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'''''The Federalist''''' is an American ] ] and ] that covers politics, policy, culture, and religion, and publishes a newsletter.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Polskin |first1=Howard |title=How conservative media has grown under Trump |url=https://www.cjr.org/analysis/conservative-media-grown.php |access-date=October 2, 2019 |journal=] |publisher=] |location=New York City |date=August 19, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Greenberg |first1=Jon |title=Donald Trump's false claim about a change in whistleblower rules |url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2019/oct/01/donald-trump/donald-trumps-false-claim-about-change-whistleblow/ |access-date=October 2, 2019 |publisher=]|date=October 1, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kanu |first1=Hassan |title=The Federalist Hit With Labor Complaint Over Founder's Tweets |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/the-federalist-hit-with-labor-complaint-over-founders-tweets |access-date=October 2, 2019 |website=] |date=September 27, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Domenech130918">{{cite web|last=Domenech|first=Ben|authorlink=Ben Domenech|date=September 18, 2013|title=Introducing The Federalist|url=http://thefederalist.com/2013/09/18/introducing-the-federalist/|access-date=September 26, 2014|website=The Federalist}}</ref> The site was co-founded by ] and Sean Davis and launched in September 2013.<ref name="Domenech130918"/> '''''The Federalist''''' is an American ] ] and ] that covers politics, policy, culture, and religion, and publishes a newsletter.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Polskin |first1=Howard |title=How conservative media has grown under Trump |url=https://www.cjr.org/analysis/conservative-media-grown.php |access-date=October 2, 2019 |journal=] |publisher=] |location=New York City |date=August 19, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Greenberg |first1=Jon |title=Donald Trump's false claim about a change in whistleblower rules |url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2019/oct/01/donald-trump/donald-trumps-false-claim-about-change-whistleblow/ |access-date=October 2, 2019 |publisher=]|date=October 1, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kanu |first1=Hassan |title=The Federalist Hit With Labor Complaint Over Founder's Tweets |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/the-federalist-hit-with-labor-complaint-over-founders-tweets |access-date=October 2, 2019 |website=] |date=September 27, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Domenech130918">{{cite web|last=Domenech|first=Ben|authorlink=Ben Domenech|date=September 18, 2013|title=Introducing The Federalist|url=http://thefederalist.com/2013/09/18/introducing-the-federalist/|access-date=September 26, 2014|website=The Federalist}}</ref> The site was co-founded by ] and Sean Davis and launched in September 2013.<ref name="Domenech130918"/>

During the ], ''The Federalist'' published many pieces that contained ], ], and contradictions or misrepresentations of the recommendations of public health authorities.<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{cite web|first1=Ella|last1=Lee|accessdate=October 30, 2021|title=Fact check: Article wrongly states Biden COVID-19 adviser's view on vaccine, age|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/11/25/fact-check-article-misconstrues-biden-covid-advisers-vaccine-stance/6424401002/|website=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first1=David|last1=Scales|first2=Jack|last2=Gorman|first3=Kathleen H.|last3=Jamieson|title=The Covid-19 Infodemic — Applying the Epidemiologic Model to Counter Misinformation|journal=New England Journal of Medicine|date=19 August 2021|issn=0028-4793|pages=678–681|volume=385|issue=8|doi=10.1056/NEJMp2103798|pmid=33979506 |s2cid=234485796 |doi-access=free}}</ref> While ballots were being counted in the ], ''The Federalist'' made false claims that there had been ].<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":8" />


== History == == History ==
''The Federalist'' was co-founded by ] and Sean Davis; senior editors include David Harsanyi and ].<ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Contributors |url=http://thefederalist.com/contributors/ |work=The Federalist |access-date=October 1, 2014}}</ref><ref name="BP.new-generation">{{cite news |last1=Weigel |first1=David |date=December 2014 |title=The Torch Is Being Passed to A New Generation of Right-Wing Media |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2014-12-01/the-torch-is-being-passed-to-a-new-generation-of-rightwing-media |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217021504/http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2014-12-01/the-torch-is-being-passed-to-a-new-generation-of-rightwing-media |archive-date=December 17, 2014 |access-date=December 17, 2014 |website=]}}</ref> Domenech wrote that ''The Federalist'' was inspired by the mission and worldview of the original '']'' magazine's editor, ], which he described as, " to the political right, with a small-c conservatism equipped with a populist respect for the middle class reader outside of New York and Washington, and an abiding love for America at a time when snark and cynicism were not considered substitutes for smart analysis."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thefederalist.com/2013/09/18/introducing-the-federalist/|title=Introducing The Federalist|date=September 18, 2013|website=The Federalist|access-date=December 26, 2016}}</ref> Quoted in '']'' in 2018, Domenech described ''The Federalist'' as having no office and a staff that was "majority female, half millennial, and a quarter minority."<ref name="funding">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style/wp/2018/01/25/feature/why-conservative-magazines-are-more-important-than-ever/|title=Why conservative magazines are more important than ever|newspaper=]|access-date=October 20, 2018}}</ref> ''The Federalist'' was co-founded by ] and Sean Davis; senior editors include David Harsanyi and ].<ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Contributors |url=http://thefederalist.com/contributors/ |work=The Federalist |access-date=October 1, 2014}}</ref><ref name="BP.new-generation" /> Domenech wrote that ''The Federalist'' was inspired by the mission and worldview of the original '']'' magazine's editor, ], which he described as, " to the political right, with a small-c conservatism equipped with a populist respect for the middle class reader outside of New York and Washington, and an abiding love for America at a time when snark and cynicism were not considered substitutes for smart analysis."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thefederalist.com/2013/09/18/introducing-the-federalist/|title=Introducing The Federalist|date=September 18, 2013|website=The Federalist|access-date=December 26, 2016}}</ref> Quoted in '']'' in 2018, Domenech described ''The Federalist'' as having no office and a staff that was "majority female, half millennial, and a quarter minority."<ref name="funding">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style/wp/2018/01/25/feature/why-conservative-magazines-are-more-important-than-ever/|title=Why conservative magazines are more important than ever|newspaper=]|access-date=October 20, 2018}}</ref>


=== Finances === === Finances ===
As is typical practice of most private companies, ''The Federalist'' has not disclosed its funding sources. However, left wing journalists have asked who is funding the site, since they feel ad revenue alone would not be enough for the publication to sustain its staff of 14.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Peters|first=Jeremy W.|date=2020-08-03|title=These Conservatives Have a Laser Focus: 'Owning the Libs'|language=en-US|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/us/politics/the-federalist-trump-liberals.html|access-date=2020-08-03|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Two sources with knowledge of the publication's finances said that one of the major backers of ''The Federalist'' is ], a ] and Trump donor who has a history of supporting conservative political candidates, which is not surprising given the openly conservative lean of the site.<ref name=":1" /> ''The Federalist'' has not disclosed its funding sources and critics have asked who is funding the site, since ad revenue alone would not be enough for the publication to sustain its staff of 14.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Peters|first=Jeremy W.|date=2020-08-03|title=These Conservatives Have a Laser Focus: 'Owning the Libs'|language=en-US|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/us/politics/the-federalist-trump-liberals.html|access-date=2020-08-03|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Two sources with knowledge of the publication's finances said that one of the major backers of ''The Federalist'' is ], a ] and Trump donor who has a history of supporting ] political candidates.<ref name=":1" />


