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When it comes to reporting on individuals who are hiding behind an online profile, refuse to be identified, and often claim to speak for a group or organisation they don’t actually lead, journalistic work quickly becomes a minefield.

To help you navigate the intricate world of online communities, digital tools reporter Ren LaForme rounded up sources of digital news, reports and articles.

“There are challenges for all journalists in discovering and verifying stories we don’t ‘own’ or can’t attribute to other known opinion-formers. There are ethical dilemmas, too, in journalists seeking to insert themselves into unfamiliar online communities, either openly or undercover,” Mark Frankel, one of the sources featured in this article, wrote for Nieman Lab.

Frankel also spoke about closed communities online at the newsrewired digital journalism conference on 11 July, explaining how journalists can gain access to and report on these groups. You can listen to the panel he contributed to here.

Unsure how to chose the right timing, format and content styles in the digital age? Join our Online content strategy for journalists course with Adam Tinworth and learn how to make great decisions on using the right style of coverage for the right story. See details

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