First Draft was a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping journalists, researchers, educators, and the public navigate the challenges of misinformation, disinformation, and digital media verification. Founded in 2015, the organization became one of the most influential resources in the emerging field of information integrity, providing practical tools, research, training programs, and ethical frameworks for understanding and responding to misleading information online. Although the organization ceased operations in 2022, its extensive archive remains publicly available and continues to serve as a valuable educational resource.
The organization specialized in helping journalists verify content originating from social media, eyewitness accounts, user generated content, messaging platforms, and rapidly developing news events. First Draft developed widely used methodologies for source verification, image authentication, video analysis, and responsible reporting in digital environments. Its training materials became essential resources for newsrooms, universities, fact checking organizations, and media literacy programs around the world.
One of First Draft’s most significant contributions was its research into what it termed “information disorder,” a framework that helped explain the differences between misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation. The organization published influential reports, guides, and educational materials that helped journalists and researchers better understand how false, misleading, manipulated, and weaponized information spreads through modern communication networks. These resources remain widely referenced within journalism, media studies, and information literacy fields.
First Draft also coordinated large scale collaborations among journalists, researchers, universities, technology companies, and civil society organizations. Through its Community of Practice program, the organization brought together experts from around the world to develop shared approaches for verification, media literacy, and ethical reporting. Its work influenced newsroom standards, election coverage practices, and public understanding of online information ecosystems.
Today, the archived First Draft website remains an exceptional resource for journalists, investigators, educators, researchers, fact checkers, and community organizations seeking training materials on source verification, digital investigations, media literacy, online safety, and information integrity. The archive preserves years of research and educational content that continues to support efforts to improve public understanding of digital information environments.
Services Offered:
• Social media verification training
• Digital investigation resources
• Misinformation and disinformation research
• Fact checking methodologies
• Journalist training guides
• Information literacy education
• Election misinformation research
• Public health misinformation resources
• Verification toolkits and checklists
• Online safety and reporting guidance
• Community education materials
• Research reports and case studies
Who This Resource Helps:
First Draft’s archived resources are valuable for journalists, investigative researchers, educators, students, nonprofit organizations, community leaders, fact checkers, media literacy advocates, and members of the public seeking to better understand how information spreads online and how digital content can be verified responsibly.