Verification Handbook: A definitive guide to verifying digital content for emergency coverage

by Craig Silverman (Editor)

The Verification Handbook is a groundbreaking new resource for journalists and aid responders, which provides step-by-step guidelines for using user-generated content (UGC) during emergencies.

In a crisis situation, social networks are overloaded with situational updates, calls for relief, reports of new developments, and rescue information. Reporting the right information is often critical in shaping responses from the public and relief workers; it can literally be a matter of life or death.

The Handbook prescribes best practice advice on how to verify and use this information provided by the crowd, as well as actionable advice to facilitate disaster preparedness in newsrooms.

While it primarily targets journalists and aid providers, the Handbook can be used by anyone. It’s advice and guidance are valuable whether you are a news journalist, citizen reporter, relief responder, volunteer, journalism school student, emergency communication specialist, or an academic researching social media.

The Handbook is developed and managed by the European Journalism Centre, based in the Netherlands, under its Emergency Journalism initiative.

Genres: Journalism, Nonfiction, Research

122 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Lorenzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lack verification in real-time. Different sites o apps aren't unusable nowadays. In other terms, there are many tools that a journalist can use to improve his work. And so the advantages are more than disadvantages.

[Elia · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books contain timeless advice, but also tools that are no longer adequate. UGC and tools to manipulate it have changed since 2014.

[Dimitur Nikolov · Rating 5 out of 5]

MUST READ FOR EVERY PERSON!!! We are living in an ocean of information and this is good for any propaganda. That is why we have to be prepared to verify the information we are getting.

[Soner Işıksal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kriz anlarında sosyal medyadan doğru bilgiyi çekip çıkartmak için çeşitli gazetecilerin; anılarını, kullandıkları araçları, analizlerini paylaştığı kolektif bir çalışma. Bazı yazılar ilginç ve değerli bilgiler içeriyor.

Daha çok gazeteciler için yazılmış olsa da sürekli farklı bir krizle karşı karşıya kalan ve bilgi kirliliğinin anında tepe noktaya ulaştığı bizim gibi toplumlarda herkes tarafından okunmasının faydalı olacağını düşünüyorum.

http://verificationhandbook.com/ adresinden ücretisiz, Türkçe olarak ve çeşitli formatlarda indirilebilir.

[Josh]

Solid read relevant to my professional interests. There were some good tips on setting up checklists and procedures for how to verify content, ensure that you're getting the most information possible on the content and creator (and context), and how to have a working solution in place (and exercised) before it's actually needed.

Relevant for any disaster-workers / journalists / SMEM practitioners / etc.

Preparedness is key!