Low Risk

get_source_bias

Get comprehensive bias analysis for a news source. Returns: - source_name, slug_name, page_url - articles_analyzed: total articles in the bias database for this source - avg_social_shares: average social shares per article - emotionality_score (0-10): how emotional the writin...

Part of the Helium MCP server. Enforce policies on this tool with Intercept, the open-source MCP proxy.

AI agents call get_source_bias to retrieve information from Helium without modifying any data. This is common in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows where the agent needs context before taking action. Because read operations don't change state, they are generally safe to allow without restrictions -- but you may still want rate limits to control API costs.

Even though get_source_bias only reads data, uncontrolled read access can leak sensitive information or rack up API costs. An agent caught in a retry loop could make thousands of calls per minute. A rate limit gives you a safety net without blocking legitimate use.

Read-only tools are safe to allow by default. No rate limit needed unless you want to control costs.

conner-m4el-helium-mcp.yaml
tools:
  get_source_bias:
    rules:
      - action: allow

See the full Helium policy for all 9 tools.

Tool Name get_source_bias
Category Read
MCP Server Helium MCP Server
Risk Level Low

View all 9 tools →

Agents calling read-class tools like get_source_bias have been implicated in these attack patterns. Read the full case and prevention policy for each:

Browse the full MCP Attack Database →

Other tools in the Read risk category across the catalogue. The same policy patterns (rate-limit, allow) apply to each.

What does the get_source_bias tool do? +

Get comprehensive bias analysis for a news source. Returns: - source_name, slug_name, page_url - articles_analyzed: total articles in the bias database for this source - avg_social_shares: average social shares per article - emotionality_score (0-10): how emotional the writing is - prescriptiveness_score (0-10): how much the source tells readers what to think/do - bias_scores: dict of all measured bias dimensions with scores (-50 to +50 for bipolar, 0 to +50 for unipolar). WARNING: this endpoint returns emoji-prefixed display keys (e.g. '🔵 Liberal <—> Conservative 🔴') rather than the plain-text keys used by get_bias_from_url, get_all_source_biases, and search_news (e.g. 'liberal conservative bias'). Do not attempt to cross-reference bias_scores keys here with bias_values keys from other endpoints. - bias_description: AI-generated overall bias summary narrative - liberal_conservative_description: narrative on political leaning - libertarian_authoritarian_description: narrative on authority stance - signature_phrases: words/phrases uniquely overrepresented vs other sources - signature_negative_phrases: uniquely negative/alarming phrases - most_shared_phrases: phrases in their most viral articles - most_emotional_phrases: phrases used in their most emotional articles - pays_for_traffic_keywords: keywords this source buys ads for - similar_sources: sources with the most similar bias profile - most_different_sources: sources with the most different bias profile - trends_graph_url: URL to a chart of this source's coverage volume over time - bias_plot_urls: dict of 2D bias scatter plot image URLs (political_lib_auth, subjective_objective, informative_opinion, oversimplification_factful) — only present when available - recent_articles: list of most recent articles with full article fields and per-article bias_values Throws an error if the source is not found. Args: source: Source name (e.g. 'Fox News', 'CNN', 'Reuters') or domain (e.g. 'foxnews.com'). Slug-style input (e.g. 'fox-news') is NOT supported — use full name or domain only. recent_articles: Number of recent articles to include (1-50, default 10). . It is categorised as a Read tool in the Helium MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on get_source_bias? +

Add a rule in your Intercept YAML policy under the tools section for get_source_bias. You can allow, deny, rate-limit, or validate arguments. Then run Intercept as a proxy in front of the Helium MCP server.

What risk level is get_source_bias? +

get_source_bias is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit get_source_bias? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get_source_bias rule in your Intercept policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block get_source_bias completely? +

Set action: deny in the Intercept policy for get_source_bias. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides get_source_bias? +

get_source_bias is provided by the Helium MCP server (conner-m4el/helium-mcp). Intercept sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policies on Helium

Open source. One binary. Zero dependencies.

npx -y @policylayer/intercept
github.com/policylayer/intercept →
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