform
- Steve Bannon — the former executive chair who led Breitbart to national prominence
- Populism — the political ideology that Breitbart champions
- Fake news — the accusation frequently leveled at Breitbart by critics
- Mainstream media (MSM) — the establishment outlets that Breitbart defines itself against
- Outrage economy — the business model of generating anger for clicks
- Donald Trump — the political figure most closely associated with Breitbart’s rise