The Documentary Film Academy has produced a free step-by-step guide for journalists who want to learn how to make documentaries.

In an introduction to the process, award-winning documentary filmmaker Sebastian Solberg has set out his 12 “essential steps” from researching the topic you want to cover to promoting the finished product.

The article below is taken from the Documentary Film Academy site and published here with Sebastian’s permission.

Documentary making – a step-by-step guide

Starting your journey in documentary filmmaking can often feel overwhelming. It can be challenging knowing where to start. So here are my 12 essential steps for making a documentary, filled with practical advice and insider tips to help you turn your idea into a compelling film.

You don’t have to be a professional to make a documentary film. In fact, I started out with no experience and a lot of questions. Since then I’ve gone on to create documentaries that have won awards, sparked social change, and attracted high-paying clients (you can check out my work here). And that’s why I founded the Documentary Film Academy in order to help beginners make their first documentary film.

1. Documentary Research

The best documentaries are the ones that come from a personal place. So, before anything else, you need to find a story idea that gets you excited and has interesting characters.

Do some initial research online and in your local libraries and bookstores to get an idea of what’s out there. But don’t just read about stories, watch them too. Not only will this give you a better understanding of the kinds of films that excite you, but you’ll also get some great ideas for your own project.

2. Choose a documentary narration style

There are many ways to categorise documentaries.

For example, film critic and theorist Bill Nichols categorised documentaries into six modes – poetic, expository, observational, participatory, reflexive and performative.

Nichols’ modes are written from an academic perspective and overlap narration style with subject matter and visual techniques. I think it is simpler to explain each of these elements separately.

So, instead, I have simplified Nichols’ modes down into four categories focussing purely on narration style as the distinguishing factor.

So, let’s get into it, here are the four main narration styles I use, when making a documentary:

Interview-led documentaries are based on interviews with the key people involved in the topic of the film. This type of documentary is typically used to explore a particular issue or event in depth.

Presenter-led documentaries are narrated by a presenter, who guides the viewer through the story. They can be used to tell any kind of story, from historical dramas to travel vlogs.

Observational-led documentaries are filmed entirely as if the viewer is an unseen observer, with no voiceover narration or interviews. This type of documentary is often used to capture reality in unscripted situations.

Narrator-led documentaries use a narrator to guide the viewer through the film, often providing additional information and insights that wouldn’t be possible in an observational or interview-led documentary.

It’s important to remember that often documentary films take elements from at least two, if not more of these styles. So when you’re looking for the best way to tell your story, don’t feel you’re limited to just one way of doing it.

Discover the pros and cons of each narration style here: Documentary Storytelling: Narration Style

3. Use a three-act documentary structure

Now that you have a good understanding of the documentary filmmaking process, it’s time to start thinking about your story. The best way to start is by using the Three-act Structure.

The Three-act Structure is a classic storytelling model that divides your documentary into three parts: Act 1 (Setup), Act 2 (Development), and Act 3 (Climax & Resolution). Each part has its own set of goals, which will help you map out the structure of your documentary.

For the beginning, your goal is to introduce your main characters and setting, and set up the conflict that will drive the rest of the film. In the middle, you’ll explore the conflict in more depth, and introduce new characters and subplots. And for the end, you’ll resolve the conflict and tie up all of the loose ends.

Dive deeper into documentary structure here: Master the Art of Documentary Storytelling in Three Acts

4. Find your documentary crew

Once you have your idea and equipment, the next step of documentary filmmaking for beginners is to find your team. You need to start assembling a group of like-minded individuals who are passionate about the topic you have chosen and can help make your project a success.

When looking for crew members, it’s important to consider what skills and insight they can bring to the project. Are you looking for an editor? A sound recordist? A cinematographer? All of these people play a key role in creating a successful documentary film.

Learn more about how to find your film crew here: How to Find a Film Crew to Help You Make Your Documentary

5. Create a documentary treatment

After you have thoroughly researched the topic of your documentary and gained a well-rounded understanding of it, you can then begin putting together a treatment.

Creating a treatment involves outlining the central focus and narrative of your documentary. It should include the main characters, key themes, what type of footage you want to capture, and any other information necessary to illustrate your vision.

A well-thought-out treatment is essential in helping you to organise your filming process, as it serves as an effective roadmap for when it comes time to begin shooting. It also gives potential crew members or collaborators an idea of what your documentary is going to look and feel like once it’s completed.

You can learn more about how to create a documentary treatment here: How to Create a Compelling Documentary Treatment

6. Create a documentary schedule & budget

With the research and planning phase complete, it’s time to create and stick to a schedule and budget. This is one of the most important steps in documentary filmmaking and sets the foundation for the rest of your project.

To put together your documentary schedule, break down each stage of production into manageable tasks that you can easily tackle in a set amount of time. Use any deadlines that are already in place as benchmarks, then plan out all necessary tasks from pre-production to post-production.

