Ad Fontes Media

United States - Denver, CO

• 12/11/2021
• Pre-Seed
• $800,000

Ad Fontes Media, Inc. is a company founded in 2018 by Vanessa Otero, creator of the Media Bias Chart. The mission of Ad Fontes Media is “making news consumers smarter and news media better.”

Ad Fontes Media is incorporated as a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC)[1] in Colorado. The stated public benefit of Ad Fontes Media is the same as its mission.

Ad Fontes is Latin for “to the source,” because at the heart of what Ad Fontes Media does is look at the source—analyze the very content itself—to rank it. We are not measuring consumer opinions, clicks and views, or “user engagement.” Plenty of other companies do that in order to sell ads, and we think that is part of the problem we face in the current media landscape.

Ad Fontes Media will never sell ads to make money. Ad Fontes is currently funded by its founder, by a crowdfunding campaign which ran in late 2018, by sales of licenses and prints, by donations through this site by individuals who believe in its mission. Any future additional sources of funding will be disclosed on this site and in future annual reports.

Funding for Ad Fontes Media is currently used to fund 1) a content ratings research project, in which 20 analysts from all over the country are rating thousands of articles and shows, and 2) the development of interactive web version of the Media Bias Chart.

[1] The difference between a PBC and a regular C-corporation is that a PBC’s shareholders are required to consider the stated public benefit of the corporation in addition to the financial interests of the stakeholders when making business decisions. This is a formation option that has recently become available to companies in most states. A PBC can receive grants and donations, but those are not tax-deductible. It can also sell shares like a C-Corporation. This information about PBCs is not tax or legal advice.

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Vanessa OteroFounder

United States - Westminster, Colorado,

I'm the founder and CEO of Ad Fontes Media, Inc. We rate the news for reliability and bias. Our mission is to rate ALL the news to positively transform society. I started this company because I am the creator of the original Media Bias Chart, the viral image that prompted many lively discussions around the internet about where people get their news.

Prior to founding Ad Fontes, I practiced as an intellectual property attorney. My practice focused on patent prosecution, trademark prosecution, litigation support, and general IP counseling. I helped technology companies of all sizes acquire and strategically deploy their intellectual property. I graduated from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in December of 2013, and have a B.A. in English from UCLA.


I went to law school part time while working in pharmaceutical sales. I have a total of 10 years of professional sales experience, including business to business, pharmaceutical, and direct sales.

I am interested in connecting with creative individuals in all kinds of professional fields.

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaotero/