Hacks/Hackers Africa- Freetown demonstrated simple techniques for verifying pictures and videos before publishing using Google. Sierra Leone would be having its next Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Council elections in March 2018. In addition to the efforts of political parties to attract voters, issues of ‘fake’ news have emerged and it would be detrimental for any reputable journalist or citizen to be caught by this trap.There might be incidences when opposing parties try to point each other in a negative light. Images of war, death, loss and poor infrastructure have over the years been used in fake news.
In this age of social media, a lot of images and videos would show up. In our Hack/Hackers event held recently, participants from different newsrooms including students were taught how to verify images and videos using Google.We demonstrated time-saving methods to verify the authenticity and accuracy of images, videos and reports that can be found on social media and elsewhere online. This can be done across different devices- phones, iPad, and computers.
The following slide shows you how to verify that the image used in any article is genuine and is not a picture of an incidence that had happened in a different country or a different time period .
Sometimes, Google searches turn up with several results. To make your search more targeted, you should search using quotation marks- “ ” . Usually it, it is advisable to search for phrases that eye witnesses to these events would use. In this amazing world of YouTube, you search directly for eye witness videos in YouTube !!!!!
I am sure when you fact check images and videos, you would to share your findings. Amazingly, undertaking an ‘Advanced Reverse Image Search’ allows you to know where an image or video has been used before and when that image was used! Interesting right!
Download Google Chrome and try this out!
If you want to learn more, join our next Hack/Hackers event. Watch out for my Colleagues Fanta Thoronka and Alhaji Abu Komeh’s posts too. Till next month, don’t fall for ‘fake news’ and spread the word.
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