According to '']'', the website's funding prompted "a considerable amount of speculation in the political media world, with the phrase 'Who funds the Federalist?' becoming a recurring ]." In response, the website once sold an "I Fund the Federalist" T-shirt to supporters.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gray |first1=Rosie |title=The Weekly Standard's Corporate Owner Considered Buying The Federalist|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosiegray/federalist-weekly-standard |access-date=March 26, 2020 |publisher=] |date=August 28, 2019}}</ref> According to '']'', the website's funding prompted "a considerable amount of speculation in the political media world, with the phrase 'Who funds the Federalist?' becoming a recurring ]." In response, the website once sold an "I Fund the Federalist" T-shirt to supporters.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gray |first1=Rosie |title=The Weekly Standard's Corporate Owner Considered Buying The Federalist|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosiegray/federalist-weekly-standard |access-date=March 26, 2020 |publisher=] |date=August 28, 2019}}</ref>


In 2020, ''The Federalist'' received at least $200,000 in ] relief funds from the ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dickson |first1=Caitlin |title=Exclusive: Pandemic relief aid went to media that promoted COVID misinformation |url=https://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-pandemic-relief-aid-went-to-media-that-promoted-covid-misinformation-100022099.html |access-date=3 March 2023 |work=] |date=5 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Willis |first1=Moiz Syed, Derek |title=THE FEDERALIST, LLC - Coronavirus Bailouts |url=https://projects.propublica.org/coronavirus/bailouts/loans/the-federalist-llc-6858787210 |website=ProPublica |date=July 7, 2020 |access-date=7 March 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
The site's parent company receives underwriting from the ], a "nerve center" of the American conservative movement that, per founder Jim DeMint, aims to be, "a bulwark against the Swamp and a support system for conservatives looking to do the right thing." <ref>{{Cite web |last=DeMint |first=Jim |title=Conservative Partnership Institute |url=https://www.cpi.org/ |url-status=live |website=CPI.org}}</ref>

The site's parent company receives underwriting from the ], a "nerve center" of the American right-wing that serves as an incubator for Donald Trump loyalists to develop strategies.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Draper |first1=Robert |title=A Nerve Center for the Right Wing Rises in Washington |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/us/politics/trump-conservative-partnership-institute.html |work=The New York Times |date=February 20, 2024}}</ref>


=== Neil deGrasse Tyson === === Neil deGrasse Tyson ===
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In May 2018, ''The Federalist'' published an article which suggested that former ] deputy director ] had leaked a story to the news channel ].<ref name=":3">{{cite magazine|first=Matt|last=Ford|date=May 22, 2018|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/148502/anatomy-pro-trump-conspiracy-theory|title=Anatomy of a Pro-Trump Conspiracy Theory|magazine=]|access-date=May 23, 2018}}</ref> The article presented no evidence that this was the case, only that McCabe was aware that CNN would publish a story four days prior to its eventual publication.<ref name=":3"/> According to Matt Ford in '']'', the more likely explanation was that CNN contacted the FBI Press Office, consistent with journalistic practices, for comment on a forthcoming story.<ref name=":3"/> ]'s former press secretary ] agreed that CNN was likely contacting the FBI for comment on a forthcoming story, and said that "Whoever told CNN about the briefing is the problem."<ref name=":3"/> ''The Federalist'' story was widely disseminated, including a tweet from ]<ref name=":3" /> In May 2018, ''The Federalist'' published an article which suggested that former ] deputy director ] had leaked a story to the news channel ].<ref name=":3">{{cite magazine|first=Matt|last=Ford|date=May 22, 2018|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/148502/anatomy-pro-trump-conspiracy-theory|title=Anatomy of a Pro-Trump Conspiracy Theory|magazine=]|access-date=May 23, 2018}}</ref> The article presented no evidence that this was the case, only that McCabe was aware that CNN would publish a story four days prior to its eventual publication.<ref name=":3"/> According to Matt Ford in '']'', the more likely explanation was that CNN contacted the FBI Press Office, consistent with journalistic practices, for comment on a forthcoming story.<ref name=":3"/> ]'s former press secretary ] agreed that CNN was likely contacting the FBI for comment on a forthcoming story, and said that "Whoever told CNN about the briefing is the problem."<ref name=":3"/> ''The Federalist'' story was widely disseminated, including a tweet from ]<ref name=":3" />


