INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM & PRODUCTION
PROTAGONISTT H E   N E T W O R K
Verification

How to verify a viral clip before you publish

A newsroom guide to finding the earliest available footage, checking what it shows, and writing a caption that holds up.

Illustration of an editor examining footage in an edit suite
Editorial illustration. It does not depict the events described.View 8K artwork

Record the claim

Save the URL, account name, caption, and time you found the clip. Write down the specific claim you are testing, such as whether footage shows a named event at a stated location. Keep the caption separate from your notes about what you can see and hear.

Find the longest available version

Trace reposts back toward the earliest upload you can locate. Search for a distinctive frame and any exact words spoken in the clip. Ask the uploader who recorded it and whether they can share the original file and the moments before and after the excerpt.

Check details against independent material

Compare signs, building fronts, and street layouts with maps or photos of the claimed location. Use a published event schedule, another camera angle, or a witness account to test the time and sequence. Track which details each source actually confirms.

Write to the evidence

Keep the caption within what you can establish. A video may show a person entering a building while leaving their role or reasons unknown. Preserve the verification notes so an editor can reproduce the check and update the record if stronger evidence emerges.

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