Once a titan of American journalism, Time magazine—founded in 1923 by Briton Hadden and Henry Luce—was, for decades, considered the defining voice of middlebrow America. It brought news to coffee tables across the nation with gravitas and clarity. But that era is gone. Since being sold off by Meredith Corporation to Salesforce co-founder Marc Benioff in 2018, Time has steadily drifted into a Progressive technocrat’s echo chamber, shaped more by elite activist causes than by traditional journalistic values.
Benioff, a Silicon Valley billionaire and major donor to liberal and globalist causes, sees media not as a public service but as a vehicle for social engineering. His views on climate change, gender identity, and equity align perfectly with the increasingly activist editorial line of Time. This transformation isn’t simply about modernizing. It’s about infusing every article with a worldview—one that deconstructs tradition, elevates globalism, and filters facts through a Progressive moral framework.
Revenue now depends on corporate partnerships, philanthropic funding, and digital subscriber loyalty—each encouraging the magazine to cater to an upper-class, university-educated readership aligned with identity politics, ESG ideology, and climate alarmism. It has become, in essence, the magazine of Davos: fluent in buzzwords like “sustainability,” “equity,” and “global health,” while hostile to populism, nationalism, and traditional Christianity.
Typical Claims and Outlook
Time still carries the aesthetic of seriousness—its covers remain iconic, and its layout suggests measured reporting. But its content has undergone a quiet revolution. Every issue is now laced with left-wing assumptions, progressive framing, and activist sympathies.
Its tone blends urgency with moral superiority. Headlines often present cultural debates not as open questions, but as matters of settled consensus—on the “right side of history.” Whether it’s climate change, racial equity, transgender youth, or abortion access, the publication speaks not to inform but to instruct—and occasionally scold.
Cultural conservatives, religious dissenters, and skeptics of centralized power are treated not as principled contrarians, but as backward obstacles to “progress.” Time doesn’t merely report from the left—it embraces a leftist moral vocabulary, presenting radical ideas as compassionate inevitabilities and conservative objections as threats to democracy or public health.
Its worldview is globalist, secular, technocratic, and elite. And while it maintains the posture of high-minded civility, its editorial posture is openly hostile to traditional American values, especially those rooted in religion, nationhood, and family.
Specific Incidents of Bias
“The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election”
Perhaps the most revealing piece Time has ever published post-Benioff came in 2021. Molly Ball’s article admitted that a “well-funded cabal” of activists, tech companies, labor unions, and political operatives worked behind the scenes to “fortify” the 2020 election. While framed as a defense of democracy, the article functionally admitted to coordinated manipulation of information, censorship, and rule changes—all in the name of stopping Donald Trump. Rather than investigate this as a threat to election integrity, Time celebrated it as a triumph of elite coordination.
Transgender Policy and the “First Female Four-Star Admiral”
In 2021, Time celebrated Rachel Levine—born male—as the first “female” four-star admiral in U.S. public health service. The article parroted every ideological talking point of gender activism, using female pronouns, praising Levine as a barrier-breaker, and ignoring any dissent. Critics were labeled transphobic, and the public was instructed to “celebrate” the achievement. There was no attempt at journalistic neutrality or engagement with the biological or policy questions involved.
Fawning Coverage of Globalist Elites
Whether it’s Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum, the UN, or WHO officials, Time routinely platforms global bureaucrats as the wise custodians of humanity’s future. Dissenting views on national sovereignty, vaccine mandates, or technocratic overreach are almost never featured. Critics of these institutions are dismissed as “conspiracy theorists,” even when their concerns are grounded in constitutional law, economics, or basic civil liberties.
Faith and Sexuality
Time’s 2022 issue on religion profiled “faith leaders” who supported LGBTQ+ inclusion, climate activism, and racial reparations. Orthodox Christian voices were absent. The only faith praised was faith that bowed to Progressive orthodoxy. Meanwhile, biblical convictions were portrayed as dangerous holdovers from an age of “exclusion and hate.”
Most Ideologically Reflective Figures
Molly Ball stands out as one of Time’s most influential correspondents. Her 2021 article “The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election” inadvertently revealed a level of establishment collusion rarely acknowledged in mainstream media. She framed it as noble, but her language confirmed the worst suspicions of conservatives: that elites manipulate the levers of communication, voting procedure, and narrative to achieve partisan outcomes.
Charlotte Alter, another senior correspondent, frequently writes about generational change, gender, and religion with a strong progressive slant. In her reporting, conservative Christians are often portrayed as irrational reactionaries, while left-wing secular activists are framed as the thoughtful, forward-looking voices of reason.
Jemima McEvoy, often tasked with pandemic-related topics, contributed to Time’s hardline stance on vaccine mandates, masking, and COVID-19 censorship. Her reporting reflected an almost uncritical trust in state-sanctioned messaging and skepticism toward any grassroots or alternative views—no matter how well-founded.
