About
Today’s information ecosystem is flooded with content that is persuasive but often unreliable. This is only getting worse as AI dramatically lowers the cost of creating false but plausible content and information gatekeepers are not incentivized to promote quality.
Believable, trustworthy, verifiable information is a prerequisite for a functioning democracy and to address our society’s most pressing challenges. Without a common baseline understanding of reality, public trust is broken and our ability to act is severely impaired.
Proof is a nonprofit news studio that is committed to building new and better baselines, by questioning, testing, and investigating the most important questions of our time.
What does Proof do? Proof conducts methodologically precise investigations, builds public data sets, collaborates with journalists, researchers, and influencers around the globe, and promotes best practices in evidence gathering.
What’s different about Proof’s approach? Proof believes that journalism can increase its rigor by learning from the scientific method. Rather than focus on the outdated notion of objectivity, Proof approaches its investigations by developing a hypothesis and collecting and analyzing the best available data to test its hypothesis. It is transparent about its findings and the limitations of its work, which are presented in an “ingredients label.”
How will Proof reach fragmented and distracted audiences? Proof believes in meeting today’s audiences where they are with the verifiable information that is relevant to them. Proof will make its rigorous techniques the centerpiece of its public presentation through short-form videos, illuminating graphics, newsletters, partnerships with online content creators, and partnerships with established newsrooms.
Proof is a fiscally sponsored project of Aspiration, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. See more about our commitment to editorial independence and donor transparency.