How it works
The Uncovered is an automated, AI-assisted news platform. Here's exactly how it operates — no magic, no agenda.
1. Sources monitored per region
Each region has three tiers of sources. Primary sources are the factual baseline — they publish raw data without narrative framing. Wire services capture what broke first. Mainstream shows what gets amplified (and what gets buried).
Official statistics agencies, central banks, government bodies, and international organisations. They publish data and findings without editorial framing.
Regional wire services — what broke first, before editorial decisions shape the story.
Major outlets — used to detect what is being covered, what is not, and how stories are framed.
🌐Global
Primary: WHO, UN, IMF, World Bank, BIS, Eurostat, OECD, IEA, FAO, ILO, UNHCR, IPCC, ECB, EEA, EMA, NASA, EurekAlert, ScienceDaily
Wire: AP, Reuters
Mainstream: BBC, CNN, The Guardian, NPR, DW, Al Jazeera
🇳🇱Netherlands
Primary: CBS, DNB, RIVM, Rijksoverheid, CPB, PBL, AIVD, NCTV, COA, IND, WODC, Politie NL
Wire: ANP
Mainstream: NOS, Nu.nl, RTL Nieuws, Telegraaf, AD
🇬🇧United Kingdom
Primary: ONS, Bank of England, UK Government, NHS England, UKHSA, OBR, HMRC
Wire: PA Media
Mainstream: The Independent, Sky News, The Times
🇺🇸United States
Primary: BLS, CDC, FDA, Federal Reserve, Census Bureau, EPA, USDA, NOAA, NIH, GAO, CBO
Wire: AP, Reuters
Mainstream: New York Times, Washington Post, Fox News
🇩🇪Germany
Primary: Destatis, Bundesbank, RKI, Bundesregierung, IFO Institut, Umweltbundesamt
Wire: dpa
Mainstream: FAZ, Handelsblatt, Tagesschau, Spiegel Online, Zeit Online
🇫🇷France
Primary: INSEE, Banque de France, Santé Publique France, Gouvernement.fr, Cour des Comptes, ADEME
Wire: AFP
Mainstream: Le Monde, France 24, Le Figaro
🇨🇭Switzerland
Primary: FSO, SNB, FOPH, Swiss Federal Council, SECO, BAFU
Wire: AFP, Reuters
Mainstream: NZZ, SRF News
🇦🇺Australia
Primary: ABS, RBA, AIHW, Australian Government, CSIRO, ACCC
Wire: AAP
Mainstream: ABC News Australia, Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian Australia
🇨🇦Canada
Primary: Statistics Canada, Bank of Canada, Health Canada / PHAC, Government of Canada, CMHC, Office of the Auditor General
Wire: The Canadian Press
Mainstream: CBC News, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star
🇮🇪Ireland
Primary: CSO, Central Bank of Ireland, Government of Ireland, HSE, ESRI, EPA Ireland, Comptroller & Auditor General, HIQA
Wire: PA Media Ireland
Mainstream: RTÉ News, Irish Times, Irish Independent
🇳🇿New Zealand
Primary: Stats NZ, RBNZ, NZ Treasury, Ministry of Health NZ, New Zealand Government
Wire: AAP / NZ Newswire
Mainstream: RNZ, NZ Herald, Stuff.co.nz
2. Gap detection
An AI model (Grok by xAI) compares recent primary-source data (last 7 days) and wire reports (last 48 hours) against mainstream headlines and article summaries for that region. It identifies missing coverage — official data or findings that mainstream media is not reporting or is burying.
Each detected gap is scored for confidence (1–10) based on how clearly the primary source data supports the claim. Only gaps scoring 7 or above are processed into articles. This filters out weak signals and reduces the risk of publishing unsubstantiated claims.
Only gaps grounded in what a primary source or wire service actually published are considered. Gaps are deduplicated — the same topic won't be covered twice within 72 hours.
3. Article generation
For each qualifying gap, the AI (Grok with live web search) researches that specific topic across current, credible sources and writes a news article from what it finds — every significant claim carries an inline citation so you can verify it. Each article includes a "Why this is uncovered" section explaining why the story was absent from mainstream coverage.
An article is discarded before publishing if the research is insufficient, if it lacks verifiable citations, if it runs under 150 words, or if a second AI reviewer flags bias or claims the sources don't support. Every published article carries a clear notice that it was generated by AI and has not been reviewed by a human editor.
4. How crawls are triggered
Each crawl covers one region. A limited number are free every day; once the daily free pool is used up, a crawl costs $2 — which covers the AI processing costs and keeps the site sustainable. Either way, the crawl runs within a few minutes and new articles appear immediately on the regional page.
A 30-minute cooldown applies per region — if a crawl was recently run, the button shows the time remaining. This prevents the same stories being regenerated unnecessarily.
Last crawl per region
5. What this is — and isn't
Gap detection grounded in primary sources — official statistics, government data, central banks, international organisations
Surfaces gaps between official data and how mainstream covers (or doesn't cover) it
Articles researched and cited — every claim links to a source you can check yourself
Transparent about being AI-generated
Not human-edited journalism — AI can misread, misframe, or miss context
Absence from mainstream coverage doesn't mean deliberate suppression — editorial priorities vary
Primary sources can themselves be incomplete, delayed, or politically constrained
6. Limitations
No source is perfectly neutral — including official ones. Statistics agencies operate within political systems and can be slow, selective, or framed by the questions they choose to ask. Wire services have their own editorial cultures. We use primary sources as the most objective available baseline, not as infallible truth. Treat every article here as a starting point for your own research.
Found an error?
AI makes mistakes. If an article contains factual errors or misrepresents a source, use the correction form at the bottom of any article.
Support this project
The Uncovered is independent and ad-free. Every crawl costs real money in AI credits and hosting. If you find it useful, a small contribution helps keep it running — and free for everyone.
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