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A collection of articles and case studies offering best practice advice and guidance for handling eyewitness media. Find training resources and more at www.firstdraftnews.com
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Breaking! Eilmeldung! Сенсація! The language you use isn’t always the language they use
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Breaking! Eilmeldung! Сенсація! The language you use isn’t always the language they use
Reporting breaking news on a global scale brings a regular challenge: understanding what sources on the ground are saying
P. Kim Bui
Mar 23
How Una Hakika helped slow the spread of dangerous rumors in rural Kenya
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How Una Hakika helped slow the spread of dangerous rumors in rural Kenya
Valuable lessons in how misinformation travels can be learned from two years of research from the NGO project
First Draft
Mar 11
Breaking news, not breaking people: News outlets need to cooperate on vicarious trauma
Breaking news, not breaking people: News outlets need to cooperate on vicarious trauma
‘No organisation has truly found a way to solve the problem’ of vicarious trauma caused by graphic images , says Eyewitness Media Hub’s Sam…
First Draft
Mar 11
Tools for Newsgathering: Discovery and Verification for Newsrooms on a Budget
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Tools for Newsgathering: Discovery and Verification for Newsrooms on a Budget
Not every newsroom has the same resources, but that doesn’t make newsgathering and verification impossible
Storyful
Mar 3
Cultural considerations: Understanding the evolution of UGC is essential to newsgathering and…
Cultural considerations: Understanding the evolution of UGC is essential to newsgathering and…
There are now numerous resources documenting the verification process for eyewitness media and user-generated content. Much of this process…
Fergus Bell
Feb 24
Battling hoaxers with humour could be the best way to beat them at their own game
Battling hoaxers with humour could be the best way to beat them at their own game
When fakes often travel faster than the truth, injecting a bit of fun into debunking could help get the message across more effectively…
First Draft
Feb 8
Commentary without context: Pictures only tell part of the refugee story
Commentary without context: Pictures only tell part of the refugee story
Reportedly’s Alexis Masouras argues that eyewitness reports may provide much of the content for covering the refugee crisis but news…
First Draft
Jan 29
Knowing where to look: Sources of imagery for geolocation
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Knowing where to look: Sources of imagery for geolocation
Bellingcat’s Eliot Higgins explains where he turns to for corroborating evidence when verifying pictures or video
First Draft
Jan 22
Justice through the viewfinder: Eyewitness video is putting power in the hands of the public
Justice through the viewfinder: Eyewitness video is putting power in the hands of the public
In 2015, eyewitness video did more than just make headlines — it changed the way activists and police interact with one another and the…
Storyful
Jan 6
Ethics, chat apps and fakes: Navigating the new world of eyewitness media
Ethics, chat apps and fakes: Navigating the new world of eyewitness media
Experts from a range of organisations give their thoughts on what may have changed in the world of eyewitness media over 2015, and what…
First Draft
Dec 22, 2015
Join us on the First Draft News website
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Join us on the First Draft News website
The shockwave of information around a breaking news event travels faster and further than at any time in human history. This is the…
First Draft
Nov 27, 2015
Searching For the Paris Attackers on Social
Searching For the Paris Attackers on Social
How one assailant left clues on social media
Storyful
Nov 24, 2015
The English-speaking world could learn a lot from France to rebuild trust in the media
The English-speaking world could learn a lot from France to rebuild trust in the media
Mainstream news organisations in France are taking the fight of misinformation to the hoaxers on social media, and reaping the rewards
First Draft
Nov 20, 2015
Find more reads and resources on newsgathering, verification and eyewitness media at FirstDraftNews…
Find more reads and resources on newsgathering, verification and eyewitness media at FirstDraftNews…
In the realm of verification, context is king
Fergus Bell
Nov 19, 2015
Too little too late: The horror of Paris proves the media need to debunk rumours in real time
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Too little too late: The horror of Paris proves the media need to debunk rumours in real time
If news organisations don’t start fighting false information as it happens we risk losing our audience to the lies
First Draft
Nov 17, 2015
Verification around the world: From Kenya to Hong Kong
Verification around the world: From Kenya to Hong Kong
A glance at international efforts to sort eyewitness media fact from fiction
Tom Trewinnard
Nov 13, 2015
How newsrooms can use chat apps and private networks for newsgathering
How newsrooms can use chat apps and private networks for newsgathering
The BBC’s Trushar Barot shares his advice after publishing a new study, ‘Guide to Chat Apps’, through the Tow Center
First Draft
Nov 12, 2015
Why building online communities strengthens journalism
Why building online communities strengthens journalism
Quality journalism comes from strong community engagement as well as social newsgathering, as reported.ly’s Malchy Browne explains
Malachy Browne
Nov 11, 2015
Periscope’s new map feature could make it central to covering breaking news
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Periscope’s new map feature could make it central to covering breaking news
Users on iOS can now geolocate broadcasts and watch replays from the last 24 hours
First Draft
Nov 11, 2015
How Journalism Schools Can Train a New Generation of Fierce Fact Checkers
How Journalism Schools Can Train a New Generation of Fierce Fact Checkers
Why we have to teach verification and eye-witness media from day one.
