Is verifying online material a big part of your role? Here's how to make the process more efficient
Verifying information, photos and videos has become, to some extent, part of most newsroom roles. But with so many verifications tools available and so many social media platforms to monitor at the same time, how can journalists develop an efficient workflow?
In this post on First Draft, global training director Eoghan Sweeney provides tips to help reporters set up a verification workstation, based on interviews with verification specialists, including European Broadcasting Union's Derek Bowler and Storyful journalist Peadar Grogan.
For example Sweeney points out that one of the minimum requirements is having two desktop screens at your disposal, which will allow you to see side-by-side comparisons of multimedia material, and keep your most important tools visible at all times.
Journalists should also consider using browser extensions and add-ons to speed up the process of reverse image searching, checking EXIF data and archiving content without crowding their browser with additional tabs.
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