=== COVID-19 pandemic advocacy === === COVID-19 pandemic misinformation ===
During the ], ''The Federalist'' published numerous pieces that contained false information or information that was contrary to the recommendations of public health experts and authorities.<ref name=":7">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-federalist-as-medical-journal-in-the-time-of-the-coronavirus|title=The Federalist as "Medical Journal" in the Time of the Coronavirus|last=Bethea|first=Charles|magazine=]|language=en|access-date=April 24, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mediamatters.org/coronavirus-covid-19/federalist-suggests-controlled-voluntary-infection-latest-example-its-reckless|title=The Federalist suggests "controlled voluntary infection" in the latest example of its reckless coronavirus coverage|last=Hagle|first=Courtney|website=]|date=March 26, 2020 |language=en|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref> ''The Federalist'' published articles denouncing ],<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Bethea |first=Charles |date=2020-04-12 |title=The Federalist as "Medical Journal" in the Time of the Coronavirus |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-federalist-as-medical-journal-in-the-time-of-the-coronavirus |access-date=2024-04-17 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref> as well as articles claiming that fears over the pandemic had been overhyped by the ] and the media.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Hagle |first=Courtney |date=2020-03-26 |title=The Federalist suggests "controlled voluntary infection" in the latest example of its reckless coronavirus coverage |url=https://www.mediamatters.org/coronavirus-covid-19/federalist-suggests-controlled-voluntary-infection-latest-example-its-reckless |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=Media Matters for America |language=en}}</ref> ''The Federalist'' co-founder Sean Davis said that Democrats were intentionally trying to "destroy the economy" as a "last-ditch 2020 play", and that "All they care about is power.<ref name=":9" /> And if they have to destroy your life and business to get power back, they will." According to left wing organization, '']'', ''The Federalist'' published articles calling on the government to quickly end social distancing directions, and to open businesses again.<ref name=":4" /> Robert Tracinski, a former contributor, ironically wrote in ''],'' a Left-Wing publication that operates under a non-partisan guise, that ''The Federalist'' had devolved over time into a "conspiracy-mongering partisan rag that has now become a menace to public health".<ref name="WashPost20200331">{{Cite news |last=Drezner |first=Daniel W. |date=March 31, 2020 |title=The state of the conservative intelligentsia is weird |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/03/31/state-conservative-intelligentsia-is-weird/ |newspaper=]}}</ref> During the ], ''The Federalist'' published numerous pieces that contained false information or information that was contrary to the recommendations of public health experts and authorities.<ref name=":7">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-federalist-as-medical-journal-in-the-time-of-the-coronavirus|title=The Federalist as "Medical Journal" in the Time of the Coronavirus|last=Bethea|first=Charles|magazine=]|language=en|access-date=April 24, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mediamatters.org/coronavirus-covid-19/federalist-suggests-controlled-voluntary-infection-latest-example-its-reckless|title=The Federalist suggests "controlled voluntary infection" in the latest example of its reckless coronavirus coverage|last=Hagle|first=Courtney|website=]|date=March 26, 2020 |language=en|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref> ''The Federalist'' published articles denouncing ],<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Bethea |first=Charles |date=2020-04-12 |title=The Federalist as "Medical Journal" in the Time of the Coronavirus |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-federalist-as-medical-journal-in-the-time-of-the-coronavirus |access-date=2024-04-17 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref> as well as articles claiming that fears over the pandemic had been overhyped by the ] and the media.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Hagle |first=Courtney |date=2020-03-26 |title=The Federalist suggests "controlled voluntary infection" in the latest example of its reckless coronavirus coverage |url=https://www.mediamatters.org/coronavirus-covid-19/federalist-suggests-controlled-voluntary-infection-latest-example-its-reckless |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=Media Matters for America |language=en}}</ref> ''The Federalist'' co-founder Sean Davis said that Democrats were intentionally trying to "destroy the economy" as a "last-ditch 2020 play", and that "All they care about is power.<ref name=":9" /> And if they have to destroy your life and business to get power back, they will." According to '']'', ''The Federalist'' published articles calling on the government to quickly end social distancing directions, and to open businesses again.<ref name=":4" /> Co-founder Domenech attacked a prominent analysis from ] which estimated the loss of life due to the pandemic; Domenech attacked the analysis for revising its figures downward, but the reason that the analysis did so was that the analysis incorporated the social distancing and shutdown strategies that had increasingly been implemented.<ref name="WashPost20200331">{{Cite news|first=Daniel W.|last=Drezner|date=March 31, 2020|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/03/31/state-conservative-intelligentsia-is-weird/|title=The state of the conservative intelligentsia is weird|newspaper=]}}</ref> Robert Tracinski, a former contributor, wrote in '']'' that ''The Federalist'' had devolved over time into a "conspiracy-mongering partisan rag that has now become a menace to public health".<ref name="WashPost20200331" />


It published a piece by a physician in ] who recommended that people hold ] for the ] to build ].<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/epg79z/unlicensed-dermatologist-suggests-people-throw-coronavirus-parties|title=Unlicensed Dermatologist Suggests People Throw Coronavirus Parties|last=Wagner|first=Laura|date=March 25, 2020|website=]|language=en|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite news|last=Levenson|first=Michael|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/us/chickenpox-parties-federalist-twitter.html|title=Twitter Blocks The Federalist for Promoting Coronavirus Parties|date=March 25, 2020|work=]|access-date=March 31, 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> At the time, experts warned that the number of new infections should be kept down so as to not overburden the health care system, failing to differentiate between asymptomatic infections and more serious ones.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/25/21190928/twitter-locks-account-encouraging-coronavirus-chickenpox-parties|title=Twitter locks account encouraging coronavirus 'chickenpox parties'|last=Robertson|first=Adi|date=March 25, 2020|website=]|language=en|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref> ''The Federalist'' was subsequently temporarily suspended from ]. Twitter's justification for the censorship was that it felt the site was promoting ideas that contradicted public health experts and were felt, by the non-physician leadership of ], to be harmful to public health.<ref name=":5" /> ] also removed links to ''The Federalist'' article on its platform.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/facebook-coronavirus-infection-parties-misinformation-policy_n_5e7faf6cc5b6cb9dc1a16f36|title=Facebook Says Post Proposing COVID-19 Infection Parties Doesn't Violate Its Policies|last=Cook|first=Jesselyn|date=March 28, 2020|website=]|language=en|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref> It published a piece by a person identified as a physician in ] who recommended that people hold ] for the ] to build ], but the recommendations were contrary to those of public health experts, and the author in question did not have a medical license and had worked as a businessman for decades.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/epg79z/unlicensed-dermatologist-suggests-people-throw-coronavirus-parties|title=Unlicensed Dermatologist Suggests People Throw Coronavirus Parties|last=Wagner|first=Laura|date=March 25, 2020|website=]|language=en|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite news|last=Levenson|first=Michael|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/us/chickenpox-parties-federalist-twitter.html|title=Twitter Blocks The Federalist for Promoting Coronavirus Parties|date=March 25, 2020|work=]|access-date=March 31, 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> At the time, experts warned that the number of new infections should be kept down so as to not overburden the health care system.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/25/21190928/twitter-locks-account-encouraging-coronavirus-chickenpox-parties|title=Twitter locks account encouraging coronavirus 'chickenpox parties'|last=Robertson|first=Adi|date=March 25, 2020|website=]|language=en|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref> ''The Federalist'' was subsequently temporarily suspended from ] for promoting fringe ideas that contradicted public health experts and were harmful to public health.<ref name=":5" /> ] also removed links to ''The Federalist'' article on its platform.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/facebook-coronavirus-infection-parties-misinformation-policy_n_5e7faf6cc5b6cb9dc1a16f36|title=Facebook Says Post Proposing COVID-19 Infection Parties Doesn't Violate Its Policies|last=Cook|first=Jesselyn|date=March 28, 2020|website=]|language=en|access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref>


''The Federalist'' has published articles opposing ] and articles suggesting that ] should not receive ]s given no medical evidence was available to validate their safety at the time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Merlan|first=Anna|date=2021-10-26|title=Anti-Vaxxers Are Making a Play for the Hearts, Minds, and Wombs of Young Women|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjbdyb/anti-vaxxer-fertility-evie-magazine-classical-femininity|access-date=2022-01-19|website=]|language=en}}</ref> ''The Federalist'' has published articles opposing ] and articles suggesting that ] should not receive ]s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Merlan|first=Anna|date=2021-10-26|title=Anti-Vaxxers Are Making a Play for the Hearts, Minds, and Wombs of Young Women|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjbdyb/anti-vaxxer-fertility-evie-magazine-classical-femininity|access-date=2022-01-19|website=]|language=en}}</ref>


