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Brief

Real Clear

Digital Media & News Publishing

Delivers access to a large, influential, politically engaged audience through a trusted news aggregation network, enabling advertisers to reach policy professionals and engaged citizens at scale.

Founded: 2000HQ: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Last updated Oct 20, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment

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At a glance

About

Leading political news aggregator and polling average destination in the U.S., with a broad topic-specific media network

RealClear Media Group operates a network of digital news and opinion aggregation sites anchored by RealClearPolitics, one of the most widely cited political polling and news aggregation destinations in the United States. Founded in 2000, the platform became known for its polling averages and balanced aggregation of left- and right-leaning commentary, attracting a large, politically engaged audience. The network has since expanded to cover topics including defense, energy, health, markets, science, education, and more under the RealClear brand umbrella. As a media property, RealClear generates revenue primarily through digital display advertising, sponsored content, and native advertising sold against its high-value, politically engaged audience. Its readership skews toward policy influencers, political professionals, and engaged citizens, making it an attractive environment for advocacy advertisers, government-focused brands, and issue-based campaigns. The network's aggregation model drives high traffic volumes, particularly during election cycles. RealClear Media Group was acquired by Clarity Media Group, a subsidiary of Philip Anschutz's Anschutz Corporation, in 2015. The company is headquartered in Chicago and continues to operate as an active digital media publisher, maintaining its flagship polling averages and expanding its editorial and video content offerings.

Business model

Media Publisher / Advertising

Target market

Advertisers targeting politically engaged, policy-focused audiences

What they offer

  • RealClearPolitics

    Flagship political news aggregator and polling average platform covering U.S. elections and policy

  • RealClearDefense

    News aggregation and commentary focused on defense and national security

  • RealClearHealth

    Health policy and healthcare news aggregation site

  • RealClearMarkets

    Financial and economic news and opinion aggregation

  • RealClearEnergy

    Energy policy and industry news aggregation

  • RealClearEducation

    Education policy news and commentary aggregation

  • RealClearScience

    Science news and research aggregation

  • RealClearInvestigations

    Original investigative journalism outlet under the RealClear brand

  • Sponsored Content / Native Advertising

    Branded content and native advertising placements across the RealClear network

Key features

Polling averages aggregating multiple surveys for U.S. electionsBalanced left/right news aggregation modelHigh-traffic election-cycle audience spikesMulti-vertical topic network under unified brandOriginal investigative journalism via RealClearInvestigationsVideo content and multimedia editorial

Use cases

Issue-based and advocacy advertising targeting policy audiencesPolitical campaign digital advertisingGovernment and defense contractor brand awarenessThink tank and NGO sponsored contentFinancial and energy sector audience targeting

Customer segments

Political campaigns and PACsAdvocacy and issue-based organizationsGovernment contractors and defense companiesFinancial services advertisersThink tanks and policy organizationsEnergy sector companies

Tech & specs

Technology stack

Content Management System (CMS)Digital advertising (display/native)Polling data aggregation tools

Security & compliance

GDPRCCPA

Deployment

Cloud

API

No

Corporate history
  1. 2000 · Founded

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