Headlines
Headlines is a simple news aggregator with source bias meters showing the political leaning of every story.
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What is Headlines?
Headlines (at unbiasthenews.com) is a simple news aggregator with source bias meters, showing how major outlets across the political spectrum cover the same stories. The site fetched thousands of stories daily and labels each source with an estimated leaning from Very Conservative to Very Liberal, so readers can compare coverage side by side and spot framing differences.
Key features include per-source bias ratings (VC, C, N, L, VL), story clustering that shows how many sources reported each event, and a listing of contributing outlets ranging from KTLA and BBC News to NPR, Axios, and RealClearPolitics. Stories span politics, culture, and current events, with each headline linking back to the original coverage.
Headlines is designed for readers who want to escape single-source news bubbles and quickly gauge the ideological range of their news diet. The bias meters make it easy to intentionally diversify sources or cross-check how the same event is framed differently across the political spectrum.
Headlines pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Unbias the News is completely free for readers with no paid tiers or subscription plans. The newsroom is a non-profit project by Hostwriter, supported by donations and the Robert Bosch Stiftung. Journalists who submit pitches receive free training and community building regardless of whether their story is accepted. Contributors are paid equitably for their work at the same rate regardless of nationality, and a kill fee is provided for stories that do not make it to publication. Readers can support the newsroom through donations to help fight for more inclusive journalism.
Headlines pros
- Feminist cross-border newsroom with inclusive mission
- Pays contributors equitably regardless of nationality
- Free training and community building for all pitch submitters
- No parachute journalism - works with local journalists
- All authors get byline unless anonymity requested
- Kill fee paid for stories not published
- Geographically diverse editorial team ensures multiple perspectives
- In-depth editing assistance for English as second language writers
- Prioritizes journalist safety and mental health above getting stories
- Anti-racist, feminist, and inclusive publication stance
- Bound by German Press Code for transparency and accuracy
- Provides access to specific skills training and software where needed
- Private Hostwriter network group for peer-to-peer networking
- Trauma-sensitive reporting guidelines for sources
- Active investigative projects with global relevance like Democracy Playbook
- Accommodates journalists with limited internet access
- Publishes corrections promptly and openly when errors occur
Headlines cons
- Remote-only newsroom with no physical office presence
- Limited to journalists who face structural barriers
- English-language publication may exclude non-English speakers
- Small team with limited output capacity
- No paid subscription or revenue model for readers
- Dependent on donations and foundation funding
- Limited geographic coverage despite cross-border mission
- No mobile app for mobile reading experience
Frequently asked questions about Headlines
What is Unbias the News?
Unbias the News is a feminist cross-border newsroom run by Hostwriter, working towards a more equitable and inclusive world of journalism. It publishes stories that diversify news narratives and challenge power imbalances and the status quo, opening up the field to emerging voices and local journalists who have not yet had the privilege to publish at big legacy outlets due to structural barriers or discrimination.
Who can submit story pitches to Unbias the News?
Unbias the News accepts story pitches from journalists who experience structural barriers in the field based on geography, gender, race, disability, class, caste, age, or religion. All journalists are commissioned on the basis of the quality of their story pitch and alignment with the editorial manifesto, rather than on who they know or what publications they have previously published in.
Do you pay journalists for their work?
Yes, contributors are paid equitably and at the same rate regardless of nationality. The newsroom does not use fixers and gives all authors a byline unless they request anonymity. Additionally, a kill fee is paid for stories that do not make it to publication.
What topics does Unbias the News cover?
Unbias the News covers topics including Migration and race, Ecology and extractivism, Gender and sexuality, Workers, Conflict and state violence, and Body and health. Major investigative projects include the Democracy Playbook, Border Graves Investigation, Age of Offshoring, Sleepwalking into the deep sea, Chain reactions, and Sinking Cities.
What are your editorial principles?
The newsroom operates on five key principles: collaboration with local journalists and diverse creators, being an anti-racist feminist and inclusive publication, commitment to fact-based quality reporting, giving credit to everyone who worked on a story, and treating contributors and employees with committed respect. They practice collaboration as a default, no parachute journalism, cross-border storytelling, and prioritize upcoming voices.
Is Unbias the News free to read?
Yes, all content on Unbias the News is completely free for readers. The newsroom is a non-profit project by Hostwriter, supported by donations and the Robert Bosch Stiftung. Readers can support the work through donations to help fight for more inclusive journalism.
What training does Unbias the News offer?
Unbias the News provides access to free training and community building for journalists facing structural barriers, including all reporters who submitted a pitch regardless of whether their story idea was accepted. Trainings include cross-border collaborative journalism with expert input from organizations like the Global Investigative Journalism Network, Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma, and International Women's Media Foundation. A private group within the Hostwriter network enables peer-to-peer networking and resource sharing.
How does Unbias the News ensure diversity in reporting?
All editorial decisions are taken by a geographically diverse team to ensure stories don't favor Western perspectives or amplify common biases and stereotypes. The newsroom works with local journalists based in the communities they report on, provides in-depth editing assistance for English as a second or third language writers, and actively fights against racist, sexist and ableist stereotypes. They periodically review their publication for bias and publish findings annually.
Who runs Unbias the News?
Unbias the News is run by Hostwriter, an award-winning online platform and journalist network with over 7700 journalists from 166 countries. The team includes Mercy Abang (Managing Director), Tina Lee (Editor-in-chief), Gabriela Ramírez (Multimedia Editor), Ruby Russell (Editor), Ankita Anand (Editor), and Purple Romero (Editor). Hostwriter is a Berlin-based non-profit organization bound by the German Press Code.
How can I support Unbias the News?
Readers can support Unbias the News through donations to help fight for more inclusive journalism. The newsroom also relies on supporters and collaborators including the Robert Bosch Stiftung. You can stay up to date by signing up for their newsletters (Unbias the News and Hostwriter) and following their social media on Instagram (@unbiasthenews) and LinkedIn (Unbias The News).