The Doe is a digital publication sharing anonymous, heart-centered narratives to promote empathy across divides. In order to truly build empathy, someone has to imagine themselves in another's shoes. Our physical representations—race, gender, appearance—often keep us from getting there. Enter anonymous storytelling. Anonymous storytelling is key in empathy building, especially across the toughest topics like politics, reproductive rights, parenting, money, and religion.
The Doe seeks to promote empathy and change the way people relate to each other on the internet. Connection and understanding are the building blocks to a more compassionate world, and we surely need more of that.
The Doe challenges readers to confront their biases, humanizes major news stories, and provokes thoughtful introspection, effectively transforming the way we interact with news and each other. Establishing itself as the premier destination for anonymous publishing online, The Doe stands out as a beacon for those seeking to share their stories with the world in a safe and impactful way.
The first story published by The Doe was an anonymous essay written by someone who had been accepted into college as part of the admissions scandal in 2019. There was so much news around this story, but no one was asking the soon-to-be college students for their perspective. There didn’t seem to be space for other viewpoints. It was a story with a clear cut villain for the audience to rally around. Enter The Doe, a digital publication launched to humanize big news stories in a way no other news organization was doing.
Relaunched under the direction of editor in chief Cleo Stiller in November 2023, The Doe has created hundreds of pieces of anonymous content aimed to help audiences build empathy toward others. Moving beyond publishing different perspectives on big news stories, the team has found that audiences have an appetite to hear more everyday stories—stories about friendship breakups, healing after divorce, medical issues. These stories resonate deeply with the audience.
In order to truly build empathy, someone has to imagine themselves in someone else's shoes. Our physical representations—race, gender, appearance—often keep us from getting there. Anonymous storytelling is a key in empathy building, especially across the toughest topics like politics, reproductive rights, parenting, money, and religion.
Creating a trove of anonymous stories in text is executable without many barriers, but the team at The Doe knew they needed to be in the spaces their audience already was in order to truly make a difference. This means social video, a personality-driven platform that is inherently disconnected from anonymous storytelling. The team tried several formats on Instagram and TikTok, landing on an anonymous man-on-the-street format where they ask passersby: “What would you tell us if you were anonymous?” People respond in the moment, creating an authentic connection. Using a white sheet to conceal the identity of the storyteller, The Doe is pioneering anonymous storytelling on video.
The results have been massive: 391% increase in organic engagement, 286% increase in organic impressions, 408% increase in comments, and 911% increase in shares. The Doe has amassed more than 11 million video views so far in 2024, with four pieces hitting more than one million each. Those who share their stories with The Doe often thank our team members for asking. By providing a safe space for authentic storytelling, the series has sparked meaningful discussions, with viewers frequently sharing how these stories have helped them navigate their own experiences. The message that everyone has a story to tell has now reached more than 321,000 Instagram followers.