For creating your budget, consider things such as equipment rental, personnel costs, legal fees, travel expenses, etc. Make sure you add 10% of the total budget for any unexpected costs that may come up along the way. Having an estimated budget plan will help ensure you stay on track and on budget throughout production.

7. Choose camera equipment for your documentary

I’ve seen so many filmmakers starting out getting completely stressed out about what camera to buy to help them make their documentary and they hope it’s going to be a shortcut to improving their skills and validating themselves as a filmmaker.

But the truth is, and I’m sure you’ve heard this before, it’s far more important to master your skills as a filmmaker than invest in an expensive camera. So use whatever camera you have available to you, whether that a mobile phone or your friends Mirrorless camera.

8. Start shooting your documentary

Once you’ve finished your preparation, it’s time to start filming. As you film, be sure to get a variety of shots from different angles and distances. I like to use something called the five-shot rule to help with this:

1. So first up you’ll want to film a close-up of your subject’s hands to show what is being done.
2. Then film a close-up shot of your subject’s face.
3. Then a wide shot shows where the scene is taking place.
4. Then an over-the-shoulder shot of your subject.
5. And lastly, an unusual shot to show the scene unfolding – it’s up to you what camera angle you use. Just be creative with it, whether that means climbing up a tree to get a high angle, crawling on your belly to get a low angle or tilting your camera to get a dutch angle.

Using the five-shot rule will help you decide what angles to use when filming a scene, it’s especially useful if you have limited time to film. Once you’ve mastered the five-shot rule, you can add, subtract and mix up the angles you use when filming a scene and start to develop your own visual style.

Keep in mind that even if your footage isn’t perfect, don’t worry – that’s what editing is for. The goal here is just to capture enough material to make sure you can tell your story in the most compelling way possible.

9. Write a paper edit for your documentary

The next step in the documentary filmmaking process is to write a paper edit. This is the process of watching all of the footage you’ve shot and creating a paper edit. A paper edit is simply a written document that outlines the structure of your documentary film and includes notes about each scene. It’s also where you can make notes about transitions, music, and sound.

Writing a paper edit can be time-consuming but it’s an essential part of the filmmaking process. It will help you to stay organized and ensure that you have all of the footage you need for your documentary film before moving on to the editing stage.

10. Begin editing your documentary

Once you have all of your footage, it’s time to begin editing your documentary. This is where all the pieces and parts of your film come together to tell the story you want to tell. The process can be broken down into four steps: importing elements into the editing software, adding beats to the timeline, building the framework of your film, and refining and re-editing.

When you begin editing, start by importing all of your footage into your preferred editing software (I use Adobe Premiere Pro). Once your elements are inside, you’ll want to get familiar with each clip and start building an overall structure for the documentary. As you work through this step, consider where each beat should go using the three-act structure and what order they should be presented in to create a compelling story.

Once you have a basic framework built out onto the timeline, it’s time to refine and re-edit the film until it’s ready for its big debut!

Dive deeper into documentary editing: 6 Steps to Editing a Powerful Documentary

11. Colour grade, choose music & design soundscape for your documentary

The next step in the documentary filmmaking process is colour grading, music, and sound design. Once you’ve finished editing your film and have picture lock, it’s time to give your documentary its final touch.

Colour grading can make a huge difference in the look of your film by enhancing certain elements or creating a unique tone. With colour grading, you can manually adjust the colours of your video to give it a desired look and feel.

After colour grading comes music and sound design. You can find existing music or work with a composer to create a bespoke score for your documentary—and don’t forget about sound effects. Sound design is essential for setting the mood and creating an immersive experience. This could mean adding ambiance or creating sound effects from scratch.

12. Market & share your documentary film

When you have your documentary all finished and ready to go, the next step is to get it out there. You’ll want to start marketing your documentary using social media, email blasts and other forms of outreach. Generating buzz around your film is key to getting people interested in watching it.

Next, you should consider submitting your film to festivals or putting it online for people to watch. There are a few different options available when it comes to streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime or Vimeo, offering different levels of exposure and royalties. It all depends on what your end goal is with the film. Do you want as many people as possible to see it? Or do you want to make money from it? Knowing this will help you decide which distribution route is best for you.

Documentary Filmmaking Checklist

Making your first documentary can be tough with so much to do and plan. It’s easy to get lost and hard to know what to do next. That’s why I’ve created an easy-to-follow documentary filmmaking checklist. You can access it here: Documentary Filmmaking Checklist – after clicking that link you will be asked to submit your name and email address and the checklist will be sent to you.

The post How to make a documentary first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Fact-checking journalist Deepak Adhikari, the editor of Nepal Check, has shared a piece he wrote about the spread of AI-generated image following an earthquake in Nepal in November 2023. The article, below, explains how his organisation and others set about identifying the fake photographs. Deepak hopes the methods he and his team used will be of use to other journalists trying to combat the spread of fake images on social media and in other news output.

