Our mission
The Examination is a nonprofit newsroom investigating human-caused health crises that pose a growing threat to everyone on the planet. Our reporting is informed by scientific evidence about what is doing the most harm to people, to health systems and ecosystems today.
Noncommunicable diseases, like cancer and diabetes, have emerged as the biggest global killers, far outpacing those causes that are most likely to make headlines — wars, violent crime, natural disasters. And rates are spiking.
Choices made by companies and governments play a leading role.
According to the World Health Organization, tobacco, fossil fuel, ultra-processed food and alcohol industries alone contribute to nearly 20 million early deaths each year — a third of the world’s total. Behind these grim statistics is vast human suffering and economic carnage.
Many of these same threats are also fueling ecological disasters, with huge ramifications for the overall health of the planet.
The associated harms are not abstract, nor isolated to those that suffer the most. Sicknesses linger for years, even decades, weakening families and bankrupting household budgets. Children lose parents; parents lose children. Health care systems are strained and national treasuries are depleted.
Too little attention is paid to the costs and causes of these slow-rolling health crises. In an age of cutbacks and retrenchment, many newsrooms worldwide lack even a single health reporter. Journalism that holds industries, governments and others responsible is in critically short supply. The Examination seeks to fill this deficit with evidence-based, human-focused reporting.
Through collaborations with newsrooms across the globe, we design our reporting to serve threatened communities in the U.S. and across the world. This reporting is making a difference. It has prompted factory closures, fueled government inquiries and led to new laws and regulations.
Our ultimate mission: journalism that informs public discourse, inspires positive change and leads to a healthier world.
Our supporters
The Examination is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Adessium Foundation, Coefficient Giving, and theguardian.org. We have also received grants from the Pulitzer Center and the IJ4EU fund.
The Examination operates independently and is solely responsible for its content.