How Things Work – Hamilton Nolan – Bias and Credibility

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LEFT BIAS

History

How Things Work is a Substack-based newsletter written and operated by journalist Hamilton Nolan. According to the About page, the site focuses on “power, how it is wielded, and how it can be channeled for the common good,” with recurring themes including inequality, organized labor, capitalism, and politics. Nolan is a veteran journalist who previously worked at Gawker and as a labor reporter for In These Times, and he is the author of The Hammer: Power, Inequality, and the Struggle for the Soul of Labor, a book centered on the role of unions in addressing inequality. The publication is structured as a personal commentary platform rather than a traditional newsroom.

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Funded by / Ownership

How Things Work is independently owned and operated by Hamilton Nolan and hosted on Substack. The site explicitly states that it is “100% funded by readers,” relying on paid subscriptions, donations, and merchandise for revenue. This reader-supported model allows editorial independence but also aligns content closely with the author’s personal ideological perspective.

Analysis / Bias

Content published on How Things Work is overwhelmingly opinion-based and reflects a strong left-wing, pro-labor, and anti-capitalist perspective. Articles frequently advocate for systemic economic change, expanded union power, and redistribution of wealth. For example, in The Real Litmus Test for Democratic Presidential Candidates, Nolan argues that voters should refuse to support Democratic candidates who oppose a wealth tax and suggests that “confiscatory taxes” on billionaires would better address inequality. This framing reflects a clear ideological commitment to reducing wealth concentration and expanding state intervention in the economy.

Similarly, An Existential Threat to Organized Labor’s Ability to Help People presents artificial intelligence as a structural threat to labor power, describing capitalism as inherently exploitative and urging unionization as the primary solution. The article uses emotive and alarmist language (“we are fucked”) and frames technological change primarily through a class-conflict lens, reinforcing the publication’s consistent pro-labor orientation.

The publication also adopts strongly progressive and activist positions on social and political issues. In Can Fascists Still Be Shamed?, Nolan engages in a sympathetic discussion of antifascist activism and presents modern American conservatism and Trumpism as forms of fascism, while rejecting traditional notions of journalistic objectivity. The article explicitly critiques “both-sides” journalism and endorses advocacy-driven reporting, further demonstrating the site’s left-wing ideological framing.

Overall, story selection and framing consistently emphasize inequality, labor struggles, and critiques of capitalism and right-wing politics. There is little attempt to present opposing viewpoints or balance, and the tone is frequently provocative, activist, and emotionally charged. While some articles reference outside reporting or data, the publication functions primarily as an opinion platform rather than a source of original, neutral reporting.

Failed Fact Checks

• None in the Last 5 years

Overall, we rate How Things Work as Left-Biased due to its strongly ideological, pro-labor, and anti-capitalist editorial perspective, along with its consistent advocacy for wealth redistribution and progressive political positions. We rate the publication Mostly Factual, as it is written by an experienced journalist and occasionally references credible information, but relies heavily on opinion, limited sourcing, and one-sided framing rather than balanced or neutral reporting. (D. Van Zandt 03/19/2026)

Source: https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/

Last Updated on March 19, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check

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