Social media is flooded with AI-generated images. Here’s how to detect them

By Deepak Adhikari, editor of Nepal Check

Following the devastating earthquake that struck Jajarkot district in Karnali Province in early November, social media users shared AI-generated images claiming to show the devastation caused.

One photograph showed dozens of houses ruined by the earthquake with people and rescuers walking through the debris. The photo was initially shared by Meme Nepal. It was subsequently used by celebrities, politicians and humanitarian organisations keen to draw attention to the disaster in one of Nepal’s poorest regions.

The image was used by Anil Keshary Shah, a former CEO of Nabil Bank and Rabindra Mishra, a senior vice president of National Democratic Party. (See archived version here and here)

When Nepal Check contacted Meme Nepal in an attempt to find the original source of the photo, they replied that they had found the image on social media.

A month on, the AI-generated images supposedly showing the aftermath of the earthquake continued. On December 14, 2023, Arjun Parajuli, a Nepali poet and founder of Pathshala Nepal, posted a photo claiming to show students studying in the ruins of the earthquake at Jajarkot. Parajuli. The poet attached the photo to a poem, had reshared the image from Manish Khadka, who identifies himself as a journalist based in Musikot of Rukum district.

Both these viral and poignant images were fake. They were generated using text-to-image generator platforms such as Midjourney, DALLE.

In the digital age it’s easy to manipulate images. With the rise of AI-enabled platforms it’s possible to generate images online quickly and convincingly. AI-generated images have evolved from amusingly odd to realistic. This has created further challenges for fact-checkers who are already inundated with misleading or false information circulating on social media platforms.

Fact-checkers often rely on Google’s Reverse Image Search, a tried and tested tool used to detect an image’s veracity. But Google and other search engines only show photos that have been previously published online.

So, how can one ascertain if an image is AI-generated? Currently, there is no tool that can determine this with 100% accuracy.

For example, Nepal Check used Illuminarty.ai and isitai.com to check the earthquake images to try to find out if they were generated using AI tools. After uploading an image to the platforms a percentage of how likely the image is to be generated by AI is shown.

Nepal Check contacted Kalim Ahmed, a former fact-checker at AltNews. He made the following observations about the image claiming to show devastation of the earthquake in Jajarkot.

• If you zoom in and take a closer look at the people they appear deformed and like toys.
  The rocks/debris just at the centre look like they’re straight out of a video game made in the late 90s or early 2000s.
• In the absence of a foolproof way to determine whether a photo is AI-generated, using observational skills and finding visual clues is the best way to tackle them.

A healthy dose of skepticism about what you see online (seeing is no longer believing), a search for the source of the content, whether there’s any evidence attached to the claim, and looking for context are powerful ways to separate fact from fiction online.

In a webinar in August this year organised by News Literacy Project, Dan Evon urged users to keep asking questions (is it authentic?). With the AI-images, their surfaces seem unusually smooth, which can be a giveaway, according to him. “Everything looks a little off,” he said.

Dan suggests looking for visual clues, adding that it was crucial to find out the provenance of the image. Experts caution that the virality of content on social media often stems from its ability to generate outrage or controversy, highlighting the need for careful consideration when encountering emotionally charged material.

In her comprehensive guide on detecting AI-generated images, Tamoa Calzadilla, a fellow at the Reynolds Journalism Institute in the US, encourages users to pay attention to hashtags that may indicate the use of AI in generating the content.

While AI has made significant progress in generating realistic images, it still faces challenges in accurately replicating human organs, such as eyes and hands. “That’s why it’s important to examine them closely: Do they have five fingers? Are all the contours clear? If they’re holding an object, are they doing so in a normal way?”, Tamoa writes in the guide.

Experts recommend that news media disclose information to readers and viewers regarding AI-generated images. Social media users are also advised to share the process publicly to mitigate the spread of misinformation.

Although the images purporting to depict the earthquake in Jajarkot lack a close-up view of the subjects, upon closer examination it becomes evident that they resemble drawings rather than real humans. Nepal Check also conducted a comparison between the viral AI-generated images and those disseminated by news media. We couldn’t find any such images that had been published on mainstream media in the aftermath of the earthquake.

The post How to detect AI-generated images first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Journalists can sometimes present an inaccurate or false version of events by making a simple common mistake. We either try too hard to ‘balance’ a story then end up distorting the facts, or we assess contributors or actors in our story as being roughly equal when in fact they are not.

This module looks at ways of avoiding two errors, applying ‘false equivalence’ and ‘false balance’.

These two errors, which are about making inaccurate comparisons, crop up frequently in journalism.

False equivalence is when you say that two or more things are the same, when in fact they are significantly different.

