SaySo launches short-form video news app in US and Canada

At a glance:

• SaySo debuted on iOS in the United States and Canada this month after a private beta that started in November.
• The app’s Daily Digest curates videos based on chosen topics and refreshes every 20 hours.
• All creator videos must include source citations and pass a combined human‑AI moderation queue before publishing.

What happened

Many users turn to TikTok, Instagram and YouTube for quick news updates, but growing complaints about misinformation and AI‑generated content have eroded trust. A Pew Research study from October reported that only 56 % of U.S. adults have “a lot of or some trust” in national news media. In response, Caliber—formerly The News Movement—unveiled SaySo, a short‑form video platform that promises vetted, source‑backed journalism.

SaySo launched for iOS users in the United States and Canada in April 2026, following a private beta that began in November 2025. The rollout includes roughly 30 creators who were onboarded at launch, among them Nico Agosta (known for the “Stocking the Capitol” series), Dr. Victoria (covering racial‑justice topics), and Isabel Ravenna (an independent journalist with bylines at National Geographic).

Core features and user experience

The flagship feature is the Daily Digest. After creating a profile, users select interest areas—such as politics, public health, social issues or crime—and the app assembles a personalized video lineup each day. This lineup refreshes on a 20‑hour cycle, aiming to replace endless scrolling with a concise, intentional news feed.

An Explore page lets users wander beyond the daily set, surfacing additional creators and topics. Standard social interactions are present: users can follow creators, like, save, comment and share videos. Crucially, every video must display its source information directly within the clip, a policy designed to reinforce credibility.

Moderation and community‑driven fact‑checking

SaySo combines human reviewers with AI tools to validate sources and moderate content before it reaches the feed. “Content doesn’t auto‑publish,” explains co‑founder and CTO Dion Bailey. “Everything goes through a moderation queue, so most problems are caught before they reach readers. If something slips through and gets flagged, we investigate, address it directly with the creator, and take it down if it crosses the line.”

The platform is also piloting a “community notes” system, allowing users to add crowdsourced fact‑checks similar to the models used by X and TikTok. This aims to create a transparent accountability loop where the audience can flag inaccuracies and contribute to the verification process.

Creator compensation and business outlook

CEO and co‑founder Ramin Beheshti says many creators joined as founding partners and receive a stipend from day one. He notes that a full monetisation infrastructure is in development and that “when that revenue flows, the vast majority goes directly to creators,” though exact split percentages were not disclosed.

Beheshti, formerly chief product and tech officer at Dow Jones, positions SaySo as Caliber’s flagship product after the company rebranded in 2025 to focus on short‑form journalism. He adds, “We wanted to build a new breed of news product that helped people, rather than add to the familiar overwhelm so many of us experience.”

Expansion plans

Looking ahead, Caliber plans to bring SaySo to the United Kingdom in the summer of 2026, with additional market rollouts slated throughout the remainder of the year and into 2027. The company hopes the curated, source‑driven model will attract users disillusioned with the noise on existing social platforms and restore confidence in video‑based news consumption.