Verifying facts for PR | If your mother says she loves, check it out

Verifying user generated
content in a crisis –
Sifting fact from fiction
Stuart Bruce FCIPR
@stuartbruce

@stuartbruce www.stuartbruce.biz www.stuartbruce.eu
Why verification matters
• You need to verify the user generated content that you’re
monitoring in order to make informed decisions:
• Operational
• Communications
• Your own information needs to be verifiable as reputable media
will verify it

Explosion at Columbia Chemicals

Columbian Chemicals explosion

ISIS claims responsibility for attack

None of it was true
• Two hours later Columbian Chemicals issued news release
saying it was false
• New York Times claims it was:
• “highly coordinated disinformation campaign, involving dozens
of fake accounts that posted hundreds of tweets”
• Accuses the Internet Research Agency in St Petersburg
• Read the full account at sbpr.co/1NYKpeE

Sifting fact from rumour
In a crisis social networks are overloaded with situational
updates. Some updates are vital facts, others rumours.

Why it might not be true
• Organised groups have the power to spread disinformation
• People lie maliciously
• People innocently pass on misinformation
• Fear breeds rumours
• Might not have the full picture
• People forget and exaggerate memories
• Don’t understand or can’t place in context
• Authority figures who should know, might not

Good journalists know that
“If your mother says she
loves you, check it out.”

Get the full picture

Most important part is
Before
Crisis

Before the crisis
• Have a plan…
• … but make sure it is current and has been robustly tested
• Have a suitable social presence and digital media platform
• Identify potential influencers, allies and detractors in advance
• Establish reputation and trust
• Prepare you ‘war room’
• Understand new search and research methods and new tools

Verify everything
“Associated Press has always strived to find the original sources”
Fergus Bell, AP
• Always ask how do you know?
• And remember the five Ws
• Who, What, Where, When, Why

Check the provenance
1. Confirm the source
2. Confirm the date
3. Confirm the location
It’s a process. Clues from one tool, lead you to another tool.

Confirming the source
• Can you find them on other social networks?
• Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Swarm
• How active are they and what is their history of usage?
• Does their account biography link to anywhere else?
• Is it a real profile picture?
• Who are their followers, contacts and friends?
• Who do they interact with?
• Are they on any lists?
• On personal profiles fakers Photoshop a blue verification check mark to the
cover photo to make it appear legitimate
• TIP: Hover cursor over it to see ‘Verified Page’ pop-up
• Can you find real world contact information?
• TIP: Spokeo, WebMii, Pipl

Confirming the date
• Use Wolfgram Alpha to cross-reference weather on a specific
date
• YouTube date stamps videos using Pacific Standard Time
• TIP: Use Amnesty International’s YouTube DataViewer to find upload
and thumbnail creation times
• EXIF metadata – dimensions of original image, make and model
of camera, timestamp (manufacturer’s settings or wrong time
zone)
• TIP: Foroforensics.com or Findexif.com

Verifying images and videos
• Reverse image searches
• Visual clues:
• Weather conditions
• Landmarks, shops and buildings
• Signage, lettering and license plates on vehicles
• Clothing
• Shadows
• GPS data
• Historical images from Google Earth
• Ask source for additional images

Reverse image searches
• Google Images or TinEye
• Search by uploaded image or image URL

Wikimapia – crowdsourced map descriptions

Echosec – location based search
• Real-time results
• Twitter, Instagram, Flickr,
Sina Weibo and more
• Used by blue light
emergency services
• Geofeedia is alternative

And remember
• All digital media is easily duplicated, altered and distributed

Additional resources

Any questions?
Blog www.stuartbruce.biz
Company www.stuartbruce.eu
Twitter @stuartbruce
Flipboard Future of PR sbpr.co/sbprnews

Verifying facts for PR | If your mother says she loves, check it out

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