An example of false equivalence is to state that “politicians are all the same”. They are not. They might have similarities and some common attributes but that does not mean they are the same.

False balance is when a report suggests that two sides in a dispute have equally valid arguments, when in fact the evidence weighs heavily in favour of one side.

An example of false balance is the treatment of the climate change debate. Scientists come down heavily in favour of the proposition that human beings are causing, or at least helping to cause, global warming. A tiny minority, perhaps as low as three per cent, disagree, and it is false to represent the dispute as evenly-matched.

Ironically, many cases of false balance happen because the journalist is trying to avoid being biased.

When reporting a controversy, quite properly the journalist does not want to take sides.  But sometimes it is necessary to show that one side’s arguments and evidence are much more persuasive than the other side’s.

An example here is Donald Trump’s often-repeated claim that he won the 2020 US Presidential election. He has failed to produce any evidence to support that claim and has lost numerous court battles challenging the result. So it is false to present his claim as a viable argument.

False equivalence and false balance can both be used deliberately to mislead people. They are often used in misinformation and disinformation campaigns.

Or they can be examples of lazy thinking by the journalist.

Either way, they are inaccurate and care must be taken to avoid using them.

Things to remember in order to avoid using false equivalence and false balance:

• When you are tempted to say that two or more things are equal, ask yourself if you can justify the statement.
• If the comparison is likely to be controversial, explain why you think it is valid.
• Do not accept or repeat other people’s statements of equivalency, without testing their validity.
• When covering a dispute, make sure you reflect accurately all sides of the argument.  If some of the arguments are questionable, explain why.

It’s important to keep in mind that it is not biased to expose deficiencies in an argument, as long as you subject all sides to the same level of scrutiny.

Take a look at these other modules on Media Helping Media to help you keep your journalism up to the highest standards.

Unconscious bias and its impact on journalism

Impartiality in journalism

Accuracy in journalism

The post False equivalence and false balance first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Below are three excellent free training resources designed to help newsrooms “learn about the opportunities” and “support and grow all aspects of a news operation” by embracing AI.

They also include “writing guidelines for the role of AI in the newsroom.” The material has been produced by the AP, the LSE, and NiemanLab.

According to the AP, its course is “based on findings from AP’s research with local U.S. newsrooms and is designed for local news journalists and managers at all levels.”

The AP guide is designed to “Get your newsroom ready to incorporate technologies that include artificial intelligence to support and grow all aspects of your news operation.”

View the AP course.

In the first video in the AP’s course (link above), Jim Kennedy talks about how AP uses AI for “streamlining workflows and freeing journalists to focus on higher-order work” by “removing the grunt work that bogged down the news process every day”. Jim mentions how with some data-heavy journalism, such as sports stats and company financial results, content production increased tenfold.

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) course is “a guide designed to help news organisations learn about the opportunities offered by AI to support their journalism”.

The LSE says its guide will help news organisation decide how to embrace AI journalism “to make your work more efficient and serve your audiences better”.

View the LSE’s guide.

The NiemanLab has produced “Writing guidelines for the role of AI in the newsroom.” It says the material sets out “the importance of meaningful human involvement and supervision in the use of AI, including through additional editing and factchecking of outputs before publication”.

View the NiemanLab suggested guidelines.

For more background on the development of AI and how it impacts news, you might want to view David Caswell’s presentation on “Generative AI and Automation of Media”.

David Caswell is the founder of StoryFlow Ltd., an innovation consultancy focused on AI workflows in news production. He was formerly an Executive Product Manager at BBC News Labs, focused on AI-based new product initiatives. He previously led product management for machine learning at Tribune Publishing and the Los Angeles Times, and was Director of Product Management for Automated Content Understanding at Yahoo!. David has also researched and published extensively on computational, structured and automated forms of journalism, including as a Fellow at the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism.

The post The role of AI in the newsroom first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Documentaries are in-depth stories told in a more interesting way. They can range in length from 10 minutes to an hour for one episode although sometimes they can stretch to a series or podcast. A great documentary engages listeners and puts them at the heart of the storytelling.

So, what elements make for a superior documentary?

First of all, the story you tell must be compelling enough to sustain telling at length. That means there must be a number of connected strands in it which must be examined and then tied up at the end.

There must be a significant increase in understanding on the part of listeners. The documentary will have shed light on an issue and offered a signpost to the way ahead.

A great documentary is based on sound research in order to construct the central thesis or argument. Good research involves exploring not just who might speak but also what they might say. It will explore all the aspects of a story even though some might lead to dead ends or blind alleys.

Every line of script in the documentary will need to be based on evidence. Every assertion made in the script must be based in reality and accuracy. Even when interviewees are making a point of view, their opinion must be backed by facts you can independently verify.

If your documentary is based on a theory which requires an answer from a relevant organisation or authority make sure that interview is the last in the sequence. That way you can make sure every relevant question can be put.