=== Climate change stance === === Climate change misinformation ===
In November 2021, a study by the left-wing ] described ''The Federalist'' as being among "ten fringe publishers" that together were responsible for nearly 70 percent of Facebook user interactions with content that questioned climate change science. Facebook disputed the study's methodology.<ref name="Porterfield_11/2/2021">{{cite web|last=Porterfield|first=Carlie|date=November 2, 2021|title=Breitbart Leads Climate Change Misinformation On Facebook, Study Says|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/11/02/breitbart-leads-climate-change-misinformation-on-facebook-study-says/|access-date=November 3, 2021|website=]}}</ref><ref name="Toxic_Ten_11/2/2021">{{cite web | date=November 2, 2021 | title=The Toxic Ten: How ten fringe publishers fuel 69% of digital climate change denial | publisher=] | url=https://www.counterhate.com/toxicten | access-date=November 3, 2021 }}</ref> In November 2021, a study by the ] described ''The Federalist'' as being among "ten fringe publishers" that together were responsible for nearly 70 percent of Facebook user interactions with content that denied climate change. Facebook disputed the study's methodology.<ref name="Porterfield_11/2/2021">{{cite web|last=Porterfield|first=Carlie|date=November 2, 2021|title=Breitbart Leads Climate Change Misinformation On Facebook, Study Says|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/11/02/breitbart-leads-climate-change-misinformation-on-facebook-study-says/|access-date=November 3, 2021|website=]}}</ref><ref name="Toxic_Ten_11/2/2021">{{cite web | date=November 2, 2021 | title=The Toxic Ten: How ten fringe publishers fuel 69% of digital climate change denial | publisher=] | url=https://www.counterhate.com/toxicten | access-date=November 3, 2021 }}</ref>


===False allegations of labor law violation=== ===Allegations of labor law violation===
In 2019, following staff of other American media companies unionizing, co-founder Domenech jokingly ] "first one of you tries to unionize I swear I'll send you back to the ]".<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=bdomenech |number=1136839955068534784 |title=FYI @fdrlst first one of you tries to unionize I swear I'll send you back to the salt mine }}</ref> In 2020, an ] judge ruled that Domenech had ] and required the company to post notices in its offices and email employees to inform them about their legal rights.<ref name="Kanu Bloomberg Law">{{cite web |last1=Kanu |first1=Hassan A. |title=The Federalist Publisher's Tweet Was Unlawful: NLRB Judge (2) |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/the-federalist-publishers-tweet-was-illegal-labor-board-judge |date=April 23, 2020 |website=] |access-date=April 24, 2020}}</ref> Domenech argued unsuccessfully that the tweet was a joke.<ref name="Kanu Bloomberg Law" /> The ], a nonprofit dedicated to fighting what it says is an excessive administrative state, and which had been representing ''The Federalist'' ''pro bono'', announced that they would appeal. '']'' and ''National Review'' published articles questioning the judge's decision.<ref>{{cite news |title=The National Labor Relations Board Wants to Punish a Conservative Publisher for a Joke About Unions |url=https://reason.com/2020/04/29/federalist-national-labor-relations-board-salt-mine-tweet-union/ |work=]|date=29 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Send the NLRB Back to the Salt Mine |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/04/send-the-nlrb-back-to-the-salt-mine/ |work=National Review |date=27 April 2020}}</ref> In November 2020 a NLRB panel endorsed the ruling and additionally ordered the company to instruct Domenech to delete the tweet.<ref name="Iafolla">{{cite web |last1=Iafolla |first1=Robert |title=The Federalist Publisher's Tweet Violated Labor Law, NLRB Rules |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/the-federalist-publishers-tweet-violated-labor-law-nlrb-rules |website=] |access-date=25 November 2020}}</ref> A U.S. court of appeals rightly found the NLRB's action "unlawful", and vacated the NLRB's orders because the tweet was not an unlawful labor practice and because the tweet was protected ] speech.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://nclalegal.org/2022/05/ncla-clinches-1st-amend-victory-in-nlrb-lawsuit-over-ben-domenech-satirical-tweet-no-veiled-threat-says-court/ | title=NCLA Clinches 1st Amend. Victory in NLRB Lawsuit over Ben Domenech Satirical Tweet, No Veiled Threat, Says Court | publisher=New Civil Liberties Alliance |date=May 20, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/federalist-publishers-salt-mine-tweet-did-not-violate-labor-law-3rd-circ-2022-05-20/ | title=Federalist publisher's 'salt mine' tweet did not violate labor law -3rd Circ | work=]| date=May 20, 2022 | last1=Pierson | first1=Brendan }}</ref> In 2019, following staff of other American media companies unionizing, co-founder Domenech ] "first one of you tries to unionize I swear I'll send you back to the ]".<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=bdomenech |number=1136839955068534784 |title=FYI @fdrlst first one of you tries to unionize I swear I'll send you back to the salt mine }}</ref> In 2020, an ] judge ruled that Domenech had ] and required the company to post notices in its offices and email employees to inform them about their legal rights.<ref name="Kanu Bloomberg Law">{{cite web |last1=Kanu |first1=Hassan A. |title=The Federalist Publisher's Tweet Was Unlawful: NLRB Judge (2) |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/the-federalist-publishers-tweet-was-illegal-labor-board-judge |date=April 23, 2020 |website=] |access-date=April 24, 2020}}</ref> Domenech argued unsuccessfully that the tweet was a joke.<ref name="Kanu Bloomberg Law" /> The ], a nonprofit dedicated to fighting what it says is an excessive administrative state, and which had been representing ''The Federalist'' ''pro bono'', announced that they would appeal. '']'' and ''National Review'' published articles questioning the judge's decision.<ref>{{cite news |title=The National Labor Relations Board Wants to Punish a Conservative Publisher for a Joke About Unions |url=https://reason.com/2020/04/29/federalist-national-labor-relations-board-salt-mine-tweet-union/ |work=]|date=29 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Send the NLRB Back to the Salt Mine |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/04/send-the-nlrb-back-to-the-salt-mine/ |work=National Review |date=27 April 2020}}</ref> In November 2020 a NLRB panel endorsed the ruling and additionally ordered the company to instruct Domenech to delete the tweet.<ref name="Iafolla">{{cite web |last1=Iafolla |first1=Robert |title=The Federalist Publisher's Tweet Violated Labor Law, NLRB Rules |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/the-federalist-publishers-tweet-violated-labor-law-nlrb-rules |website=] |access-date=25 November 2020}}</ref> A U.S. court of appeals found the NLRB's action "unlawful", and vacated the NLRB's orders because the tweet was not an unlawful labor practice and because the tweet was protected ] speech.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://nclalegal.org/2022/05/ncla-clinches-1st-amend-victory-in-nlrb-lawsuit-over-ben-domenech-satirical-tweet-no-veiled-threat-says-court/ | title=NCLA Clinches 1st Amend. Victory in NLRB Lawsuit over Ben Domenech Satirical Tweet, No Veiled Threat, Says Court | publisher=New Civil Liberties Alliance |date=May 20, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/federalist-publishers-salt-mine-tweet-did-not-violate-labor-law-3rd-circ-2022-05-20/ | title=Federalist publisher's 'salt mine' tweet did not violate labor law -3rd Circ | work=]| date=May 20, 2022 | last1=Pierson | first1=Brendan }}</ref>


