The basics of verifying imagery from social media for news – as presented at the 2016 Online News Association annual conference

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VERIFYING EYEWITNESS MEDIA

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VERIFICATION AS A PROCESS

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WHY VERIFICATION MATTERS
Verification matters to the audience…
Credit:

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WHY VERIFICATION MATTERS
…and to your lawyers

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VERIFICATION AS A PROCESS
Credit: Fergus Bell
Source vs Content

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VERIFICATION AS A PROCESS
Credit: Fergus Bell
• Does the claim match their history?
• Do they give more information?
• Can you take the conversation off social?
Source vs Content

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VERIFICATION AS A PROCESS
Credit: Fergus Bell
• Look for street signs and visual clues
• Ask a colleague or trusted contact
• Are there other eyewitnesses, officials or
reporters?
• What’s the bigger picture?
Source vs Content

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VERIFICATION AS A PROCESS
Credit: Fergus Bell
If you ever get stuck, or are required to take a leap of faith as you
work through these two separate tracks, it might be a strong
indication that something is wrong with the content or source.
To publish UGC with confidence, these two processes should lead
to the same result every time.
Source vs Content

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VERIFICATION AS A PROCESS
1. Are you looking at the
original version?
2. Do you know who captured
the photo or video?
3. Do you know where the
photo or video was captured?
4. Do you know when the
photo or video was captured?
5. Do you know why the
photo or video was captured?
bit.ly/VVguide

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VERIFICATION AS A PROCESS
Find the original upload
Speak to the uploader
Get the original file

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FINDING THE ORIGINAL

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FINDING THE ORIGINAL
Are you looking at the original version?

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FINDING THE ORIGINAL
Are you looking at the original version?
Real?

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FINDING THE ORIGINAL
Are you looking at the original version?
Reverse image search
Check an image for matches in
an online database

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FINDING THE ORIGINAL
Are you looking at the original version?
Reverse image search
images.google.com

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FINDING THE ORIGINAL
Are you looking at the original version?
The RevEye browser plugin is best

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FINDING THE ORIGINAL
Are you looking at the original version?
This photo matches others in Google images

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FINDING THE ORIGINAL
Are you looking at the original version?

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FINDING THE ORIGINAL
Are you looking at the original version?

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FINDING THE ORIGINAL
Are you looking at the original version?
YouTube Data Viewer will give you upload time and video thumbnails to search

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FINDING THE ORIGINAL
Are you looking at the original version?

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FINDING THE ORIGINAL
Are you looking at the original version?
Video Vault: Get thumbnails to search, archive video, collaborate, zoom in and more

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FINDING THE ORIGINAL
Are you looking at the original version?
Search other platforms for keywords

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VERIFYING A SOCIAL SOURCE

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VERIFYING A SOCIAL SOURCE
Do you know who captured the photo or video?

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VERIFYING A SOCIAL SOURCE
Do you know who captured the photo or video?

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VERIFYING A SOCIAL SOURCE
Do you know who captured the photo or video?
Domain names can help trace sources
Credit: Jenni Sargent

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VERIFYING A SOCIAL SOURCE
Do you know who captured the photo or video?

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VERIFYING A SOCIAL SOURCE
Do you know who captured the photo or video?
Credit: Jenni Sargent

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TIMESTAMPS AND EXIF DATA

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TIMESTAMPS FOR SOCIAL NETWORKS
Understand the difference between
how networks display the time

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VERIFYING DATES
Wolfram Alpha can tell you the weather on different dates

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VERIFYING DATES
SunCalc can tell you the direction of shadows

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EXIF DATA
If you get the original file you can look at the metadata

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EXIF DATA
Jeffrey’s Exif Viewer will
give you the date, device
information and a precise
location

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EXIF DATA

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THE BASICS OF GEOLOCATION

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VERIFYING A LOCATION
Do you know where the photo or video was captured?

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VERIFYING A LOCATION
• Signage
Visual clues

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VERIFYING A LOCATION
Visual clues
• Signage
• Clothing

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VERIFYING A LOCATION
Visual clues
• Signage
• Clothing
• Landscape

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VERIFYING A LOCATION
Visual clues
• Signage
• Clothing
• Landscapes
• Structures

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VERIFYING A LOCATION
Visual clues
• Signage
• Clothing
• Landscapes
• Structures
• Weather

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VERIFYING A LOCATION
Visual clues
• Signage
• Clothing
• Landscapes
• Structures
• Weather
• Insignia

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Visual clues
• Signage
• Clothing
• Landscapes
• Structures
• Weather
• Insignia
• Vehicles
VERIFYING A LOCATION

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Do you know where the photo or video was captured?
VERIFYING A LOCATION
What visual clues are in this photo?

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Do you know where the photo or video was captured?
VERIFYING A LOCATION

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Do you know where the photo or video was captured?
VERIFYING A LOCATION

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Do you know where the photo or video was captured?
VERIFYING A LOCATION

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Do you know where the photo or video was captured?
VERIFYING A LOCATION

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?
Beware: Geotags on social
networks can be faked
easily
VERIFYING A LOCATION

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Do you know where the photo or video was captured?
VERIFYING A LOCATION
Get the original and check the metadata

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Do you know where the photo or video was captured?
VERIFYING A LOCATION

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Do you know where the photo or video was captured?
VERIFYING A LOCATION
Check Streetview and satellites for corroborating imagery

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Do you know where the photo or video was captured?
VERIFYING A LOCATION

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Do you know where the photo or video was captured?
VERIFYING A LOCATION
Sources of corroborating imagery: StreetView
• Google StreetView
• Yandex: For Russia,
Eastern Europe, the
Caucus

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Do you know where the photo or video was captured?
VERIFYING A LOCATION
Sources of imagery: Panoramio
• Find photos other people
have taken and
geotagged to see
locations

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