Videos from the Gaza war may provide information for the media, but they also raise concerns about sources and credibility, making it difficult to handle, especially with the near-total absence of journalists in northern Gaza and the spread of fabricated materials on social media, according to a detailed report by the Associated Press.
In the current war, journalists’ access to the ground is extremely limited, and there is a large amount of videos available online. The challenge facing news media is that much of it is disturbing and needs scrutiny, and most of it is fake.
The report pointed out that some videos provide important evidence about the events and developments of the war. News organizations are intensifying the training of journalists specialized in such open-source reporting, and a new type of investigative journalism and fact-checking has emerged, according to the agency.
While journalists’ access to battle areas in northern Gaza is limited, a flood of video clips from all kinds of sources documents what is happening and what is not, requiring skills from investigative journalists who search the videos to verify their credibility.
In news organizations, the process of sifting through online materials to determine what is real and uncovering evidence, sometimes used to connect stories, has become increasingly important and often emotionally exhausting.
Katie Polglase, investigative producer for CNN in London, said, “It has become a key part of doing journalism in the modern age.”
CBS News last week announced the launch of “CBS News Confirmed”, the formation of a team to use data and technology to study online evidence.
Earlier this year, a similar unit, “BBC Verify,” was formed to enhance research methods in open-source reporting and assist global media in verifying sources and reliability.
In a related context, Agence France-Presse provides a fact-checking service, and there are several investigative sites specialized in researching fake and false materials and rumors.
As an example of the growing efforts, an Associated Press report pointed out that several American and international media outlets resorted to in-depth evidence search in videos about the bombing of the Baptist hospital, and there was caution in drawing conclusions, given the inability to examine the evidence on the ground.
In researching videos related to the war, there are many horrifying things, such as images of mutilated corpses, blood-stained children, bodies being pulled from under the rubble, and people in shock from losing their loved ones. The impact of seeing such scenes can be difficult and emotionally affecting, and may cause trauma.
The report noted that much of the material now available online comes from previous conflicts and events, including in Gaza itself, presented as new. Search engines are available to help determine the truth, and sometimes, images from video games are published as real, but experts usually manage to detect them.
On November 7, journalist Mohammed Abu Hasira of the Palestinian News Agency “WAFA” was killed along with many family members in a bombing in Gaza City, and the majority of journalists left northern Gaza Strip due to fierce battles.
The official Palestinian media, in a statement, considered “targeting journalists and their families part of the genocide war waged by Israel on the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” while the Israeli military did not comment on the death of journalist Abu Husseira.
With the death of Abu Husseira, the number of journalists working in the official Palestinian media killed rose to five, and at least 27 journalists have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the war between Israel and Hamas began after the October 7 attack, according to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.
The war between Israel and Hamas erupted after a surprise attack by the movement on military sites and residential areas adjacent to the Gaza Strip on October 7, resulting in the death of 1,200 people, mostly civilians including women and children, and the abduction of 239 people, according to Israeli authorities.
Since then, Israel has responded with intensive air, sea, and ground bombardment of the besieged enclave, followed by a ground operation that is still ongoing. The death toll in Gaza reached 11,180, including 4,609 children and 3,100 women, in addition to 28,200 injured and more than 2,700 missing under the rubble, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry announced on Sunday.
