The Federalist
What does this mean?How we determined this rating:
- Independent Review
- AllSides has high confidence in this bias rating.
Unless otherwise noted, this bias rating refers only to online news coverage, not TV, print, or radio content.
Learn about our bias rating methodsAbout The Federalist's Bias Rating
The Federalist is featured on the AllSides Media Bias Chart™.
The Federalist is a news media source with an AllSides Media Bias Rating™ of Right.
The Federalist is an online magazine that covers politics, policy, culture, and religion. It was co-founded by Ben Domenech, a conservative writer and TV commentator, and Sean Davis. According to Domenech, the site has "a viewpoint that rejects the assumptions of the media establishment" and says it is dedicated to discussing "the philosophical underpinnings of the day's debate" instead of focusing on what he calls "the horserace or the personalities."
What a "Right" Rating Means
Sources with an AllSides Media Bias Rating of Right display media bias in ways that strongly align with conservative, traditional, or right-wing thought and/or policy agendas. A Right bias is the most conservative rating on the political spectrum.
Learn more about Right ratingsDetails
The Federalist's Self-Proclaimed Bias
In September 2013, co-founder Ben Domenech, a conservative writer and TV commentator, wrote that The Federalist was inspired by the worldview of the original TIME magazine, which he described as "[leaning] 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."
Domenech wrote that The Federalist would be informed by TIME's 1920s “list of prejudices” for the magazine, which included principles such as:
- A belief that the world is round and an admiration of the statesman’s view of all the world.
- A general distrust of the present tendency toward increasing interference by government.
- A prejudice against the rising cost of government.
- Faith in the things which money cannot buy.
- A respect for the old, particularly in manners.
- An interest in the new, particularly in ideas.
Bias Reviews
We use multiple methods to analyze sources. Learn how we rate media bias.AllSides previously rated The Federalist as having a Lean Right media bias. After further review, the rating was changed to Right in August 2018.
Confidence Level
Confidence is determined by how many reviews have been applied and consistency of data.As of June 2026, AllSides has high confidence in our Right rating for The Federalist. Two or more bias reviews have affirmed this rating or the source is transparent about bias.
Additional Information
The Federalist is an online magazine that covers politics, policy, culture, and religion. It was co-founded by Ben Domenech, a conservative writer and TV commentator, and Sean Davis. According to Domenech, the site has "a viewpoint that rejects the assumptions of the media establishment" and says it is dedicated to discussing "the philosophical underpinnings of the day's debate" instead of focusing on what he calls "the horserace or the personalities."
The Federalist Ownership and Funding
Funding and ownership do not influence bias ratings. We rate the bias of content only.Owner: FDRLST Media
The Federalist is owned by FDRLST Media. The Federalist was co-founded by Ben Domenech and Sean Davis and launched in September 2013.
DonorsTrust, an American nonprofit donor-advised fund, gave $270,000 to the FDRLST Media Foundation for general operations in 2024, per its 2024 IRS tax filing. The FDRLST Media Foundation funds The Federalist. According to DonorsTrust's website, "We – and the conservative- and libertarian-minded donors with whom we work – believe in preserving the ideals of limited government, personal responsibility, and free enterprise." [Retrieved Dec. 16, 2025 12:41pm ET]
Financing and ownership information last updated December 18, 2025 If you think this information is out of date or needs to be updated, please contact us.