When you are recording natural sound or a reporter piece into the microphone make sure you record from the heart of the action, so listeners feel they are embedded in the item. So if you are recording a market scene, stand right next to the customer and the trader, not 15 metres away.

Unlike a radio feature, the documentary medium allows listeners to breathe and take in the atmosphere. You should aim for a roughly one third split between script, interviews, and sound effects (including music and natural sound).

Separate out your recordings into one folder for interviews, one for natural sound effects, and one for music. Listen through to all the interviews and select strong clips of your interviewees. Factual information can go into your script. The interview clip is where you can let your subjects speak powerfully and with emotion.

Arrange the clips in the order you would like them to appear in the programme. When you’ve identified the clips, start writing the script.

Use natural sound and music to create the mood and atmosphere.

The programme should flow along at a reasonable pace, but remember to give time for the listener to breathe in the atmosphere.

When you’ve assembled the script, clips, music and natural sound in the order you would like, try reading out the script in relation to everything else.

When you’re happy it works well together, record your voice pieces.

Enjoy making documentaries!

The post Making documentaries for radio first appeared on Media Helping Media.

We edit audio because we do not always have the time on air to broadcast a whole interview. Before you start editing audio, always ask the editor or producer of the item how long the edited item should be.

Make sure you are familiar with editing software you are using.

Ask whether you need to edit a cut down of the whole interview including your questions or if you are to provide one or more clips of just the interviewee talking.

Listen to the whole interview all the way through once, taking note of key points and noting down a time code for each important point made by the interviewee.

Listen out for poor quality. If you can’t hear what’s being said, it’s unlikely your listeners will be able to.

There are two main ways to edit – amputation and filleting.

Amputation implies cutting short the whole interview or cutting out whole questions and answers.

Filleting means taking only the essential parts of each answer and cutting out a little of each answer.

Amputation risks leaving out relevant information while filleting can result in an interview which sounds disjointed and unnatural.

Allow interviewees to sound as if they are having a conversation. It is not your job to make the interviewee sound more fluent or more polished.

However if they interject with hesitations such as ‘um’ and ‘er’ or leave long pauses in their answers, you should consider editing some of these out if it helps the listener understand what is being said.

Be careful not to cut all the hesitations and pauses out because that can sound artificial and unnatural.

Never take one answer and edit it as a response to another question. This is unethical and unprofessional.

Radio is a medium that is based on your ears. That mean when you edit audio, try not to edit using just the screen. Pay more attention to how it sounds rather than how it looks on the screen.

When you have finished editing, always listen back to the finished edit to make sure you have fulfilled the brief you were given, that you have captured all the relevant points the interviewee made, and that you have represented the interviewees points fairly and accurately.

The post Editing audio for radio news first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Bulletins are designed to collect all the news that’s relevant into one specific broadcast, usually a few minutes long.

Each bulletin will have a variety of stories reflecting the latest information your listeners are interested in. They are not comprehensive. They should give a flavour of the main points of the stories.

If you are working for a small radio station you will probably be gathering and editing the material for the bulletins and reading them yourself. If you work for a large broadcaster you might be editing the bulletin for a presenter to read.

Stories will consist of the following types: a straight read by the presenter; sections of text followed by a clip or clips of audio; an introduction followed by a piece by a reporter.

Work backwards from the on-air time and give yourself enough time for preparation. For example, you need time to print off scripts, brief your presenter if necessary and to get to the studios.

If you are the bulletin editor you need to give journalists clear instructions about what they are expected to deliver, the length of the item they are producing, the format it is expected to take and when it is meant to be ready.

Give yourself time to look at the story and check it for grammatical and factual errors. Read it out loud to make sure it makes sense and can be easily understood by listeners.

When you have collected all the stories you will use for the bulletin, always add a couple of extra items if possible. This is to allow for technical errors with audio and so on.

Try to rank the stories in your bulletin in order of importance and give each story a weight.

For example, a story which impacts on everyone in the community will usually be stronger than one which only affects a handful of people. An outbreak of Covid-19 in town is more important than one about plans to upgrade a road in two years’ time. A story about a football result will carry less weight than one about deaths arising from a traffic accident.

Try to place connected stories together in the bulletin. For example, it would make sense to place a story about malaria next to one about health facilities.

Once you have ordered the stories, write your headlines. You don’t have to write one for each story, just the most interesting ones. Most bulletins will end with closing headlines as well.

Brief your presenter about the running order, when to expect soundbites and so on. Give them time to read the text through before they go live on air.

If you have a number of bulletins during the day, try to refresh the stories from bulletin to bulletin so they sound different each time. Stories have a shelf-life, but this can be extended by finding new angles, rewriting the introductions and so on.

Keep your listeners in mind at all times. They expect to hear the latest news in one place. It has to be accurate, timely, balanced, and interesting. Following these guidelines will help you to achieve this.