Josh Stearns
Nov 10, 2015
Antiviral social media: visual design
Antiviral social media: visual design
How can UI designers make debunks better?
First Draft
Nov 6, 2015
Crowdsourcing open-source investigations with Checkdesk and Silk
Crowdsourcing open-source investigations with Checkdesk and Silk
Bellingcat’s Eliot Higgins explains how new platforms can help with the verification and presentation of open-source information
First Draft
Nov 5, 2015
10 ways journalists and newsrooms can limit the impact of graphic images
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10 ways journalists and newsrooms can limit the impact of graphic images
Vicarious trauma is a serious if under-reported issue in modern newsrooms, so experts from the Dart Center and EMHub shared advice at the…
First Draft
Nov 3, 2015
Verification 101: Storyful’s advice for checking out material from social media, and putting it…
Verification 101: Storyful’s advice for checking out material from social media, and putting it…
Find more reads and resources on newsgathering, verification and eyewitness media at FirstDraftNews.com
First Draft
Nov 2, 2015
In search of fact checking’s ‘Holy Grail’: News outlets might not get there alone
In search of fact checking’s ‘Holy Grail’: News outlets might not get there alone
Automated fact checking and verification may only happen if organizations other than newsrooms can benefit
Craig Silverman
Oct 30, 2015
Would you do that IRL?
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Would you do that IRL?
Speakers from Storyful and AP stressed the need to treat witnesses with respect at last week’s news:rewired conference
First Draft
Oct 28, 2015
Navigating eyewitness news amid closed networks
Navigating eyewitness news amid closed networks
How WhatsApp and similar networks are challenging newsgatherers when it comes to verification of eyewitness content, by Storyful News…
Storyful
Oct 27, 2015
Why eyewitness media is central to the future of the news industry
Why eyewitness media is central to the future of the news industry
Experts in online news detailed how bad practice on social is damaging news organisations at a recent news:rewired event in London
First Draft
Oct 26, 2015
Get it out the door fast…and right (part two)
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Get it out the door fast…and right (part two)
This second part of establishing editorial workflows around eyewitness media looks at what happens after the material has been verified
Fergus Bell
Oct 23, 2015
Ukrainian factcheckers StopFake team up with English language broadcaster
Ukrainian factcheckers StopFake team up with English language broadcaster
The team based out of the Kyiv Mohyla School of Journalism have been verifying stories about Ukraine since March 2014, and are now looking…
First Draft
Oct 22, 2015
‘I feel like I cannot say no to looking at horrific UGC because I want to do well in my career’
‘I feel like I cannot say no to looking at horrific UGC because I want to do well in my career’
New research shows how vicarious trauma is a serious issue for journalists looking at User-Generated Content. EMHub’s Sam Dubberley…
Eyewitness Media Hub
Oct 20, 2015
Is community the answer to journalism’s verification and sustainability problems?
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Is community the answer to journalism’s verification and sustainability problems?
Audience engagement strategies are becoming central to the modern newsroom, in more ways than one
First Draft
Oct 15, 2015
How a One Person Newsroom Built a 200,000 Person Verification Network
How a One Person Newsroom Built a 200,000 Person Verification Network
In Social Journalism Verification is a Community Service
Josh Stearns
Oct 13, 2015
4 ways technology could help solve problems in social newsgathering and verification
4 ways technology could help solve problems in social newsgathering and verification
Find more reads and resources on newsgathering, verification and eyewitness media at FirstDraftNews.com
First Draft
Oct 12, 2015
The psychological toll of social newsgathering
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The psychological toll of social newsgathering
Vicarious trauma is real, and we can’t keep ignoring it
Andy Carvin
Oct 8, 2015
Navigating the Syrian Opposition’s social media as the bombs fall
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Navigating the Syrian Opposition’s social media as the bombs fall
Bellingcat’s Eliot Higgins discusses the issues in reporting on the Russian bombing of Syrian targets using social media and open-source…
First Draft
Oct 7, 2015
How can journalists better approach sources around breaking news stories?
