Being able to verify an image is crucial in journalism. If an image isn’t verified, it could create misunderstanding between what’s written and the image. On the Verification Handbook, there are ways to prevent these misunderstandings. They are:
- Establish the author/originator
- Corroborate the location, date, and time
- Confirm the image is what it is labeled
- Obtain permission from the author/originator to use the image
Being able to know exactly who posted the image first will verify if the image is exactly what is meant to be. Also, when you confirm that the image is what it is, you can double check by using Google Map or Bing Maps to make sure that’s the exact location. Another tool could be checking weather of when the image was taken. Geofeedia is another tool that can be used to check social media post with geographic location. If the image that you want can’t be used, you can ask the author/originator for their permission.
With these ways, we can make sure to double check the images before using them. It is simple to take an image off Google and use it for something else.
Online Reporting, Research & Writing 