This document provides information on verifying digital content. It discusses how verification is important given how easily information can spread online. It outlines a three level process for verification: checking the content, context, and code. For each level, it provides tips on aspects to examine and links to various online tools that can be used to aid in the verification process. The overall message is that verification takes time but is crucial, and it is important to be skeptical yet open-minded when evaluating information found online.

2. In 1858, People Said the Telegraph Was ‘Too Fast for the Truth’ - Adrienne LaFrance - The Atlantic)

3. Verification
MED7370 Multiplatform and Mobile Journalism

4. What I’m covering
● Content, context and code
● Verification tools

5. https://twitter.com/Mantzarlis/status/1095372377935040513

6. Content, context
— and code
..

7. "People shouldn't see this as a Twitter
mistake; rather it was a reporting
mistake that could have occurred on
any platform."
- Andy Carvin, NPR

8. https://onlinejournalismblog.com/2011/01/26/verifying-information-online-content-context-code-2/

9. "We all play a crucial part in this
ecosystem. Every time we passively
accept information without
double-checking, or share a post, image
or video before we’ve verified it, we’re
adding to the noise and confusion. The
ecosystem is now so polluted, we have
to take responsibility for independently
checking what we see online."
- Claire Wardle, First Draft

10. ..
Guardian, 2017

11. "This is about teaching people to
second guess their instinctual
reactions. If you find yourself incredibly
angry at a piece of content or feeling
smug (because your viewpoint has
been reaffirmed), take another look."
- Claire Wardle, First Draft

13. First Draft

14. https://inteltechniques.com/menu.html

15. Level 1: Content
Is it too good to be true? Bait?
Style and personality
Can you verify each fact elsewhere?
Frequency and recency
Cloning and airbrushing

16. https://www.buzzfeed.com/craigsilverman/anti-trans-hoaxes-on-fake-news-websites

17. Where was this picture taken from?

18. Google Maps: satellite view
Which side?
Use street view to test

19. https://www.buzzfeed.com/craigsilverman/obama-jordan-peele-deepfake-video-debunk-buzzfeed

20. https://twitter.com/HazelBakerNews/status/1126171187984388096

21. Deepfakes
‘Deep learning’(AI)+‘fake’
Categories:
● Faceswap algorithms
● Lip sync
● Facial reenactment
● Motion transfer

22. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/janelytvynenko/real-or-fake-face-quiz

23. Tips from Which Face Is Real?
● Odd backgrounds
● Asymmetries (glasses, earrings)
● Odd symmetries (teeth)
● Hair rendering
● No images of person from other angles
● (more)

24. Deepfakes: frame-by-frame
video & audio checks
● Glimmering/fuzziness around mouth/face
● Unnatural lighting or movements
● Differences between skin tones
● Unnatural intonation
● Irregular breathing
● Metallic sounding voices (more)

25. Watch later for more!

28. https://twitter.com/noonanjo/status/10088697816
53590017

29. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/golden-ticket-arrest/

30. The first step is acceptance:
you will share something
false at some point.
Assuming otherwise leaves
you more vulnerable.

31. Level 2: Context
How long has the account existed?
Who did they first follow/were followed by?
Who has spoken to/about them online?
Correlation with other identities? (Identify)
Digital footprint: places, pictures
Speak to them!

35. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=akHq3p5QlCk

36. Level 3: Code
Domain extension - .gov?
Check Whois records
Last updated
Pages linking to:
Archives and caches; history & discussion
Source code

37. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlUQ2sUti8o

38. 3 categories of metadata
Administrative (who, where, when, what)
Descriptive (headline, captions, keywords)
Rights (legal)

39. Verification tools
..

41. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BfLPJpRtyq4RFtHJoNpvWQjmGnyVkfE2HYoICKOGguA/edit
https://start.me/p/ELXoK8/bellingcat-osint-landscape

42. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BfLPJpRtyq4RFtHJoNpvWQjmGnyVkfE2HYoICKOGguA/edit
https://osintframework.com/

43. Tools for checking content
● RevEye reverse image search Chrome
extension
● Video frame by frame extension
● InVid video verification extension
● Angle of sun: SunCalc
● Weather: Wolfram Alpha
● Location: Google Earth Pro, StreetView

44. Tools for checking context
● People search: Pipl
● Email search: Reverse Genie
● Twitter birthday
● Identify extension, Klout
● Site history: Internet Archive, Google cache
● Links: Links Report; Backlink checker
● Site ownership: Whois
● Rumour trackers: Emergent

45. Tools for checking code
● Jeffrey’s Image Metadata Viewer
● Amnesty’s YouTube DataViewer
● FotoForensics, Izitru
● Forensically, Ghiro
● IP hosting: yougetsignal

46. Keep up to date!
● Bellingcat list of verification tools
● Inteltechniques tools and flowcharts
● FirstDraft resources
● Snopes

47. Key points
● Don’t take anything on trust - including
tweets by other colleagues & other
journalists
● Take a breath. What can you find out about
the content (+code)? The source (context)?
● The more hoaxes you read about, the better
you will get at spotting the patterns

48. Reading
Speed and Accuracy with Depth in
Breaking News
Pinboard.in/u:paulbradshaw/t:verification
Pinboard.in/u:paulbradshaw/t:mojo

49. Bonus content
..