About Us

Our mission

Unraveled is an investigative publication challenging narratives about state violence.

We aim to expose abuse and injustice, as well as untangle webs of lies. 

Often, we find ourselves reporting on the police, as secrecy and impunity form the bedrock of the U.S. police department. We are based in Chicago, but have a special interest in policing and power across the Rust Belt.

The purpose of a system is what it does

Our reporting stands in opposition to existing structures of authority, hierarchy, and oppression. Uncovering corruption and malfeasance is our moral responsibility not only as reporters, but also as community members.

Our goal is to arm the public with the information they need to critically evaluate the layers of bureaucracy shielding bad actors. We believe accountability reporting must be reenvisioned when freedom from accountability is a feature of the systems under which we live.

We believe things don’t have to be this way.

Journalism is for everyone

Our work will always be free and accessible. In a time of information chaos, we believe it is more important than ever to eliminate undue barriers between our reporting and the communities we serve. We also trust our readers to take the best course of action with information we provide. We believe traditional journalism is but one tool of many needed to unravel the whole cloth.

To keep our reporting available to all, we rely on individual contributions. You can support our journalism here.

“It can be overwhelming to witness/experience/take in all the injustices of the moment; the good news is that they’re all connected. So if your little corner of work involves pulling at one of the threads, you’re helping to unravel the whole damn cloth.” —Ursula Wolfe-Rocca

Editorial policies

Our reporting is based on live observations of events, data-based analysis, and deep sourcing. While we strive to be fair and accurate in our coverage, we also recognize one fundamental truth: people lie—especially cops, politicians, and fascists.

This means we will never act as stenographers for the state. We frequently question the “official” telling of events. We name police officers and public employees accused of misconduct. We protect victims’ identities in narratives of police violence whenever possible.

When documenting community resistance, we strive to balance newsworthiness and urgency with privacy concerns. Our correspondents use their best expert judgment on social media to provide updates from the front lines, but they never livestream.

We issue corrections and clarifications as soon as they appear. If you believe you have discovered an error in our reporting, please contact us promptly.

All of our reporting is done by humans, not generative AI.