crowdsourcing and verification for journalists
DESCRIPTION
A how-to guide for long-term and short-term crowdsourcing projects for journalists, including tips on verifying news and photos received via social media.TRANSCRIPT
Mandy Jenkins @mjenkins#norcalsoc April 2012
Tap Into the Crowd
What is Crowdsourcing?
• When you call on your readers/followers to contribute to a story
• Calls for content, news tips and story sources
• Can be breaking or long-term• Involve a little or a lot of information
Before Crowdsourcing•Build engaged community (follow people, converse with them)•Build Twitter lists of key sources for breaking situations•Plan ahead when you can, have a plan for when you can’t•Include crowdsourcing in story-planning
During Breaking News• Open keyword searches • Monitor key Twitter lists• Have reporter or news org
start tweeting live to get and share info
Find Sources Fast
Ask for What You Want
Ask Permission for Photos
Breaking News Crowdsourcing•Say what you know•Say what you don’t know•Say what you want/need to know•Don’t spread rumors•Vet sources & information•Ask questions as you gather info•RT with context, note if it's verified
Search.Twitter.Com/advancedSearch by keywords, location, time
Search quickly - before the stream is taken over by reaction
When You Find Leads
• Connect with eyewitnesses, get contact info
• Have them wait for a reporter on scene
• Verify!
• Search venues on Foursquare.com• “Mayor” is great source for info
about a business or venue (employee or regular customer)
Crowdsourcing Everyday
Google Docs
•Gathering info using Forms
•Get results
•Results flow into a shareable spreadsheet
Crowdsourced map: Google Maps
All Our Ideas
Feature Example - TBDNews Example - HuffPost
Ask Everywhere• Print callouts (Tell Us Your Story)• Social media promotion (reporter and
papers’ accounts)• Embeds into online stories• Word-of-mouth, IRL on the beat
Crowdsourcing Ideas• Ask for archival photos/stories from community anniversaries
• Is it raining/snowing/earthquaking near you?
• Build a source database for recurring themes (foreclosures, veterans, lost jobs, etc.)
Beware B.S.
Check the person's credibility• Check when account was created. • How frequent are updates?• Do they have a photo? • Do they have friends/followers? Do they
follow?• Check bio, links• Check Klout score• Google name and scam, spammer• Contact & interview
Follow up on the tip
• Ask for a phone number and call the person.
• Ask if they witnessed first-hand or heard about it.
• Ask exactly what they witnessed, how they saw it and when.
• Ask who else may have the same info.
Check credibility of the info• Check earlier tweets/updates: Anything leading up to the tip that makes sense?
• Do follow up tweets/updates make sense in context?
• Does it read authentically? Misspellings, bad grammar, typos can also be a sign of a real person.
• Corroborate the info
Evaluate your options
• How urgent is this information?
• How important is the tip to the overall story? Is there a story without it?
• Is it worth the risk if it is wrong?
B.S. Images
Photoshop Debunked by Reddit
East River Flooding! (Nope)
Scanned and tweeted photo from an older storm
Verifying Images• Check exif info: regex.info/exif.cgi
• Check for edits to photos: errorlevelanalysis.com/
• Reference locations against maps and existing images from the area.
• Examine weather reports and shadows to confirm that the conditions shown fit with the claimed date and time.
• Check clothes/buildings/language/license plates/vehicles etc. to see if they support what the image claims to be.
Mandy [email protected]
@mjenkinsBlog: Zombiejournalism.com
These slides & more at slideshare.net/mandyjenkins
THANKS!