Crisis Verification Techniques That Battle Misinformation

How Journalists Verify Information in Real-Time Amidst Digital Manipulation Tal Hagin of Otus, Golden Owl®’s human intelligence marketplace for expert-driven investigations, advised Widening fellows on crisis reporting and misinformation detection. by Emma Teeuwen, National Press Foundation In a world where misinformation can spread globally within minutes, crisis verification has become one of journalism’s most essential skills. Tal Hagin, director of Otus by Golden Owl, a service that connects vetted investigators with governments and organizations seeking reliable expert support, shared his expertise with NPF’s Widening the Pipeline fellows during the June virtual training. Hagin specializes in real-time verification, AI-generated content detection, verification protocols, and identifying misinformation or propaganda. Drawing from more than a decade of experience in open-source investigations, Hagin explained how the rise of social media, artificial intelligence, and digital manipulation has transformed the way journalists verify information during events. “It doesn’t matter how honest and meaningful and impactful what you write about is if you accidentally use the wrong video, if you use the wrong photo, if you accidentally mess up with one of the facts… in this day and age, any error that we make can have catastrophic consequences,” Hagin said. While traditional fact-checking often allows time for extensive research and multiple-source verification, crisis reporting requires journalists to make decisions quickly while maintaining accuracy and credibility. Hagin emphasized that using the wrong photo, video, or piece of information can have serious consequences. A single verification error can hurt an otherwise strong story and even harm the individuals affected by a crisis. As a result, journalists must manage the pressure to publish quickly while also ensuring their reporting is accurate. One of the biggest challenges facing journalists today is the growing domain of manipulated media. Hagin outlined several common forms of manipulation, including natural errors, repurposed images, Photoshop edits, deepfakes, computer-generated imagery (CGI), and AI splicing, which combines real footage with AI-generated elements. He noted that some of the most convincing misinformation is not entirely fabricated but instead uses real photos or videos that have been altered or presented in a misleading context. Using real-world examples, Hagin walked fellows through the process of identifying manipulated media and verifying content by spotting indicators that something may be wrong like inconsistencies in background, unusual details, mismatched locations, or signs that an image may have been taken from a different event. “AI splicing… is far more dangerous because this is the type of false AI imagery that has managed to trick major news networks, managed to trick renowned experts,” Hagin explained about image manipulation. “We have to realize that the tiny little wordings in how we decide to present information can mean everything to our audiences of how they’re going to view because of the assumptions that they make.” Hagin said journalists should focus on verifying the core evidence rather than being distracted by the emotional and political side of the story to determine whether a narrative is accurate or misleading. Often, investigating conflicts exposes journalists to graphic content making it challenging to not get personal during coverage, but the main goal is to report victims’ stories accurately. “Always think of yourself in a courtroom. That’s how I do my work. I always think of myself, if I was standing in the courtroom and I was judged on what I upload and could I justify my wording and what I said?” Hagin aims to ensure journalists have the right information to set the correct narrative. The consequences of not confirming validity of information can be dire. “I don’t want to ever accidentally claim that something is fake and then it turns out that the video is real and I’ve essentially just turned that victim into nothing and discredited their story.” Speaker: - Tal Hagin, Media Literacy Lecturer; Director of Otus, Golden Owl®'s Human Intelligence Marketplace This video was produced within the Evelyn Y. Davis studios. NPF is solely responsible for the content.