The Weekly List is rated Left with Mostly Factual factual reporting by Media Bias Fact Check.
LEFT BIAS
These media sources are moderate to strongly biased toward liberal/progressive causes through story selection and/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using an appeal to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports, and omit information that may damage liberal/progressive causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Left Bias sources.
- Overall, we rate The Weekly List Left Biased because it advances progressive advocacy, consistently frames Donald Trump and Republicans negatively, and strongly emphasizes authoritarianism and democratic erosion. We rate it Mostly Factual because its claims generally draw on credible reporting and primary sources, while deducting for highly one-sided framing and loaded commentary.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: LEFT (-6.5)
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL (3.6)
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
History
The Weekly List is a political commentary and documentation project created by activist and author Amy Siskind. The project began in November 2016 after Donald Trump’s first presidential election victory and was created to document what Siskind describes as changes in democratic norms and signs of authoritarianism.
According to the project’s About page, Siskind created the list after reading advice from experts on authoritarianism to keep track of subtle political changes over time. Siskind is also president of the women’s advocacy organization The New Agenda and has been active on women’s equality and LGBTQ issues. The Weekly List later expanded into a podcast and Substack publication.
Read our profile on the United States government and media.
Funded by / Ownership
The Weekly List is written and operated by Amy Siskind and is published through Substack. Revenue comes primarily from paid subscriptions and reader support. The publication offers free and paid memberships, with paid subscribers receiving full weekly lists, podcasts, and additional commentary.
Analysis / Bias
The Weekly List publishes from an explicitly progressive and anti-Trump perspective. Its central purpose is to document actions by Donald Trump and his administration that Siskind considers violations of democratic norms, abuses of executive power, corruption, or movement toward authoritarianism.
For example, Week 99 – The Return compares Trump’s political environment to Animal Farm and criticizes his relationship with wealthy donors, foreign leaders, and administration allies. Similarly, Week 95 – The Return describes the United States as being at serious internal and external risk under Trump and repeatedly characterizes administration actions as broken democratic norms.
The publication’s language is frequently loaded and openly adversarial. Siskind routinely refers to the Trump administration as a “regime,” describes officials as incompetent or authoritarian, and interprets administration actions through the framework of democratic erosion. In Week 70 – The Return, for example, she describes Trump administration officials as “loyalists” and argues that Americans are suffering from their “gross incompetence.”
However, The Weekly List generally bases its entries on identifiable news reports, court rulings, polling, government investigations, and statements from public officials rather than unsupported claims. For example, Week 43 – The Return cites federal court decisions limiting presidential authority and reporting from established publications when discussing tariffs and immigration enforcement.
Siskind’s broader political activity also demonstrates a progressive orientation. She identifies as a feminist and activist and has publicly supported Democratic candidates while opposing Republican candidates associated with Trump. The publication provides little comparable scrutiny of Democratic officials and generally treats opposition to Trump as part of defending democratic institutions.
Overall, sourcing is generally credible, but the project is advocacy rather than neutral journalism. Story selection, terminology, and analysis overwhelmingly support a progressive anti-Trump perspective, with limited presentation of conservative arguments or alternative interpretations.
Failed Fact Checks
- None found from major IFCN-approved fact-checking organizations.
Overall, we rate The Weekly List Left Biased because it advances progressive advocacy, consistently frames Donald Trump and Republicans negatively, and strongly emphasizes authoritarianism and democratic erosion. We rate it Mostly Factual because its claims generally draw on credible reporting and primary sources, while deducting for highly one-sided framing and loaded commentary. (D. Van Zandt 10/07/2026)
Source: https://theweeklylist.substack.com/
Last Updated on October 7, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources