Our Purpose

Is America Better Yet? (IABY) is an independent forensic investigative newsroom dedicated to preserving the documentary record of matters of significant public interest. Our journalism explains the evidence. Our evidence archive preserves it. Every investigation begins with primary records whenever possible. We distinguish verified facts from allegations, agency positions, supported inferences, and unresolved questions. When new evidence emerges, we update the record transparently rather than rewriting history. History is not ours to write. Our responsibility is to preserve an accurate, traceable public record from which history can be written.

1. Evidence Before Narrative

We begin with evidence, not conclusions. Our reporting follows the public record wherever it leads, even when that evidence challenges our own assumptions or previous reporting.

2. The Public Record Matters

Court filings, congressional reports, inspector findings, public records, official statements, photographs, videos, interviews, contracts, procurement records, and agency responses all contribute to the historical record. Whenever possible, we preserve those records alongside our reporting.

3. Every Relevant Record Has Value

We do not preserve documents because they support a particular conclusion. We preserve them because we cannot know which records history will ultimately depend upon. An evidence record is never complete. It reflects what is known, what is disputed, what remains unknown, and what evidence has not yet been obtained.

4. Transparency of Method

Readers should always be able to distinguish between verified facts, allegations, agency or contractor responses, supported inferences, and unresolved questions. When evidence is incomplete, we say so. When we do not know, we say so.

5. Corrections Strengthen the Record

Truth is strengthened, not weakened, by correction. When credible new evidence changes the factual record, we update our reporting openly and explain what changed and why. We do not erase history. We document its evolution.

6. Human Dignity

Behind every policy, contract, court order, government decision, detention record, or statistic is a human being. We report institutional actions with the understanding that institutional decisions have human consequences. Our reporting seeks to document those consequences without exploiting suffering or sacrificing accuracy.

7. Independence

We do not investigate to prove a predetermined conclusion. We investigate to determine what the evidence establishes. We welcome scrutiny of our reporting because every significant factual claim should be capable of independent verification.

8. Preservation for the Future

The article is not the archive. The article communicates what the evidence shows at a particular moment in time. The archive preserves the evidence itself, its provenance, and its evolution. Our responsibility is not only to today's readers, but also to tomorrow's journalists, researchers, historians, attorneys, policymakers, and citizens who may rely upon the record we preserve.

9. Independence and Public Trust

Our first obligation is to the evidence, our ethical standards, and the public's right to an accurate record. We do not allow political parties, elected officials, governments, corporations, advocacy organizations, or other outside interests to determine what we investigate, how we investigate it, or what we publish. IABY currently operates independently and is not funded by political parties, corporations, or government grants. We welcome voluntary support from individuals who value independent investigative journalism, provided that financial support never purchases editorial influence, access, review, or approval. IABY is exploring the establishment of a nonprofit structure to support its long-term public-interest mission. If that occurs, our editorial independence will remain unchanged. No donor, sponsor, or supporter will determine the facts we report or the conclusions supported by the evidence. Our work exists because preserving an accurate public record is a public good.

10. Accountability Through Documentation

Our role is not to decide legal liability or political responsibility. Our responsibility is to document, verify, preserve, and explain the public record. Courts determine legal liability. Legislatures determine policy. Oversight bodies determine institutional accountability. Citizens determine public judgment. Our contribution is an accurate, transparent record that helps each fulfill those responsibilities.

Our Commitment

We believe journalism serves the public best when it is accurate, transparent, independent, and evidence-driven. We do not ask readers to trust our opinions. We ask them to examine the evidence, understand our methods, and judge our work on the strength of the documented record. If our work helps the public better understand an issue, assists journalists in continuing an investigation, aids researchers and historians, informs lawmakers, or contributes to a more complete historical record, then it has served its purpose. The article informs the public. The evidence informs history.