While these individuals may not have household-name recognition, their collective output shapes Time into a progressive ministry of information, couched in the language of authority and legacy.
Scandals and Controversies
The 2020 Election “Fortification” Admission
Time’s own coverage described a shadow campaign of elite institutions that manipulated messaging, pressured platforms, and rewrote voting laws to defeat Donald Trump. While the article framed it as “protecting democracy,” it acknowledged behavior that, under other circumstances, would be labeled a conspiracy to shape an election.
Transgender Ideology Without Nuance
In covering Rachel Levine, Lia Thomas, and other high-profile transgender figures, Time embraced the full suite of gender ideology without acknowledging any biological, ethical, or legal concerns. It refused to feature dissenting scientists, feminists, or religious critics—violating even minimal standards of journalistic balance.
Climate Alarmism and Corporate Hypocrisy
Time’s devotion to climate change solutions often collides with its partnerships with elite corporations that preach ESG while practicing carbon-heavy consumption. Its 2020 “Person of the Year” cover for Greta Thunberg cemented its reputation as a climate-activist mouthpiece, yet it continues to feature advertisements and partnerships with global corporate sponsors with dubious environmental records.
Marginalization of Traditional Faith
Time has continually marginalized Christianity unless it is progressive, deconstructed, or intersectional. Its portrayal of religious liberty cases often casts Bible-believing Christians as backwards bigots rather than sincere practitioners defending conscience rights.
Time’s Perspective on 20 Defining Issues
1. Election Integrity and Voter Laws
Time frames all voter ID laws as racist relics. It supported pandemic-era voting overhauls, mail-in ballots, and minimized security concerns. Critics of these changes are treated as threats to democracy.
2. Abortion and Reproductive Rights
Abortion is hailed as essential healthcare and a pillar of women’s autonomy. Time routinely platformed voices against Dobbs, downplayed fetal personhood, and demonized pro-life legislation.
3. Gender Identity and Transgender Policies
Time is fully committed to gender ideology. It refers to biological men as “women” when identifying as such, celebrates child transitions, and frames opposition to such policies as hate speech or ignorance.
4. Race and Systemic Racism
Time supports the idea of systemic racism, white privilege, and reparations. It promotes DEI in schools and workplaces and uncritically affirms the framework of Critical Race Theory.
5. Climate Change and Energy Policy
It treats climate change as an existential threat, endorses the Green New Deal, and blames capitalism for ecological degradation. Opposing wind, solar, or net-zero goals is treated as heresy.
6. Immigration and Border Security
Time frequently highlights sympathetic immigrant stories while marginalizing concerns about border security, drugs, trafficking, or national sovereignty. It casts immigration restrictions as xenophobic.
7. Israel and the Middle East Conflict
Though historically more balanced, recent years have shown increasing sympathy toward Palestinian claims, using language like “occupation” and “apartheid” with little acknowledgment of Hamas terrorism.
8. Second Amendment and Gun Control
Time strongly advocates for gun control, highlighting mass shootings while dismissing defensive gun use. It favors federal regulation, red flag laws, and assault weapons bans.
9. LGBTQ+ Rights and Religious Liberty
Time champions LGBTQ+ activism, including drag performances, school inclusion, and corporate pride campaigns. Religious objections are often portrayed as bigotry wrapped in tradition.
10. COVID-19 Policy and Mandates
Time strongly supported mandates, lockdowns, and vaccine enforcement. It echoed CDC messaging and downplayed concerns over censorship, natural immunity, and vaccine-related risks.
11. Policing and Criminal Justice
Time portrayed the post-George Floyd protests as morally justified and systemic in cause. It featured “Defund the Police” voices and regularly emphasized systemic bias over personal responsibility.
12. Education and Parental Rights
Time supports teacher autonomy, progressive curriculum content, and opposes curriculum transparency or parental veto power. It frames opposition to gender and racial content as extremism.
13. Censorship and Big Tech
Time supports moderation of “misinformation,” aligning with progressive content controls. It did not criticize the Twitter Files revelations, and treats censorship claims as partisan panic.
14. January 6 and Political Violence
Time refers to January 6 as an insurrection and an existential threat. It does not apply the same scrutiny to 2020 BLM riots or far-left violence, revealing selective moral outrage.
15. Corporate Wokeness and ESG
Time promotes ESG values and diversity pledges. It celebrates corporations for progressive statements but doesn’t address their hypocrisies or impacts on shareholders and consumers.
16. Hunter Biden, Biden Family, and Political Corruption
Time provided scant coverage of the Hunter Biden laptop scandal. It questioned the timing of the story and echoed “Russian disinformation” narratives, only acknowledging its legitimacy belatedly.
17. Trump and the Republican Party
Time is sharply critical of Trump, MAGA, and conservative populism. Articles often link Trump voters to racism, conspiracy theories, and authoritarian impulses.
