South Dakota Searchlight media bias and reliability
The rating organisations do not give South Dakota Searchlight one shared verdict in the records we hold. Their published ratings are Ad Fontes Media: Leans left; Media Bias/Fact Check: Left. We have seen it on 45 published stories of ours.
The short answers
Is South Dakota Searchlight biased?
The rating organisations do not give South Dakota Searchlight one shared verdict in the records we hold. Their published ratings are Ad Fontes Media: Leans left; Media Bias/Fact Check: Left. An outlet rating describes a broad pattern in its output, not every article it publishes.
Is South Dakota Searchlight left or right?
The rating organisations do not give South Dakota Searchlight one shared verdict in the records we hold. Their published ratings are Ad Fontes Media: Leans left; Media Bias/Fact Check: Left. In the three-way grouping used on story pages, that puts it under Left.
Is South Dakota Searchlight reliable?
The factual-reliability assessments we hold for South Dakota Searchlight are Ad Fontes Media: High factuality; Media Bias/Fact Check: High factuality. These are outlet-level assessments, not a guarantee that every report is correct.
What South Dakota Searchlight has been covering
Our account of each story, written from every outlet that ran it, with South Dakota Searchlight’s own report linked underneath.
President Donald Trump's address to the United Nations General Assembly included numerous claims that have been disputed by experts and official reports. These assertions covered topics from U.S. munitions stockpiles and global oil reserves to his record on settling wars and climate change warnings.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it as‘Drive them into hell’: Trump ponders destruction of Iran at United Nations (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
A lawsuit has been filed challenging new Medicaid work requirements established by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Critics argue the administration's new rule severely restricts who qualifies for medical frailty exemptions, potentially causing millions to lose coverage.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asMedical groups, patients sue Trump administration over Medicaid work requirements (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
Record-high diesel prices have prompted Republican Senator Chuck Grassley to call for an embargo on exports. Farm state Republicans are pressuring the White House to stop exports, citing the impact on farmers and truckers.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asDiesel prices shoot upward as top farm-state GOP senator begs Trump for export embargo (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
Three major news organizations have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging a violation of First Amendment rights after their White House press credentials were revoked. The outlets seek immediate restoration of access.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asCNN, MS Now, Politico sue Trump over White House ban (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
Early in-person voting for the U.S. midterm elections began on September 18, 2026, in Virginia and other states. The elections will determine control of the House and Senate, with key issues including the cost of living and the war in Iran.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asTrump likes data centers. Congress seems stuck. The midterms could deliver a verdict. (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
A US federal appeals court has rejected a Trump administration policy that allowed for the rapid deportation of migrants to countries other than their own. The court ruled that migrants must be given an opportunity to raise safety concerns before such deportations.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asTrump rapid third-country removal policy blocked at appeals court (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
A federal judge has blocked the creation of a $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate political allies of former President Donald Trump. The judge stated the issues underlying the case remain relevant, despite the administration's claims the fund is defunct.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asJudge says case challenging Trump’s anti-weaponization fund ‘still alive and kicking’ (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
A coalition of civil rights and union groups has filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from being deployed to polling locations. This is the second such legal challenge this month.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asTrump administration faces second lawsuit to block ICE agents at polls (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against Donald Trump's plan to significantly alter national mail-voting rules. Following the decision, voting rights groups announced a voter protection campaign, while the Department of Justice and Homeland Security pursue separate election-related investigations.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asWith vote-by-mail court fight settled, attention shifts to protections at the polls (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
Senator Mitch McConnell cast a vote to advance the farm bill in committee on September 16, after receiving voting instructions from Senator John Hoeven. The bill passed the committee 12-11 along party lines.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asWith McConnell back, US Senate ag committee advances farm bill on party lines (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
FBI Director Kash Patel declined to rule out sending agents to polling places on Election Day, telling senators he wasn’t certain the bureau is legally barred from doing so. Patel stated the FBI has agents in each field office devoted to addressing election crimes.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asFBI’s Patel dodges questions on election interference at rambunctious US Senate hearing (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
A Pentagon Inspector General report estimates Iranian attacks caused $184 million in damage to U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The report also details U.S. war costs and casualties.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asIran war cost tops $40B and billions more monthly, budget analysis finds (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