=== Google Ads === === Google Ads ===
In June 2020, ] warned ''The Federalist'' that it was considering demonetizing the website because of racism in its comment section; ''The Federalist'' removed the comment section entirely, and Google announced that "no action will be taken".<ref>{{cite news |title=The Federalist Bends the Knee to Big Tech, Deletes Its Awful Comments Section |url=https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2020/06/the-federalist-bends-the-knee-to-big-tech-deletes-its-awful-comments-section/ |work=] |date=17 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Google kicked ZeroHedge off its ad platform and warned the Federalist |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/16/tech/google-federalist-zerohedge-advertising-ban/index.html |last=Iyengar |first=Rishi |date=June 16, 2020 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Robertson |first1=Adi |title=Google Ads bans Zero Hedge for racist content, but reverses decision on The Federalist |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/16/21293285/google-ads-bans-the-federalist-zero-hedge-racist-content-discrimination-demonetization |work=] |date=16 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref> In response, Domenech said: "We are really learning the degree to which Big Tech can be weaponized by ] mobs, or woke journalists in this case, to try to shut down places who disagree with their leftist agenda."<ref>{{cite web|first=Talia|last=Kaplan|url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/ben-domenech-google-federalist-big-tech-weaponized|title=Federalist's Ben Domenech: We're seeing how 'Big Tech can be weaponized by woke mobs|website=]|date=June 17, 2020}}</ref> Tech journalist Mike Masnick called these accusations baseless, pointing out that many different websites were routinely receiving such notices from Google (quoting nine recent examples from his own news site, ]): "It's not anti-conservative bias, but just yet another example of how difficult it is to do any form of content moderation at scale".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Masnick|first=Mike|date=June 29, 2020|title=GOOGLE THREATENS TO DEFUND TECHDIRT? Where Are All The Politicians Complaining?|url=https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200625/17375644791/google-threatens-to-defund-techdirt-where-are-all-politicians-complaining.shtml|access-date=July 1, 2020|website=]}}</ref> In June 2020, ] warned ''The Federalist'' that it was considering demonetizing the website because of racism in its comment section; ''The Federalist'' removed the comment section entirely, and Google announced that "no action will be taken".<ref>{{cite news |title=The Federalist Bends the Knee to Big Tech, Deletes Its Awful Comments Section |url=https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2020/06/the-federalist-bends-the-knee-to-big-tech-deletes-its-awful-comments-section/ |work=] |date=17 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Google kicked ZeroHedge off its ad platform and warned the Federalist |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/16/tech/google-federalist-zerohedge-advertising-ban/index.html |last=Iyengar |first=Rishi |date=June 16, 2020 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Robertson |first1=Adi |title=Google Ads bans Zero Hedge for racist content, but reverses decision on The Federalist |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/16/21293285/google-ads-bans-the-federalist-zero-hedge-racist-content-discrimination-demonetization |work=] |date=16 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref> In response, Domenech said: "We are really learning the degree to which Big Tech can be weaponized by ] mobs, or woke journalists in this case, to try to shut down places who disagree with their leftist agenda."<ref>{{cite web|first=Talia|last=Kaplan|url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/ben-domenech-google-federalist-big-tech-weaponized|title=Federalist's Ben Domenech: We're seeing how 'Big Tech can be weaponized by woke mobs|website=]|date=June 17, 2020}}</ref> Tech journalist Mike Masnick called these accusations baseless, pointing out that many different websites were routinely receiving such notices from Google (quoting nine recent examples from his own news site, ]): "It's not anti-conservative bias, but just yet another example of how difficult it is to do any form of content moderation at scale".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Masnick|first=Mike|date=June 29, 2020|title=GOOGLE THREATENS TO DEFUND TECHDIRT? Where Are All The Politicians Complaining?|url=https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200625/17375644791/google-threatens-to-defund-techdirt-where-are-all-politicians-complaining.shtml|access-date=July 1, 2020|website=]}}</ref>


