FRANCE 24 Observers' guide to verifying images
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Since 2018, the FRANCE 24 Observers team has been sharing tips for helping you to verify images that circulate online yourself. In this guide, we’ll explain how to avoid falling into online traps – whether they involve photos or videos taken out of context or ones that have been actually doctored. We’ll keep updating this guide, to keep you up to date on verification tools available for public use.
Here at the FRANCE 24 Observers team, we have a lot of practice – we’ve been verifying amateur images posted online since 2007. But anyone can learn – especially if you keep practising and refreshing your skills.
Consider the articles that make up this guide like the ABCs of image verification.
Now, it’s your turn to try your hand at photo verification. And always remember, "verify before sharing!”
Want to know more about verifying photos?
You can find all of the episodes of our show "Truth of Fake" by clicking the image below. There, we have more than 120 episodes where we verify images using these practices. In each episode, we’ll walk you through our verification process.
You can also watch our fact-checking segment on FRANCE 24 Monday to Friday at 8:45pm and 10:20pm Paris time.
Why this guide?
We first wrote this guide for International Fact-Checking Day, which was launched by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) back in 2018. We updated it in August 2022 with new articles and new tools.
You can help us fight disinformation!
Have you seen a photo or video online that you think might be a fake? Send it to us at observers@france24.com or contact us by direct message on our Facebook page or on our Twitter account.
Our teams will verify the image and write an article, teasing out the true from the false!