Both chambers of Congress are returning to Capitol Hill for a brief session before the midterm elections. The House will meet for one week, while the Senate will be in session for three weeks, leaving limited time for legislative action.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asCongress returns to session before midterms sprint, but no action expected on AI fears (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
The Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration's request to enforce new U.S. Postal Service mail ballot regulations ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The court's order leaves in place a lower court injunction blocking the rules.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asUS Supreme Court blocks Trump rule limiting mail voting, sides with Dem states (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
The Environmental Protection Agency is set to repeal rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions from coal and natural gas power plants. Administrator Lee Zeldin stated the move could save billions for the industry and boost American energy.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asTrump EPA to strip greenhouse gas limits for power plants, a key Biden climate policy (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
Trump pressured officials to 'find' votes, loyalist Republicans sought to deny Biden presidency
Trust 33President Donald Trump pressured state election officials to "find" votes after his 2020 loss, while loyalist Republicans in Congress attempted to deny Joe Biden the presidency during the Electoral College certification. Concerns exist about future attempts to overturn election results.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asHow the US House could overturn the midterm election results (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
An analysis from a Democratic-aligned voting rights group indicates that efforts to limit mail-in voting could disproportionately affect Democratic voters. This finding aligns with previous statements by Donald Trump regarding the partisan implications of mail-in voting.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asTrump plan to limit mail voting hinders Democrats more than GOP, analysis finds (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks with an exhibit of artifacts. The display includes personal items from the day, presented openly due to fragility, as museum leadership navigates political criticism.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asFrustrations, remorse and pain surface on 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
President Donald Trump has proposed giving $5,000 to every American adult if Republicans maintain control of the U.S. House and Senate in the upcoming midterms. The plan is projected to cost $1.2 trillion and has raised concerns about inflation.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asTrump plan to send $5K to every adult projected to cost $1.2T and ‘explode’ the deficit (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
A coalition of civil rights groups and voting rights advocates, along with the city of Denver, have filed a lawsuit to prevent the Trump administration from deploying immigration enforcement agents to polling places on Election Day. The suit argues federal law restricts such presence to repelling armed enemies.
South Dakota Searchlight reported it asSuit challenges Trump administration move to allow some ICE presence at polling places (opens South Dakota Searchlight in a new tab)
Who says so
2 organisations have published a rating for this outlet, in their own words. Where they disagree, the disagreement is the useful part and it is left standing.
How reliably it reports fact
A rating of the newsroom in general, by others, and a different thing from the Trust score we publish on each story, which judges one piece of reporting.
High factuality
Who owns it
We hold no ownership record for South Dakota Searchlight.
Where it publishes from
- Official site
- southdakotasearchlight.com
- Seen publishing on
- southdakotasearchlight.com
- Access
- Free to read
What we have seen ourselves
Counted across the stories this site has published, which is the only denominator a reader can check: every one of them has a page, and every page lists the reports it was written from.
- Stories
- 45
- Reports listed
- 46
- We could read
- 0
- First seen
- 6 August 2026
46 of those reports were paywalled or blocked to us. Our reading of this outlet is built on the 0 we could open, not on everything it published.
On 7 of those stories, outlets rated left were largely absent from the coverage and South Dakota Searchlight ran the story anyway.
Across the 45 stories of ours where at least three of the reports we listed carried a time, another outlet was always ahead of South Dakota Searchlight: its report arrived a median of 23 hours after the earliest one we logged.
Measured 23 September 2026. Last seen in a coverage list 23 September 2026. Ratings pulled 9 September 2026.
Other outlets rated the same way
Publishers carrying the same published leaning as South Dakota Searchlight, ordered by how often we have seen them on a story. Sharing a rating is not the same as being alike.
Think this page is wrong?
The leanings above are published by AllSides, Ad Fontes Media and Media Bias/Fact Check, and we republish them rather than make them. If you think one is misapplied, the strongest place to say so is with the organisation that made it, and every verdict here links to their page.
What we are responsible for is everything else: the ownership chain, where South Dakota Searchlight publishes from, which of our stories we have listed it on, and whether we have the right publisher at all. Tell us what is wrong and an editor reads it.
Report something wrong on this page
Anything we correct is written up in the public corrections log. We do not publish reader votes as a rating, because an unattributed rating is the thing this site exists to argue against.
Every rating on this page is a named third party’s published work, republished with its author and, where one exists, a link to it. Our own coverage record is the section we measure ourselves. Neither is a judgement of any individual report: those are scored story by story, and the reasoning is on our methodology page.