Social media content
Public posts are copied, described, and checked before they are treated as evidence.
Method
From a file to a checked account.
Archiving alone is not enough. To support justice, evidence is analyzed and contextualized before anyone is asked to rely on it.
Verification
Workflow of verification.
Eight steps, from the person who recorded the material to a decision about publication.
Collect data from the source
Gather footage and accounts from the people who recorded them.
Archive and preserve data in a secure space
Move copies into storage with access limited to the people responsible for them.
Catalogue data with community input
Describe what the material shows, using the knowledge of people who were there.
Verify with partners and experts
Check date, place, and content with community partners and specialist review.
Identify a case
Group related material when it can support a specific line of inquiry.
Investigate with partners
Work with community partners and media partners on what happened.
Publish the investigation
Release findings only when the people affected have agreed to publication.
Build an advocacy effort
Use published work to support accountability, not as a substitute for it.
Intake
Evidence collection.
Community contributions
Activists and journalists submit material directly to people they already trust.
Self-recorded videos
Files move through trusted local networks, with context attached at intake.
Testimonies
Interviews are limited, consented, and stored so people are not asked to repeat harm.
Investigation
From archiving to investigation.
A case moves forward only when the material can bear the claim being made.
Collect and organize the evidence
Bring the available videos, photos, and accounts into one working set.
Verify authenticity and metadata
Test whether the file is what it claims to be, and record what cannot be confirmed.
Analyze the visuals
Identify locations, weapons, and perpetrators only as far as the material supports.
Review findings with affected communities
Ask the people concerned whether the account is accurate and safe to share.
Offer a right of reply
Give accused individuals or institutions a chance to respond before publication.
Publish with a trusted partner
Release the investigation with a newsroom such as Netra News, or hold it.
Published investigations appear with partners such as Netra News (opens in a new tab). This website does not host the underlying files.