Because of the time, labor, and difficulty involved in gathering such a wide scope of detailed information about America's newspapers, no one has ever before determined exactly where syndicated columnists are published.

The report shows that conservative syndicated columnists are carried in far more newspapers and have a much larger audience than their progressive counterparts, giving conservatives a distinct advantage in the marketplace of ideas. Here are some of our key findings:

Conservative Syndicated Columnists Dominate Daily Newspapers -- Sixty percent of the nation's newspapers print more conservative syndicated columnists every week than progressive syndicated columnists. Only 20 percent run more progressives than conservatives, while the remaining 20 percent are evenly balanced.

Conservative Syndicated Columnists Reach Millions More Than Progressives -- In a given week, nationally syndicated conservative columnists are published in newspapers with a total combined circulation of more than 153 million. Progressive columnists, on the other hand, are published in newspapers with a total combined circulation of 125 million.

Top Syndicated Columnists Are Mostly Conservative -- The top-10 list of columnists, sorted by the number of papers in which they are carried or by the total circulation of the papers in which they are published, includes five conservatives, two centrists, and only three progressives.

In Region After Region, Conservative Syndicated Columnists Enjoy Advantage -- In eight of the nine regions into which the U.S. Census divides the country, conservative syndicated columnists reach more readers than progressive syndicated columnists in any given week. Only in the Middle Atlantic region (which includes New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) do progressive columnists reach more readers each week.

To say that this study is unparalleled in its scope and level of detail is no exaggeration. Despite the enormous influence of America's op-ed pages, no one has ever before determined where syndicated columnists are specifically published. Previous examinations of syndicated columnists relied on data provided by the syndicates themselves, while Media Matters contacted almost every English-language daily newspaper to ensure the highest level of accuracy.

If you are interested in looking up your local paper or other papers in your state, click here to browse through an online database we've created. You can see for yourself where conservative, centrist, or progressive columnists are published.

The results prove what many have suspected for years -- that our opinion pages are consistently skewed to the right, allowing conservatives a disproportionate advantage in shaping public opinion. The American people, as a result, are left with a lopsided view of the critical issues that affect their daily lives.

When the debate of today's pressing issues is dominated by one side of the argument, it means the integrity of our nation's newspapers is at stake. I urge you to read the report, forward it to your friends, family, and coworkers, and sign our petition asking local daily newspapers to provide balance on their op-ed pages.