How can journalists better approach sources around breaking news stories?
First Draft members and other journalists discussed the issues in a recent Twitter chat on #FDethics
First Draft
Oct 6, 2015
Automating the video verification process is difficult, but not impossible
Automating the video verification process is difficult, but not impossible
MIT research student Cynthia Fang has built a prototype for finding the earliest upload of a video automatically
First Draft
Oct 2, 2015
Why geolocation isn’t always the best test of an image from social media
Why geolocation isn’t always the best test of an image from social media
The new phenomenon of ‘footage laundering’ is yet another reason why geolocated content should be throughly verified
First Draft
Sep 30, 2015
The 4 bare-bones things every journalist needs to know about verification
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The 4 bare-bones things every journalist needs to know about verification
Find more reads and resources on newsgathering, verification and eyewitness media at FirstDraftNews.com
Craig Silverman
Sep 29, 2015
Are you a journalist? Download this free guide for verifying photos and videos
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Are you a journalist? Download this free guide for verifying photos and videos
First Draft Coalition members teamed up to create these guidelines for newsrooms and journalists working with eyewitness media
First Draft
Sep 24, 2015
5 free tools for news gathering on Instagram
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5 free tools for news gathering on Instagram
Now with 400 million users, Facebook’s photo and video platform has a bigger community than Twitter. So how can journalists make the most…
First Draft
Sep 23, 2015
How community verification and transparency can drive powerful engagement
How community verification and transparency can drive powerful engagement
A Bellingcat-Checkdesk case study and tips for journalists, by Tom Trewinnard from Checkdesk
First Draft
Sep 17, 2015
Does Your Journalism School Teach Verification? Survey Explores Eyewitness Media in the Classroom.
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Does Your Journalism School Teach Verification? Survey Explores Eyewitness Media in the Classroom.
Finding best practices for teaching students about eyewitness media.
Josh Stearns
Sep 15, 2015
Capturing Securely: Apps that Increase Your Security in the Field
Capturing Securely: Apps that Increase Your Security in the Field
by Sam Dubberley from Eyewitness Media Hub for First Draft
Eyewitness Media Hub
Sep 7, 2015
So You Want To Create an App for Eyewitness Media?
So You Want To Create an App for Eyewitness Media?
7 Pieces of Advice For Building Verification Tools for Newsrooms and Communities.
Josh Stearns
Sep 2, 2015
The ‘Ten Commandments’ of Using Eyewitness Video
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The ‘Ten Commandments’ of Using Eyewitness Video
UGC can add to your journalism and bottom line, but only if it is used properly and ethically.
Storyful
Aug 28, 2015
“OMG I can’t ever unsee that”: What happened when the aftermath of the Bangkok bomb blast was…
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“OMG I can’t ever unsee that”: What happened when the aftermath of the Bangkok bomb blast was…
By Pete Brown, Research Director, Eyewitness Media Hub
Eyewitness Media Hub
Aug 25, 2015
Piecing together open source evidence from the Syrian Sarin attacks
Piecing together open source evidence from the Syrian Sarin attacks
by Eliot Higgins from Bellingcat
First Draft
Aug 21, 2015
Starting from scratch — Twitter lists expose the heart of a story
Starting from scratch — Twitter lists expose the heart of a story
By Malachy Browne from Reported.ly
First Draft
Aug 12, 2015
Get it out the door fast…and right
Get it out the door fast…and right
With a well planned social newsgathering and verification workflow you can discover and authenticate faster, and say goodbye to issuing…
Fergus Bell
Aug 5, 2015
5 Telltale Signs Of An Online Hoax
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5 Telltale Signs Of An Online Hoax
Simple ways to ensure you don’t get fooled
Craig Silverman
Aug 3, 2015
The Journalism of Terror: How Do We Bear Witness When Everybody is a Witness?
The Journalism of Terror: How Do We Bear Witness When Everybody is a Witness?
In the new reality of terrorism and propaganda on social media, the value of journalism as a means of separating news from noise has never…
Storyful
Feb 12, 2015
Unveiling Hidden Connections with Google Analytics IDs
Unveiling Hidden Connections with Google Analytics IDs
By Lawrence Alexander from Bellingcat
First Draft
Aug 13, 2015
How a Production Company Faked ‘Instagram Migrant’ Account
How a Production Company Faked ‘Instagram Migrant’ Account
By Eliza Mackintosh, Storyful journalist
Storyful
Aug 3, 2015
Consider the Source: The Importance of the Eyewitness in Real-Time News Coverage
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Consider the Source: The Importance of the Eyewitness in Real-Time News Coverage
Eyewitnesses are key to many of the biggest stories happening around the world, so why don’t journalists care more about them?