=== Election fraud insinuations during the 2020 election === === Falsehoods during the 2020 election ===
While ballots were being counted in the 2020 election, ''The Federalist'' made allegations of election fraud.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|last=Tani|first=Maxwell|date=November 4, 2020|title=Twitter Flags Pro-Trump Outlet The Federalist's 'Misleading' Election Fraud Claim|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/twitter-flags-pro-trump-outlet-the-federalists-misleading-election-fraud-claim|access-date=2020-11-07|website=]|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite news|date=November 5, 2020|title=Fact check: Biden vote spikes and county recount do not prove Democrats are trying to steal the election in Michigan and Wisconsin|language=en|work=]|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-fact-check-biden-vote-spikes-mi-wi-idUSKBN27L2RL|access-date=November 7, 2020}}</ref> One of ''The Federalist''{{'s}} tweets said, "Yes, Democrats Are Trying To Steal The Election In Michigan, Wisconsin, And Pennsylvania."<ref name=":6" /> The website falsely insinuated that fraud was occurring in Michigan.<ref>{{Cite news|first1=Glenn|last1=Kessler|first2=Salvador|last2=Rizzo|date=November 5, 2020|title=President Trump's false claims of vote fraud: A chronology|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/05/president-trumps-false-claims-vote-fraud-chronology/}}</ref> Other news outlets quickly showed that the purported fraud was a clerical error that was quickly corrected; ''The Federalist'' did not delete the story, which had gone ].<ref>{{Cite web|first=Tim|last=Alberta|title=The Election That Broke the Republican Party|url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/11/06/the-election-that-broke-the-republican-party-434797|access-date=November 7, 2020|website=]|date=November 6, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Co-founder Sean Davis shared the story, leading Twitter to censor his post as containing disputed information felt to be detrimental to the incoming Biden Administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stanglin|first=Doug|title=Fact check: Typo led to false post about Michigan votes showing up 'magically' for Biden|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/11/04/fact-check-typo-led-false-post-michigan-votes-biden/6164385002/|date=November 4, 2020|access-date=November 7, 2020|website=]|language=en-US}}</ref> While ballots were being counted in the 2020 election, ''The Federalist'' made ].<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|last=Tani|first=Maxwell|date=November 4, 2020|title=Twitter Flags Pro-Trump Outlet The Federalist's 'Misleading' Election Fraud Claim|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/twitter-flags-pro-trump-outlet-the-federalists-misleading-election-fraud-claim|access-date=2020-11-07|website=]|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite news|date=November 5, 2020|title=Fact check: Biden vote spikes and county recount do not prove Democrats are trying to steal the election in Michigan and Wisconsin|language=en|work=]|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-fact-check-biden-vote-spikes-mi-wi-idUSKBN27L2RL|access-date=November 7, 2020}}</ref> One of ''The Federalist''{{'s}} tweets said, "Yes, Democrats Are Trying To Steal The Election In Michigan, Wisconsin, And Pennsylvania."<ref name=":6" /> The website falsely insinuated that fraud was occurring in Michigan.<ref>{{Cite news|first1=Glenn|last1=Kessler|first2=Salvador|last2=Rizzo|date=November 5, 2020|title=President Trump's false claims of vote fraud: A chronology|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/05/president-trumps-false-claims-vote-fraud-chronology/}}</ref> Other news outlets quickly showed that the purported fraud was a clerical error that was quickly corrected; ''The Federalist'' did not delete the story, which had gone ].<ref>{{Cite web|first=Tim|last=Alberta|title=The Election That Broke the Republican Party|url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/11/06/the-election-that-broke-the-republican-party-434797|access-date=November 7, 2020|website=]|date=November 6, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Co-founder Sean Davis shared the misleading story, leading Twitter to tag his post as containing disputed information.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stanglin|first=Doug|title=Fact check: Typo led to false post about Michigan votes showing up 'magically' for Biden|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/11/04/fact-check-typo-led-false-post-michigan-votes-biden/6164385002/|date=November 4, 2020|access-date=November 7, 2020|website=]|language=en-US}}</ref>


Republican congressman ] of Oregon referenced ''Federalist'' articles as the source of his allegation during a town hall in ] that ] founder ] "bought" the 2020 election for ] by financing a 503c non-profit to expand poll worker training and security.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Dick|last=Mason|title=Bentz: 'The election was not stolen, it was bought'|url=https://www.bakercityherald.com/news/local/bentz-the-election-was-not-stolen-it-was-bought/article_62e22482-73c6-11ec-b3bb-9ff258848cfe.html|access-date=January 14, 2022|website=]|date=January 12, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Republican congressman ] of Oregon referenced ''Federalist'' articles as the source of his allegation during a town hall in ] that ] founder ] "bought" the 2020 election for ] by financing a 503c non-profit to expand poll worker training and security.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Dick|last=Mason|title=Bentz: 'The election was not stolen, it was bought'|url=https://www.bakercityherald.com/news/local/bentz-the-election-was-not-stolen-it-was-bought/article_62e22482-73c6-11ec-b3bb-9ff258848cfe.html|access-date=January 14, 2022|website=]|date=January 12, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee in August of 2024, Mark Zuckerberg said he regretted that Meta bowed to Biden administration pressure to censor content, saying in a letter that the interference was “wrong” and he plans to push back if it happens again. Zuckerberg also expressed regret for Meta’s downplaying of content related to coverage by the New York Post about Hunter Biden ahead of the 2020 election that the FBI warned may have been rooted in a Russian disinformation operation. “It’s since been made clear that the reporting was not Russian disinformation, and in retrospect, we shouldn’t have demoted the story,” he wrote.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Korte |first=Lara |date=August 26, 2024 |title=Zuckerberg says he regrets caving to White House pressure on content |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/08/26/zuckerberg-meta-white-house-pressure-00176399 |url-status=live |website=Politico}}</ref>


== Reception == == Reception ==
According to '']'', ''The Federalist'' "leans hard into the culture wars", with pieces that question the ] and characterize recognition of ] identity as a "war on women".<ref name=":1" />
⚫ ] from '']'' stated that ''The Federalist'' frequently criticizes left-leaning publications, but was founded with the intention of being "a source of original interviews and real-time arguments between conservatives and libertarians."<ref name="BP.new-generation" /> During the ], conservative pundit and Trump critic ], writing for '']'', believed there had been a shift in ''The Federalist''{{'}}s coverage of ], first criticizing the presidential candidate, and then, after Trump won the presidency, criticizing Trump's liberal critics in the mainstream establishment media and casting Trump as a victim.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Matt |author-link=Matt K. Lewis |date=June 21, 2017 |title=The Federalist Embraces Anti-Anti Trumpism, Loses Its Way |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-federalist-embraces-anti-anti-trumpism-loses-its-way |access-date=August 13, 2017 |newspaper=]}}</ref> In 2020, former employee Robert Tracinski particularly blamed the publication's reputation for inaccuracy on co-founder Davis, who he said had a destructive "always be ]" mindset.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tracinski |first1=Robert |date=March 30, 2020 |title=The Federalist's Dangerous Coronavirus Trutherism |url=https://thebulwark.com/the-federalists-dangerous-coronavirus-trutherism/ |access-date=26 November 2020 |website=]}}</ref>

Writing for '']'' in 2014, Reid Cherlin wrote about ''The Federalist'' in an article about the rise in ] media online, describing the site as "seek to go deep on the issues and sway the conversation in Washington."<ref name="PM.HuffPo">{{cite web|author=Cherlin|first=Reid|date=2014-01-07|title=The HuffPo-ization of the Right|url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/01/conservative-media-huffpo-ization-of-the-right-101877_Page2.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122150706/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/01/conservative-media-huffpo-ization-of-the-right-101877|archive-date=November 22, 2018|access-date=October 3, 2014|work=]}}</ref> ] wrote in '']'' that conservative online media was divided between "staid, august publications" and "a new generation of irreverent sites," and that "sites like ''The Federalist'' try to bridge the gap by providing serious commentary that is typically written by young, pop culture–savvy writers."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theweek.com/articles/446912/state-conservative-media|title=The state of conservative media|website=] |date=May 19, 2014|access-date=November 27, 2016}}</ref> In May 2018, Damon Linker of ''The Week'' described ''The Federalist'' as "a leading disseminator of pro-Trump conspiracies and up-is-down, funhouse-mirror distortions of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling and potential Trump involvement."<ref name="irredeemable">{{Cite web| first=Damon|last=Linker|url=https://theweek.com/articles/773685/irredeemable-irresponsibility-federalist|title=The irredeemable irresponsibility of The Federalist|website=]|date=May 18, 2018|access-date=May 19, 2018}}</ref>