The post Editing radio news bulletins first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Many find it difficult to distinguish between credible and misleading content in today’s digital age. With the rise of social media, false and misleading information has become more prevalent, making it even more difficult for people to tell the difference between fact and fiction.

It’s the job of the journalist to try to find and present the truth, but fact-checking isn’t easy. It requires a methodological approach to verification.

Because many media outlets are profit-driven, sensationalist and clickbait content frequently takes precedence over fact-based journalism. As a result, trust in journalism as a whole has declined, while, at the same time, skepticism about the reliability of information published and shared has grown.

The preference of social media platforms for engagement and amplification has contributed to the information disorder. Indeed, credible and evidence-based information is in short supply, while false and misleading content continues to spread on social media.

Because of this it is critical to have a strong fact-checking system in place to combat the spread of false and misleading information.

A fact-checker must be skilled at digital investigation and willing to go the extra mile to uncover a kernel of truth. To assess the veracity of information accurately, fact-checkers must be trained in and have access to digital tools, techniques, and resources.

Fact-checking in action

At Nepal Check, we use both human intelligence and digital tools to verify information spreading online. Over the past six months, we have fact-checked a wide range of false claims, from political statements to health misinformation.

On the eve of the November 20 2022 elections in Nepal, we fact-checked screenshots purported to be from a secret circular issued by the ruling Nepali Congress urging its supporters not to vote for Maoist candidates.

Not only was the so-called “secret circular” made up. Election misinformation spreaders created screenshots of ‘news’ that claimed to have been published by reputable digital outlets and a newspaper in Nepal.

We dug deep into the misinformation spreaders to find out what party they were affiliated with. We found that the majority were affiliated with an opposition party that competed with the ruling alliance.

One of the fake news reports had a reporter’s byline. The claim was refuted by the reporter himself. In the fact-check, Nepal Check cited him. We also cited news outlets that claimed the screenshots were fake. In addition to relying on their statement, we checked the claims on news websites.

Finally, our investigation revealed that the Nepali Congress party’s Central Working Committee had not met in nearly three months when the meeting was claimed. We also used the occasion to explain how morphed screenshots are created. In doing so, we hoped to raise awareness about the technique so that people would think twice before spreading false information.

We fact-checked videos with false claims that Gagan Thapa, the general secretary of the Nepali Congress, promised freebies if elected prime minister. Thapa is a popular politician and is often the target of misinformation. The video claiming Thapa promised free smartphones, free petrol and a monthly stipend for the elderly had circulated on social media for several months.

To debunk the claim, we needed to find the original, full version of the video. So we started by looking up the video on YouTube. We discovered a video of the political function, but it lacked the section where Thapa was quoted. However, the video provided an important clue that a fact-checker can use to conduct additional research. It displayed the event’s date and location.

With this vital information, we were able to locate the event organizer’s Facebook page. A further Google search led us to the full version of the video, which had been published by a local television station. We found that Thapa’s statement had been taken out of context in order to spread misinformation.

Thapa had argued that while populist programs receive widespread support, they are difficult to fund. To disseminate misinformation, the video, which was more than an hour long, was edited down to a 22-second clip. We could verify this by following the claim back to its source, which is an important aspect of combating misinformation.

Human intelligence and engaging the audience

While the digital age creates opportunities for the spread of fake news, misinformation and disinformation, it also creates opportunities for fact checkers to follow digital trails in order to try to find the source and the veracity of the information being shared.

The fundamental journalistic skills of fact-checking are not new, they just need applying to the digital age. Our duty, as always, is to publish accurate, fair, objective, impartial and well-sourced information, backed by well-researched context and analysis. That has not changed. And digital tools are a massive help in the pursuit of robust and critical journalism. We just need to make sure we are using those tools as well as those who propagate falsehoods do.

All newsrooms must have a fact-checking team made up of dedicated journalists who are skilled in thorough research and diligent scrutiny in order to ensure that all information shared is a true representation of news events.

Below is a list of some of the tools Nepal Check uses, and how we use them.

Human intelligence

• Research who is behind the information being spread, try to find a trail of similar information to lead you to the source.
• Does the fake news item carry a byline? Does that person exist? If they do contact them. By doing so you might find a new lead in your search for the truth.
• Does what is being said stand up to historical scrutiny? Research and establish the sequence of events leading up to the claims.

Digital tools

• Is the evidence real or manipulated or used out of context?
• Are screenshots real or fake, can you find any evidence of the original material online or in print? If not, why not? Who could have created the screenshots and why?
• Is video being used? Has a clip been taken out of context? As a journalist you have a duty to search for the original, watch it in its entirety, and offer a more complete picture including the situation and circumstances in which it was shot in order to add context and relevance.
• When you find the original you will also discover the date and, possibly, the location of the original material. Do these match the details in the clip?
• Check all social media links back to the original source to find out what other material has been shared.