Storyful
Jul 27, 2015
Searching the Earth: Essential geolocation tools for verification
Searching the Earth: Essential geolocation tools for verification
By Eliot Higgins from Bellingcat
First Draft
Jul 24, 2015
Anatomy of an Investigation — tracking Italian bombs to Yemen
Anatomy of an Investigation — tracking Italian bombs to Yemen
By Malachy Browne from Reported.ly
First Draft
Jul 18, 2015
Translating Eyewitness Media
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Translating Eyewitness Media
Tips to avoid common translation pitfalls in real-time news
Tom Trewinnard
Jul 14, 2015
Why newsrooms should train their communities in verification, news literacy, and eyewitness media.
Why newsrooms should train their communities in verification, news literacy, and eyewitness media.
Verification Should Be a Partnership With Your Community
Josh Stearns
Jul 10, 2015
7/7: Comparing the use of eyewitness media 10 years on
7/7: Comparing the use of eyewitness media 10 years on
by Claire Wardle, Research Director at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University and co-founder of Eyewitness Media Hub.
First Draft
Jul 7, 2015
QUICK GUIDE: Finding Eyewitness Media from an exact location on Twitter
QUICK GUIDE: Finding Eyewitness Media from an exact location on Twitter
by Jenni Sargent from Eyewitness Media Hub
First Draft
Jun 22, 2015
Finding Dylann Roof
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Finding Dylann Roof
A gunman opened fire at a Bible study meeting inside the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, South Carolina, on…
Storyful
Jul 10, 2015
The Checklist: Catch up!
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The Checklist: Catch up!
The Checklist is a weekly newsletter of links, case studies and research around verification and user-generated content, brought to you by…
First Draft
Jun 16, 2015
Verification: Source vs. Content
Verification: Source vs. Content
Don’t get caught up in the moment. Pop the social media bubble.
Fergus Bell
Jun 16, 2015
A Crash Course in Verification and Misinformation from the Boston Marathon Bombing
A Crash Course in Verification and Misinformation from the Boston Marathon Bombing
Find more reads and resources on newsgathering, verification and eyewitness media at FirstDraftNews.com
Josh Stearns
Jun 15, 2015
Presenting UGC in investigative reporting
Presenting UGC in investigative reporting
by Claire Wardle from Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia Journalism School
First Draft
Jun 14, 2015
Geolocating Tunisian Jihadists in Raqqa
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Geolocating Tunisian Jihadists in Raqqa
by Eliot Higgins from Bellingcat
First Draft
Jun 10, 2015
Lessons From Debunking Efforts in Journalism and Elsewhere
Lessons From Debunking Efforts in Journalism and Elsewhere
I recently completed a fellowship with the Tow Center for Digital Journalism that saw me study how news organizations handle online rumors…
Craig Silverman
Feb 23, 2015
Baltimore ‘looting’ tweets show importance of quick and easy image checks
Baltimore ‘looting’ tweets show importance of quick and easy image checks
Eoghan mac
[email protected]
Storyful
Apr 29, 2015
Protecting the Victim’s Identity
Protecting the Victim’s Identity
Should we be thinking about the victim’s identity when eyewitness video allows us to expose and shame abuse?
Eyewitness Media Hub
Mar 12, 2015
A pocket guide on verifying details of a video
A pocket guide on verifying details of a video
by Malachy Browne from Reported.ly
First Draft
Jun 10, 2015
How to Become a Verification Junkie
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How to Become a Verification Junkie
Be the fact checking you want to see.
Josh Stearns
Jun 15, 2015
How to stop fake news on Facebook (without the flags)
How to stop fake news on Facebook (without the flags)
by Tom Trewinnard from Meedan
First Draft
Jun 16, 2015
Respecting the eyewitness: Learning lessons from the Paris shootings
Respecting the eyewitness: Learning lessons from the Paris shootings
In the rush to report breaking news, are we forgetting a duty of care to those at the scene?
Eyewitness Media Hub
Jan 12, 2015
Stunt Geolocation — Verifying the Unverifiable
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Stunt Geolocation — Verifying the Unverifiable
by Eliot Higgins from Bellingcat
First Draft
Jun 10, 2015
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