A recently established company, Gawq, is dedicated to addressing the challenges of misinformation and the “echo chamber” effect fostered by social media platforms, where algorithms and customized feeds influence our perception of the world. With the launch of its new mobile news application, Gawq intends to deliver news from a diverse array of sources, enabling users to categorize content as news, opinion, sponsored material, and more. The app also allows for source comparison, fact-checking, and evaluation of publication accuracy.

The concept behind Gawq originated with Joshua Dziabiak, a co-founder and current board member of The Zebra, a successful insurance technology startup. Dziabiak transitioned from his daily responsibilities in March and subsequently founded Gawq.

“This began as a personal endeavor and evolved into a business venture,” Dziabiak explains. “My goal was to contribute to something with a significant positive societal impact. This issue – this challenge – has become increasingly prominent, particularly over the past year,” he states.

The way news is distributed through social media often presents individuals with a personalized reality, as algorithms prioritize content that resonates with them while filtering out differing perspectives. This has encouraged some publishers to prioritize attracting clicks and generating strong reactions through sensationalized headlines. Simultaneously, it has facilitated the growth of publications that present biased news aligned with specific political viewpoints.

Consequently, Dziabiak observes, the media landscape has become increasingly focused on attracting attention rather than upholding news quality. Despite the continued production of high-quality journalism, it can be challenging to locate amidst the abundance of information.

“I contend that journalists and content creators require a new standard for success, one grounded in the fundamental principles of journalism rather than metrics like clicks or shares,” Dziabiak emphasizes.

The name Gawq is intended to serve as a reminder of the attention-grabbing nature of modern headlines. However, this approach seems counterintuitive for an application focused on news accuracy. Essentially, Gawq functions as a news aggregator designed not for superficial attention, but for thoughtful reading and critical evaluation of information.

Upon its release, the app features over 150 prominent media outlets of various types and sizes, including those with distinct political leanings. These publishers cover a wide range of topics, including U.S. and international news, politics, sports, business, technology, entertainment, science, and lifestyle content.

Gawq organizes news content by topic, rather than employing algorithms or personalization engines. As users read, they can compare coverage of the same story from different sources to gain a broader understanding. A unique red and blue slider allows users to view coverage from right-leaning or left-leaning sources, respectively.

The company utilizes data from three independent nonprofit organizations – AllSides, Media Bias Fact Check, and Ad Fontes Media – to categorize sources as “right” or “left.”

Directly below the slider, users can readily access related fact-checks pertaining to the current topic.

While Gawq allows users to selectively disable certain news sources within the app’s settings, it encourages maintaining a “diverse set of media” for optimal functionality.

Furthermore, Gawq introduces “smart labels” to automatically identify and categorize non-news content, such as opinion pieces, sponsored content, or celebrity news. Users can toggle these labels on or off based on their preferences.

A beneficial feature for news consumers is that Gawq defaults to loading articles in a “reader mode” that removes advertisements and distractions commonly found on news websites. Users can still choose to view the original article on the website if desired.

Beyond the presentation of news, Gawq’s primary ambition is to establish a community-driven platform, similar to Wikipedia, where users can review news stories based on journalistic standards. This is a challenging and potentially optimistic undertaking.

Each article includes a review button that guides users through a brief questionnaire assessing the story’s balance, detail, and the objectivity of its headline. Users can then submit comments and their evaluation. This review process is based on the core ethical principles of journalism as defined by the Society of Professional Journalists, according to Dziabiak.

It is anticipated that only a portion of Gawq users will actively rate stories. However, with sufficient participation, these reviews could provide valuable insights into the accuracy and potential sensationalism of various news outlets, as perceived by consumers. The potential value of this data remains to be seen, but Dziabiak acknowledges that Gawq’s business model is still under development.

The issue Gawq addresses is complex. Those most in need of diverse perspectives may be least inclined to download a new app to achieve it. They often passively consume news – and frequently misinformation – from personalized social media feeds and preferred television channels. However, a growing number of individuals seek a more balanced media environment, and Gawq can assist them in finding it by categorizing news sources as right, left, or center.

Currently, the startup is self-funded and operates with a small team of engineers, primarily on a contract basis. Gawq has not dismissed the possibility of seeking future investment.

The app is available for free download on both iOS and Android platforms.