Consumer Reports

U.S. center-left

Background

Consumer Reports was founded in 1936 as Consumers Union, formed by workers who walked off the job at Consumers' Research, a rival nonprofit, during a labor dispute. It began publishing Consumers Union Reports — later renamed Consumer Reports — to give ordinary buyers independent, advertiser-free evaluations of products. For most of its history, subscriptions were its only revenue, a model designed to protect editorial independence from manufacturer pressure. Over time it expanded from a print magazine into digital subscriptions, online ratings databases, and an active policy-advocacy operation covering financial fairness, vehicle safety, food labeling, privacy, and sustainability. In 2018 the parent organization formally rebranded from Consumers Union to Consumer Reports. Marta L. Tellado led the organization from 2014 until early 2025; she was succeeded in February 2025 by Phil Radford, who previously served as CEO of Greenpeace USA and chief strategy officer of the Sierra Club — a leadership profile that signals the organization's alignment with progressive consumer and environmental causes. Media Bias/Fact Check rates Consumer Reports 'least biased' with 'high' factual reporting, a fair description of its product-testing content, though its advocacy positions and donor base reflect a center-left orientation. Its advocacy director publicly described the CFPB under the Trump administration as 'essentially on life support,' illustrating a pattern of criticism toward administration moves that weaken federal consumer-protection agencies.

Sources

1. Consumer Reports – Wikipedia
2. Consumer Reports – Influence Watch
3. Consumer Reports: A Nonprofit Icon with Business Model Questions – Nonprofit Quarterly
4. Policies & Financials – Consumer Reports
5. Consumer Reports – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
6. Consumer Reports Inc – Nonprofit Explorer – ProPublica
7. Phil Radford Named President & CEO of Consumer Reports
8. Trump Administration Significantly Narrows the Impact of the CFPB – Jenner & Block

Profile compiled 2026-07-16; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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