The reporting of a content creator is only as trustworthy as that content creator’s sources. To ensure that their work can be verified- and to verify the work of others- content creators have begun to adhere to the best practices outlined below.

By collecting these best practices in one place, we can make it easier for content creators to present and use work that is clearly authentic and trustworthy.

If you see something important missing from the standards below, please add it!

Making Content Verifiable

User-generated content intended for use by professional media outlets should:

• Be paired with a consistent, easily-replicable means of contacting the original source
  • E.g. a phone number, Skype account, a personal Facebook account, an email address, etc.
• Presented within a channel that is consistent and trustworthy
  • E.g. a Facebook page, blog, or Twitter feed that presents context and contact information
• Be given as much context as possible, such as:
  • Content creators holding up signs in images and video verifying the real date
  • Narration of video or audio presenting context
  • Companion media providing more information and context, including links to additional sources through which the content in question can be verified (e.g. Google Maps locations, local news reports, etc.)

The Content Verification Process

User-generated content referenced in reporting must be verified through the following process:

1. An effort is made to ensure that the content in question is the earliest example that has been shared online
   1. If it is not, an effort is made to find the original source or earliest example of the content
2. The content owner’s background is checked:
   1. Any social media accounts or websites matching the content creator’s name (or email, if known) are checked, with attention given to:
      1. Correlation and consistency of content and personal details across platforms
      2. The age of the accounts
      3. The nature of the source’s interactions and followers
3. A direct line of contact is established with the owner of the content
   1. The owner must be reachable via at least one of the following means:
      1. Email
      2. Phone
      3. Other means of communication (e.g. Skype or Google Voice) that comes with a consistent username, address, or channel through which the content owner can be reached
   2. The content owner must:
      1. Verify him or herself as the original source
      2. Be able to answer questions about his or her content
      3. Give permission to use his or her content
   3. If the content has been shared in a way that can be used publicly (e.g. an embeddable YouTube video), it must be used in accordance with its license
4. The content’s time, place, and subject is checked:
   1. Content is checked against other online and social data, including:
      1. Similar images that have already been posted online (found through Google Advanced Image Search and TinEye)
      2. Images from online maps and street views (e.g. Google Street View)
      3. Location data tagged to posts and uploads (e.g. on Twitter and Facebook)
      4. Equipment data (e.g. on Flickr)
      5. Weather conditions at the time the content was created (checked using local weather service sites or, if the event was in the past, WolframAlpha)
      6. Trending topics on social media
      7. Local news reports
   2. Visual content is analyzed for signs of tampering
      1. Shadows and light sources must line up
      2. There can be no inconsistent patterns or signs of fuzziness
   3. If in another language, speech in audio recordings or video footage, as well as any translation, is checked by a fluent speaker

The content cannot be used if:

• The source does not provide permission to use such content
• The content has been altered (e.g. Changed in Photoshop or, if video content, edited in such a way that may compromise its trustworthiness)
• The source cannot be reached via phone, email, or other consistent means of communication
• Through direct communication, the content owner does not verify that he or she is the original source
• The content’s surroundings do not line up with those presented in other trustworthy reports (e.g. Google Maps or photos of the area from trusted media channels)
• The content’s translation does not line up with the translation of another fluent speaker
• The content’s subject runs contrary to reports from others in the area and other major social media trends
• The source’s social media accounts present inconsistencies that would lead a reasonable person to doubt the owner’s genuine identity; for example:
  • The content does not match other content posted by the user over time
  • The location of the subject does not match the content creator’s apparent location as communicated through other posts and the creator’s profile
  • The content creator’s followers and interactions lead one to doubt the genuine nature of his or her identity

Communication of Verification Level

Content that cannot be completely verified may still be used, however the level of verification must be explicitly stated. Caveats must be clearly marked, and content that is not entirely verified should be shared very judiciously, as it may still be taken out of context and seen as trusted.

Communication of Corrections

Regardless of verification level, content that contains inaccuracies or was presented out of context must be publicly corrected and actively promoted as soon as possible on every channel on which the flawed information was originally shared. Those who clearly interacted with the flawed content through retweets, comments, likes, or other forms of traceable communication should be directly alerted of the correction whenever possible.