Engaging your audience

• Be totally transparent in your myth-busting research.
• Let those who read your journalism know the steps you took and the evidence you uncovered.
• By doing so you will help them understand more about fake news and empower them with the tools to do their own fact-checking.

The post Creating a strong fact-checking system first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Covering news is not just about reporting on unexpected and pre-planned events, it’s also about investigating beyond what is happening to find out why it has happened. And that is where ‘systems thinking’ comes in.

Journalists have a responsibility to report about the stories behind the news. We do this by adding in-depth research which adds context and helps the audience understand the issues being covered.

The team at Journalism + Design has created a free systems thinking toolkit for journalists based on exercises “developed through years of research and running workshops for news organisations”.

The toolkit contains an introduction to systems thinking for journalists, along with activities and ideas that reporters, editors, and newsroom leaders can use to explore new angles in their news coverage and help them explain complex situations simply and in a way that informs the public debate.

Media Helping Media is happy to recommend these free resources to all those who want to produce thorough, in-depth, and accurate journalism that enhances the understanding of the audience.

The Journalism + Design toolkit includes the following sections, each with exercises and corresponding slide decks that you can work through alone or with your team members. There is a helpful ‘how-to’ guide for those wanting to use the toolkit.

Apply a systems lens to your journalism

Journalism + Design says the tools have been created …

“… to help reporters and editors brainstorm creative opportunities to cover entrenched problems that don’t have easy fixes. Use them to explore the systems at the heart of your reporting and expand the possibilities for your journalism”.

Exercise 1: Visualise the systems in your reporting

“This exercise offers a simple tool called the iceberg model to help you dig deeper into individual events you’re reporting on and trace the underlying patterns, structures, and ideas that are producing them” – Journalism + Design

Exercise 2: Create a guiding vision for your reporting

“This exercise is geared to help you reflect on your own metrics for success, the motivations driving your reporting, and the potential for impact within the systems you’re reporting on” – Journalism + Design

Exercise 3: Identify key stakeholders + information needs

“This exercise can help you whether you’re starting a new project or beat, want new ideas for sources, or are interested in understanding the different people, organizations, and communities who can inform your reporting and help you understand the system you’re covering” – Journalism + Design

Exercise 4: Map your story as a system

“This exercise offers a simple tool for mapping an issue or beat you’re covering to look for new angles for your reporting and connections to explore. It can help you visualize the many forces at play in the systems you’re covering and the connections that drive them” – Journalism + Design

Exercise 5: Uncover patterns in your story

“During the reporting process, we see how the issues we cover are often perpetuated by cyclical patterns. We call these patterns feedback loops, which are a series of forces that connect to one another in a cyclical way. Feedback loops are the foundations of many systems and dictate how they function. While feedback loops can be hard to see and articulate, this exercise can help you identify core patterns that are at the heart of a problem you’re reporting on. Once you start uncovering feedback loops, it’s likely that you will start seeing them everywhere” – Journalism + Design

Exercise 6: Uncover assumptions + beliefs driving the system

“This exercise is a way to surface and interrogate our own assumptions, and those that fundamentally drive the nature of the systems we cover” – Journalism + Design

Exercise 7: Questions to ask and habits to build

“We’ve put together this list of habits you can build and questions to ask throughout the reporting process to help you take a systemic view and strengthen the impact of your journalism” – Journalism + Design

The post Systems thinking for journalists first appeared on Media Helping Media.

TV and radio steal something from you as you try to present news, features, and documentaries.

Part of who you are is diminished and there’s a serious risk of coming across flat, possibly a bit lifeless, and certainly without your usual, real-life character.

This is because you are being transmitted, on-screen in the case of television or online video, and through a speaker or headphones when listened to on radio or in an audio/podcast.

The way I describe it when training people how to broadcast, is to say that if, on a scale of 1 to 10, your personality is 7 (fairly engaging, expressive, and communicative), transmitted media will take you down to a 5, possibly even 4. You become a “flatter” version of yourself.

Let’s look at some practical tips to help overcome this when on-screen or on a microphone.

Television and video

Body language

The most obvious problem with being on-screen is that your three-dimensional personality is now being transmitted in two dimensions. This is especially notable when presenting in a studio behind a desk, where you have limited options when it comes to movement.

Framing for video makes it unnatural for a person to be moving notably side-to-side or up and down – it would be very odd for a presenter to be bouncing up and down to any degree!

With those two dimensions restricted, you have to try to steal back some of the third dimension, the forward-backward axis. Again, it’s not natural for a presenter to lurch back and forth, however, subtly leaning forward or leaning back, and straightening up, can give the sense to the viewer that you are engaging them in a more personal manner.

In my case, when reading news bulletins or hosting talk shows, I combine subtle leaning forward and straightening up again with head tilting and positioning.

