When facts are fluid

Emerging best practices to verify information on social media

Alfred HermidaUniversity of British Columbia@hermida

JEAA, December 3, 2013Photo: Robert Cromahttp://www.flickr.com/photos/croma/

Photo: Flood G http://www.flickr.com/photos/_flood_/

Verification:The essence of journalismKovach and Rosenstiel, 2001

Photo: Ines Njers http://www.flickr.com/photos/inesnjers/

Accuracy:A persistent issue

Systemic verificationMessage-based analysisUser-based analysisTopic-based analysisPropagation-based analysis

Systemic verificationMessage-based analysisUser-based analysisTopic-based analysisPropagation-based analysis

Fake!

Systemic verificationMessage-based analysisUser-based analysisTopic-based analysisPropagation-based analysis

BBC golden rule Contact the source

Photo: Rebecca Hildreth http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebeccahildreth/

Surge of new Twitter accounts

Systemic verificationMessage-based analysisUser-based analysisTopic-based analysisPropagation-based analysis

Photo: Mack Male http://www.flickr.com/photos/mastermaq/

London riots:Social mediablamed

Photo: Claudio Jofré Larenas http://www.flickr.com/photos/nazgulhead/

Questioning messages

Systemic verificationMessage-based analysisUser-based analysisTopic-based analysisPropagation-based analysis

Photo: Rebecca Hildreth http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebeccahildreth/

Speed of diffusion

Photo: Martha Coakley http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcoakley/

Spotting dirty tricks

Sorting fact from fiction

Photo: Patrick Hoesly http://www.flickr.com/photos/zooboing/

Thank you