Make Truth Matter (Again) is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to combating harmful misinformation and disinformation by encouraging thoughtful engagement with media and effective communication between individuals.
As an organization, Make Truth Matter (Again) does not proclaim to know what 'truth' specifically is, though the existence of substantial evidence for many verifiable truths can be argued. More specifically, MTMA is not a fact-checking organization. While it has been shown that fact-checking can help to reduce false beliefs by more than 12%, it does not reduce the full impact of false information for a number of reasons.
First, disinformation has already been spread when a fact-check is published. Because of 'anchoring bias', the first information heard is more easily remembered and more likely to be considered the correct information. Second, and relatedly, fact-checking is difficult to ‘scale’ without highly error-prone algorithms, and incomplete or incorrect fact-checking gives more attention and credibility to the original disinformation, which can lead to mistrust in the act of the fact-checking process in general. Third, fact-checking often relies on traditional media gatekeepers, which can be problematic due to mistrust of those organizations and the notion of centralized authorities defining ‘truth’ (see for example this NYPost article).
Instead of fact-checking, Make Truth Matter (Again) focuses on encouraging critical thinking and strategic communication to support the creation of the tools people can use to enhance their lives. Organizations, such as Thinking Is Power, Clearer Thinking, and books such as "The Misinformation Age", and "How To Talk to a Science Denier" provide many valuable insights*. Make Truth Matter (Again) seeks to empower individuals who might not be actively seeking the information offered by these organizations and books by providing a platform and products for people to develop insights that inform their actions.
Our goal is to make truth matter to everyone on the internet and in real life.
To this end, Make Truth Matter (Again) is working on several distinct projects.
The first project is an information-evaluation game called "IsXY!?" that will encourage basic curiosity about internet content. It uses a scientifically validated process whereby questions shared with internet content, such as ‘Is this Accurate’, can reduce the forwarding of false and misleading information by a large margin. IsXY!? additionally relies on important concepts of 'disinformation inoculation', which has been found to be a significantly impactful technique in enabling individuals to see through methods used to manipulate their beliefs. The project is in development. If you are interested in alpha-testing or helping to accelerate its release, please get in touch with us.
The second project is a purpose-driven brand called The Honest Majority (THM). THM strives to encourage general awareness of the value of effective honesty -- honesty that does not harm one’s future ability to be honest. THM approaches the disinformation challenge with community-written content relating to honesty, as well as memorable slogans such as "Am i making a mistake?; Let me know. I'll aim to fix it!". Such content repeatedly worn and considered can help to expand societal perceptions surrounding important concepts of truth and honesty.
Ultimately, our projects aim to help people develop the skills they need to better identify and respond to disinformation. We plan to pursue additional projects and increase our impact, and we need your help to do so! We ask for your support for the time and resources needed to drive existing and future projects.
You can help both directly and indirectly!
Do your best to prevent disinformation from spreading by learning and effectively communicating with others.
Share Make Truth Matter (Again) with your friends and colleagues and engaging with our media and websites.
Share your stories. A good way to understand the value of honesty is to exchange stories with others that reveal its value. The Honest Majority has a story-telling contest and forum for such stories.
Lend your time and experience. If you would like to join us in our work, please contact us.
Your support will help Make Truth Matter. And we believe this will help to make the world better for everyone.
Thank you!
* To help defer hosting costs, MTMA is an Amazon affiliate. It is possible that we will receive a commission from purchases made through links to quality information references above. Please consider purchasing. Please visit our library If you would like to see more!