18. Affirmative Action and Racial Preferences
Time supports affirmative action and opposes merit-only policies. It frames race-neutral standards as tools of structural inequality rather than as protections of equal treatment.
19. International Institutions and Sovereignty
Time promotes trust in the UN, WEF, WHO, and other transnational bodies. It downplays nationalist concerns and treats critics of global governance as paranoid.
20. Culture War Issues
Time supports drag queen story hours, gender inclusion in sports, preferred pronouns, and radical language reform. Traditional sexual ethics are treated as cultural relics or oppressive codes.
Final Evaluation and Conclusion
A Legacy in Decline
Time was once the nation’s most recognizable magazine—a weekly digest that interpreted global affairs for the American middle class. Its covers were collector’s items. Its writers were household names. It shaped opinion by informing readers, not indoctrinating them.
But that Time is long gone. What remains is a Progressive house organ dressed up in vintage clothes. The font is familiar. The format is professional. But the soul of the magazine has changed. It no longer asks questions; it issues conclusions. It no longer probes power; it flatters it—especially when that power wears a mask of climate compassion, equity enforcement, or public health authoritarianism.
Under Marc Benioff’s stewardship, Time now reflects the values of Silicon Valley boardrooms and Davos conference panels. The worldview it advances is not neutral, balanced, or tolerant. It is bureaucratic globalism with a social-justice face—a vision in which liberty is dangerous, faith is backward, and tradition is something to be dismantled for the sake of “progress.”
Shaping the Culture, Softening the Truth
What makes Time particularly effective—and thus dangerous—is its tone. It doesn’t rant like MSNBC or huff like HuffPost. Instead, it persuades by posturing: rational, authoritative, above the fray. This is how elite progressivism perpetuates itself—not through shrill propaganda, but through calm condescension. Readers are not invited to reason through an issue but to absorb the correct moral position. And that position almost always aligns with secular, centralized, and progressive power.
The result is a worldview where parental rights are suspect, biblical morality is hate, questioning government is extremism, and defending tradition is akin to sedition.
In a very real way, Time represents the house style of the managerial left—polished, polite, and profoundly illiberal.
Why Time Belongs in the Hall of Shame
Time does not rage. It re-educates.
It does not lie outright. It re-frames.
It does not openly advocate tyranny. It simply redefines liberty as dangerous, religion as bigoted, and dissent as disinformation.
This is why it belongs in the Hall of Shame. Its betrayal is more insidious than the shouting partisans on cable or the crude memes of internet activism. Time lends intellectual cover to the erosion of foundational truths. It whitewashes soft totalitarianism with glossy paper and moral rhetoric.
Its sin is not stridency, but seduction—seduction into a worldview where freedom is scary, tradition is oppressive, and truth must be managed.
And for that, its place in this Hall is well deserved.
S.D.G.,
Robert Sparkman
rob@christiannewsjunkie.com
RELATED CONTENT
Concerning the Related Content section, I encourage everyone to evaluate the content carefully.
If I have listed the content, I think it is worthwhile viewing to educate yourself on the topic, but it may contain coarse language or some opinions I don’t agree with.
Feel free to offer your comments below. Respectful comments without expletives and personal attacks will be posted and I will respond to them.
Comments are closed after sixty days due to spamming issues from internet bots.
You can always send me an email at rob@christiannewsjunkie.com if you want to comment on something afterwards, though.
If you have evidence that I am wrong about a material statement of fact, provide the evidence and I will gladly review it and make revisions if merited. Obviously, there are some assertions that are matters of opinion that I will not change, but I always strive to be truthful.
I will continue to add videos and other items to the Related Content section as opportunities present themselves.
I recommend these Youtube channels and commentators for good content on politics and news from a Christian and/or conservative worldview: Albert Mohler, Allie Beth Stuckey, Bill O’Reilly, CBN News, Hugh Hewitt, John Anderson Media (Australia), Nick Freitas, Ruthless Podcast (language warning), Scott Jennings, The Hot Zone with Chuck Holton, Vince Dao, and Verdict with Ted Cruz.
Albert Mohler’s channel on Youtube has a daily episode called The Briefing with Albert Mohler that I highly recommend. Allie Beth Stuckey’s channel is top-notch, too.
For livestreaming of political protests and riots by conservative commentators, check out Nate Friedman, Cam Higby, James Klug, and Nick Shirley. I don’t agree with the perspectives of all these commentators and the language of protesters is often obscene. Most news outlets will not cover these illegal assemblies, though, because it doesn’t promote their narrative.
Depictions of Jesus Christ are used in some illustrations. I realize that some including conservative Presbyterians consider this to be idolatry. I respectfully disagree with their position on this matter as the commandment forbids worshiping such depictions, and I do not worship these illustrations.