In the InVID project we are working hard on solutions to make verification of User Generated Video (UGV) easier and more trustworthy. Right now there are only a few tools to help journalists verify the authenticity of video materials from Social Networks. InVID aims to fill that gap, providing the means with which verification of UGV becomes easier and therefore allows journalists to use (more) trustworthy UGV in their reporting.
Before we can start developing UGV verification tools we need requirements. Those requirements are derived from the challenges journalists face in UGC verification today. In order to find out about the existing workflows for verification of video, the InVID project organised an observatory study in collaboration with researchers from the REVEAL project. In this study we closely monitored two Deutsche Welle journalists and one researcher in their daily UGV verification work. Here is what they had to say about video verification:
After the analysis of the verification activities performed by the three participants, Stefanie Wiegand from The IT Innovation Centre created a schematic overview of the verification activities that she identified, which you can see below. Does it also look chaotic to you? The complexity of the activities show that verification of UGC is a nonlinear process that is different from person to person.
More insights from the research will be provided in the full report on the observatory study that will be published on the REVEAL website soon, so stay tuned.
Now that we understand the workflows of video verification a bit better, the InVID consortium will be able to assess whether verification of UGV could be (partly) automated and how innovative technologies can help journalists with their tasks.
Note: if you have any questions about this research please contact Ruben Bouwmeester, innovation manager at Deutsche Welle.