In the wake of the tragedy in Paris and terrorist acts around the world, several memes have been flying around social media wildly out of context – either as deliberate hoaxes or passed on by well meaning people who share out of emotional connection to an image or story without verifying it. Sometimes just looking at the date can raise suspicions, but often it takes some sleuthing to uncover the fake stories and photos.
I came across this excellent guide to verifying social media stories on France24’s sister site The Observers this weekend and thought I’d share it. Community IT concentrates mainly on IT services and support and leaves social media to other consultants – but often there is an overlap, or technology questions the IT team can help answer.
The Observers guide covers (with annotation and examples) EXIF Image Data, Geolocalization, and using Google Image to check pre-existing stories using the same photo. A list of further resources and verification experts to follow on twitter is included. Good stuff to know, and not just at times of tragedy.