⚫ ] from '']'' stated that ''The Federalist'' frequently criticizes left-leaning publications, but was founded with the intention of being "a source of original interviews and real-time arguments between conservatives and libertarians."<ref name="BP.new-generation">{{cite news|last1=Weigel|first1=David|title=The Torch Is Being Passed to A New Generation of Right-Wing Media|website=] |date=December 2014 |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2014-12-01/the-torch-is-being-passed-to-a-new-generation-of-rightwing-media|access-date=December 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217021504/http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2014-12-01/the-torch-is-being-passed-to-a-new-generation-of-rightwing-media|archive-date=December 17, 2014}}</ref> During the ], conservative pundit and Trump critic ], writing for '']'', believed there had been a shift in ''The Federalist''{{'}}s coverage of ], first criticizing the presidential candidate, and then, after Trump won the presidency, criticizing Trump's liberal critics in the mainstream establishment media and casting Trump as a victim.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Matt |author-link=Matt K. Lewis |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-federalist-embraces-anti-anti-trumpism-loses-its-way|title=The Federalist Embraces Anti-Anti Trumpism, Loses Its Way |date=June 21, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=August 13, 2017}}</ref> In 2020, former employee Robert Tracinski particularly blamed the publication's reputation for inaccuracy on co-founder Davis, who he said had a destructive "always be ]" mindset.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Tracinski|first1=Robert|title=The Federalist's Dangerous Coronavirus Trutherism|url=https://thebulwark.com/the-federalists-dangerous-coronavirus-trutherism/|access-date=26 November 2020|website=]|date=March 30, 2020 }}</ref>
According to '']'', ''The Federalist'' "leans hard into the culture wars".<ref name=":1" /> Writing for '']'' in 2014, Reid Cherlin wrote about ''The Federalist'' in an article about the rise in conservative media online, describing the site as "seek to go deep on the issues and sway the conversation in Washington."<ref name="PM.HuffPo">{{cite web|author=Cherlin|first=Reid|date=2014-01-07|title=The HuffPo-ization of the Right|url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/01/conservative-media-huffpo-ization-of-the-right-101877_Page2.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122150706/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/01/conservative-media-huffpo-ization-of-the-right-101877|archive-date=November 22, 2018|access-date=October 3, 2014|work=]}}</ref>


] reported in June 2024 that the site's readership had declined 90% from four years earlier, in line with some other right-wing sites.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bond |first1=Shannon |last2=Folkenflik |first2=David |last3=Shapiro |first3=Ari |title=Right-wing media's dark days |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/06/10/nx-s1-4998608/right-wing-medias-dark-days |publisher=National Public Radio |date=June 10, 2024}}</ref>
In May 2018, Damon Linker of ''The Week'' described ''The Federalist'' as "a leading disseminator of pro-Trump conspiracies and up-is-down, funhouse-mirror distortions of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling and potential Trump involvement."<ref name="irredeemable">{{Cite web| first=Damon|last=Linker|url=https://theweek.com/articles/773685/irredeemable-irresponsibility-federalist|title=The irredeemable irresponsibility of The Federalist|website=]|date=May 18, 2018|access-date=May 19, 2018}}</ref> This was since proven to be false following a lengthy FBI probe. <ref>{{Cite web |last=DOJ |first=FBI |date=July 13, 2018 |title=RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN 2016 U.S. ELECTIONS |url=https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/cyber/russian-interference-in-2016-u-s-elections |url-status=live |website=FBI.gov}}</ref>


== References == == References ==

Revision as of 10:07, 25 October 2024

American conservative online magazine and podcast This article is about American conservative online magazine and podcast. For the series of 85 essays arguing in favor of the ratification of the US Constitution, see The Federalist Papers. For other uses, see Federalist (disambiguation).

The Federalist
Type of siteOnline magazine
Available inEnglish
HeadquartersUnited States
Founder(s)
Editors
URLthefederalist.com Edit this at Wikidata
CommercialYes
RegistrationOptional
LaunchedSeptember 1, 2013; 11 years ago (2013-09-01)
Current statusActive
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The Federalist is an American conservative online magazine and podcast that covers politics, policy, culture, and religion, and publishes a newsletter. The site was co-founded by Ben Domenech and Sean Davis and launched in September 2013.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Federalist published many pieces that contained false information, pseudoscience, and contradictions or misrepresentations of the recommendations of public health authorities. While ballots were being counted in the 2020 United States presidential election, The Federalist made false claims that there had been large-scale election fraud.

History

The Federalist was co-founded by Ben Domenech and Sean Davis; senior editors include David Harsanyi and Mollie Hemingway. Domenech wrote that The Federalist was inspired by the mission and worldview of the original Time magazine's editor, Henry Luce, which he described as, " to the political right, with a small-c conservatism equipped with a populist respect for the middle class reader outside of New York and Washington, and an abiding love for America at a time when snark and cynicism were not considered substitutes for smart analysis." Quoted in The Washington Post in 2018, Domenech described The Federalist as having no office and a staff that was "majority female, half millennial, and a quarter minority."

Finances

The Federalist has not disclosed its funding sources and critics have asked who is funding the site, since ad revenue alone would not be enough for the publication to sustain its staff of 14. Two sources with knowledge of the publication's finances said that one of the major backers of The Federalist is Dick Uihlein, a packing supply magnate and Trump donor who has a history of supporting hard-right political candidates.

According to BuzzFeed News, the website's funding prompted "a considerable amount of speculation in the political media world, with the phrase 'Who funds the Federalist?' becoming a recurring meme." In response, the website once sold an "I Fund the Federalist" T-shirt to supporters.

In 2020, The Federalist received at least $200,000 in COVID-19 relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program.

The site's parent company receives underwriting from the Conservative Partnership Institute, a "nerve center" of the American right-wing that serves as an incubator for Donald Trump loyalists to develop strategies.

Neil deGrasse Tyson

In late 2014, The Federalist published an article alleging that Neil deGrasse Tyson had used "misstated" quotes in his public presentations, including one attributed to George W. Bush. Tyson later cited the Bush quote to a speech given after the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, and apologized to Bush for misremembering the date and context.

Roy Moore

In November 2017, The Federalist came under criticism from both conservatives and liberals for publishing an opinion piece by Tully Borland, Ouachita Baptist University philosopher, defending Roy Moore for allegedly dating teenagers while he was in his 30s, and arguing that such behavior was "not without some merit if one wants to raise a large family". Noah Rothman of the conservative Commentary magazine stated that the op-ed was "rationalizing away child molestation". Molly Roberts of The Washington Post wrote that the op-ed was "uniquely awful". Domenech defended The Federalist for publishing Borland's op-ed, saying the magazine "remains avowedly committed to offering alternative views. For those that have a problem with this, the question is simple: what are you afraid of?"

