A year of fact checking the Middle East conflict

Our blogs on misleading pictures and videos offer recommendations on exactly how to verify material on your own, including pointers on how to find the original versions of material you believe is misinforming using reverse image search. We have additionally covered how to debunk AI-generated photos and video clips.

In the previous year we have published 85 articles on deceptive pictures and videos relating to the Center East. A few of the clips we’ve truth checked do originate in the problem, but not necessarily at the time or place claimed, and some have been reused several times to depict various events. As an example, a video clip of a petrol terminal explosion in Yemen was shared together with insurance claims it revealed Hezbollah bombing Israel just to be recycled days later on saying it showed Iranian strikes on Israel.

Surprising video clips of violence in the region frequently flow on social media sites, and much of these are regretfully genuine. Some of the web content we have actually seen is miscaptioned and shows problem elsewhere, is out of day footage of an unconnected event or is even from a video game.

Emotive footage that shocks us, backs up our worldview or creates other solid feelings can be especially tough to check out seriously. However in times similar to this it’s additional essential to make sure we’re not sharing false information.