Unfold

Unfold is a news aggregate platform for the post-truth era, bringing context and transparency to the way we consume information. It allows you to become more critically aware of what you are reading and understand articles in context. Articles are curated only from trusted news sources that must pass specific journalistic standards. Natural language processing is used to validate articles and connect them to other relevant content. You ‘unfold’ the article as you read along, uncovering contextual information and opinions across the political spectrum. Reading the news thus becomes a ‘choose-your-own adventure’ style experience, letting you explore your interests and become a better informed reader.

Unfold is a response to the current state of distrust in the media. Fake news, echo chambers, clickbaits, biased algorithms, and propaganda have created an information landscape that is unregulated and incredibly difficult to navigate. Unfold looks to bring trust back to the media by providing a platform for people who want to be a more balanced reader.

Unfold consists of two parts: A verification system that promotes good journalistic standards and transparency of the news sources and a platform that enables users to read the news in context and have control over their news feed and reading habits. These two parts act like a boat and compass, the boat being a better medium for a person to navigate the news infrastructure more comprehensively and the compass being a tool that would allow a person to be more critical of the information they’re reading and adapt accordingly.

At the heart of the system are the journalistic standards, compiled with the help of ethical journalism organizations and international professional orders that regulate the conduct of their associates from an impartial perspective. These are translated into quantifiable parameters and algorithmic tools that can assist in the process of validating a large corpus of news content. Media outlets and content that pass these standards are allowed onto the platform.

The user facing side is a news app which brings readers personalized content based on their habits and interests. The green highlighted text is algorithmically recognized keywords that link to other relevant content. This content is 'unfolded' within the article, creating a personalized reading experience. The user is able edit their interests, favorite sources, and other data that affects their personal feed, allowing the reader to be presented with content that they wish to read, not what an algorithm wants them to read. Finally, a dashboard presents the user their reading habits, allowing them to be more critical of their own information consumption and make changes according to their reading desires. 

Team Members

• Olly Donovan
• Elena Falomo
• Jakub Jelen
• Ahlad Reddy