"Black crime" tag

Until October 2017, The Federalist had a "black crime" tag, which aggregated articles related to criminal activity by African Americans. Dan McLaughlin of National Review, a former Federalist contributor, said that the phrasing of the "black crime" tag was "unfortunate", that when he had written for The Federalist he had "never even noticed that there were tags at the bottom of my essays," and that The Federalist "had deleted the tag as soon as it attracted any notice—over a couple of years the tag appeared on only five or six posts."

Andrew McCabe

In May 2018, The Federalist published an article which suggested that former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe had leaked a story to the news channel CNN. The article presented no evidence that this was the case, only that McCabe was aware that CNN would publish a story four days prior to its eventual publication. According to Matt Ford in The New Republic, the more likely explanation was that CNN contacted the FBI Press Office, consistent with journalistic practices, for comment on a forthcoming story. George W. Bush's former press secretary Ari Fleischer agreed that CNN was likely contacting the FBI for comment on a forthcoming story, and said that "Whoever told CNN about the briefing is the problem." The Federalist story was widely disseminated, including a tweet from Donald Trump Jr.

COVID-19 pandemic misinformation

During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Federalist published numerous pieces that contained false information or information that was contrary to the recommendations of public health experts and authorities. The Federalist published articles denouncing social distancing, as well as articles claiming that fears over the pandemic had been overhyped by the Democratic Party and the media. The Federalist co-founder Sean Davis said that Democrats were intentionally trying to "destroy the economy" as a "last-ditch 2020 play", and that "All they care about is power. And if they have to destroy your life and business to get power back, they will." According to Media Matters for America, The Federalist published articles calling on the government to quickly end social distancing directions, and to open businesses again. Co-founder Domenech attacked a prominent analysis from Imperial College London which estimated the loss of life due to the pandemic; Domenech attacked the analysis for revising its figures downward, but the reason that the analysis did so was that the analysis incorporated the social distancing and shutdown strategies that had increasingly been implemented. Robert Tracinski, a former contributor, wrote in The Bulwark that The Federalist had devolved over time into a "conspiracy-mongering partisan rag that has now become a menace to public health".

It published a piece by a person identified as a physician in Oregon who recommended that people hold chickenpox-style parties for the coronavirus to build herd immunity, but the recommendations were contrary to those of public health experts, and the author in question did not have a medical license and had worked as a businessman for decades. At the time, experts warned that the number of new infections should be kept down so as to not overburden the health care system. The Federalist was subsequently temporarily suspended from Twitter for promoting fringe ideas that contradicted public health experts and were harmful to public health. Reddit also removed links to The Federalist article on its platform.

The Federalist has published articles opposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates and articles suggesting that pregnant women should not receive COVID-19 vaccines.

Climate change misinformation

In November 2021, a study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate described The Federalist as being among "ten fringe publishers" that together were responsible for nearly 70 percent of Facebook user interactions with content that denied climate change. Facebook disputed the study's methodology.

Allegations of labor law violation

In 2019, following staff of other American media companies unionizing, co-founder Domenech tweeted "first one of you tries to unionize I swear I'll send you back to the salt mine". In 2020, an NLRB judge ruled that Domenech had threatened staff illegally and required the company to post notices in its offices and email employees to inform them about their legal rights. Domenech argued unsuccessfully that the tweet was a joke. The New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting what it says is an excessive administrative state, and which had been representing The Federalist pro bono, announced that they would appeal. Reason and National Review published articles questioning the judge's decision. In November 2020 a NLRB panel endorsed the ruling and additionally ordered the company to instruct Domenech to delete the tweet. A U.S. court of appeals found the NLRB's action "unlawful", and vacated the NLRB's orders because the tweet was not an unlawful labor practice and because the tweet was protected First Amendment speech.

Google Ads

In June 2020, Google Ads warned The Federalist that it was considering demonetizing the website because of racism in its comment section; The Federalist removed the comment section entirely, and Google announced that "no action will be taken". In response, Domenech said: "We are really learning the degree to which Big Tech can be weaponized by woke mobs, or woke journalists in this case, to try to shut down places who disagree with their leftist agenda." Tech journalist Mike Masnick called these accusations baseless, pointing out that many different websites were routinely receiving such notices from Google (quoting nine recent examples from his own news site, Techdirt): "It's not anti-conservative bias, but just yet another example of how difficult it is to do any form of content moderation at scale".

Falsehoods during the 2020 election

While ballots were being counted in the 2020 election, The Federalist made false claims of large-scale fraud. One of The Federalist's tweets said, "Yes, Democrats Are Trying To Steal The Election In Michigan, Wisconsin, And Pennsylvania." The website falsely insinuated that fraud was occurring in Michigan. Other news outlets quickly showed that the purported fraud was a clerical error that was quickly corrected; The Federalist did not delete the story, which had gone viral. Co-founder Sean Davis shared the misleading story, leading Twitter to tag his post as containing disputed information.

Republican congressman Cliff Bentz of Oregon referenced Federalist articles as the source of his allegation during a town hall in La Grande that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg "bought" the 2020 election for Joe Biden by financing a 503c non-profit to expand poll worker training and security.

Reception

According to The New York Times, The Federalist "leans hard into the culture wars", with pieces that question the Me Too movement and characterize recognition of transgender identity as a "war on women".

Writing for Politico in 2014, Reid Cherlin wrote about The Federalist in an article about the rise in right-wing media online, describing the site as "seek to go deep on the issues and sway the conversation in Washington." Matt K. Lewis wrote in The Week that conservative online media was divided between "staid, august publications" and "a new generation of irreverent sites," and that "sites like The Federalist try to bridge the gap by providing serious commentary that is typically written by young, pop culture–savvy writers." In May 2018, Damon Linker of The Week described The Federalist as "a leading disseminator of pro-Trump conspiracies and up-is-down, funhouse-mirror distortions of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling and potential Trump involvement."

David Weigel from Bloomberg Politics stated that The Federalist frequently criticizes left-leaning publications, but was founded with the intention of being "a source of original interviews and real-time arguments between conservatives and libertarians." During the 2016 US presidential election, conservative pundit and Trump critic Matt K. Lewis, writing for The Daily Beast, believed there had been a shift in The Federalist's coverage of Donald Trump, first criticizing the presidential candidate, and then, after Trump won the presidency, criticizing Trump's liberal critics in the mainstream establishment media and casting Trump as a victim. In 2020, former employee Robert Tracinski particularly blamed the publication's reputation for inaccuracy on co-founder Davis, who he said had a destructive "always be trolling" mindset.

NPR reported in June 2024 that the site's readership had declined 90% from four years earlier, in line with some other right-wing sites.

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