There is nothing wrong with looking down at the papers on the desk, even if you’re not specifically reading from them. In fact, it’s natural to look down and take a quick glance at notes.

This prevents the problem many presenters have of being transfixed to the autocue/teleprompter, staring like a deer in headlights, worried that looking away will cause the words on the prompter to disappear.

Try leaning forward a little while looking down at notes, then from the leaning forward position, just tilt your head up to look back into the camera for a couple of moments as you continue reading the bulletin. You can then gently straighten up your body as you continue to read.

These subtle moves in the third dimension – that forward-backward axis – will make it feel to the viewer that you are coming a little closer to them from time-to-time.

To take it to the next level, feel free to put subtle expression into your face. Use a slight raising of the eyebrows to emphasise something (this works especially well when leaning forward a little).

A face should never be rigid with no expression so feel free to add some facial movement.

The key is not to look like you are locked in a box, even though technically you are because you are limited to the two-dimensional parameters of a flat screen.

Also, don’t be afraid to move your notes across the desk. This helps to keep your scripts in line with what is on the teleprompter, and that is useful if, for some reason, the prompter fails.

Do, however, pay attention to moving the notes quietly and gently so the audio of papers being shuffled is not picked up on your microphone.

A trick I learned many years ago while working in radio was to “crumple” my script papers. This involved me grabbing each sheet of paper and squeezing it on the side of the hand with which I move the scripts in order to crunch it up a bit. This prevents the papers from feeling like they are stuck together. It’s a useful little trick.

I had watched a veteran radio news reader doing this before he went live, on-air and, later, when I asked why he had done this he said that it helps him gently lift the sheets of paper to put them to one side rather than struggling to get a grip on the edge of very flat papers lying on top of each other.

Initially I received funny comments from the studio director and others in the newsroom, however they did appreciate it when I was able to move papers silently.

Appearance

Some of this might sound obvious but it is surprising how many people are not aware of the need to pay attention to one’s appearance when on screen.

For example, bright or oversized jewellery can be distracting. This can include earrings, bracelets, broaches, etc., or even rings and watches in the case of men. These should be avoided so viewers don’t spend their time and attention on those rather than on you and what you’re saying.

In the case of outfits, loud, over-colourful or excessively flamboyant clothing can be distracting. Also patterns and designs, especially in the case of men’s suits, jackets or even shirts lines, strips, chequered designs or squares – and particularly herringbone – can play havoc with the camera, causing what is often called “moire” (pronounced “mwhar” or sometimes “mwah-ray”).

When using chroma key for creating a studio background there are further considerations.

Chroma key is often called “green screen” because that is the most commonly used colour as a backdrop, although, in theory, many colours work and weather presenters often perform in front of a blue screen.

When using chroma key it is, of course, important not to wear anything that matches the colour of the chroma key background (green, blue, etc.), otherwise it will cause a major problem to the integrity of your image.

Chroma key offers remarkable options but needs to be done properly to avoid the final result looking fake or inconsistent.

Make-up

This should look natural and not exaggerated whether for men or for women. Just something to note, it is always good to learn some basic make-up application yourself because it could be useful if needed at short notice, for example, while reporting on location, etc.. Even some basic, “studio fix” powder can work well to reduce the shiny areas most of us have under video/studio lighting. Learn your skin colour and find a powder to match. If you use the wrong colour it can look exaggerated and unappealing. Be proud of who you are and be the best you!

Voice

This applies to working in radio or recording a podcast as well as with on-screen work. Much of the “stolen character” is the result of how your voice comes across when broadcasting.

For many people, as soon as a microphone or camera is involved, there is a tendency to become “flatter” in terms of expressiveness. Sometimes this is because of the effort of focussing on the content, and sometimes it’s simply because of nervousness. It can even just be the result of being naturally soft or low-key when speaking normally.

The outcome is that your voice will have relatively less volume and expressiveness in terms of inflection, emphasis, and variation in tone.

During training sessions, I usually start by telling people to raise the volume of their voice, as if they are talking to someone who is farther away. The reaction I usually get is that they are worried they will sound like they are shouting. However, when I record the before and after, they are usually surprised at how they come across with more presence.

The next step is then to get them to start emphasising certain words. This can be done not only by putting more stress on the word, as we all tend to do when emphasising something, but also to add a very short pause before the word, or adding an inflection.

It might feel strange to you at first, almost like you are faking the way you are speaking, but with practice, it can come across not only as natural but with more character and authority.

I compare this to actors having to project when on stage in the theatre and those being recorded with microphones when filming movies. Theatre work requires more projection – a “larger” version of one’s self in order to connect with the audience.

One thing to try to be aware of is how audible your breaths are as you speak. There are many broadcasters who suck in air between sentences in a very noticeable way and, unfortunately, once you notice it, it becomes harder not to be a bit distracted by it.

Try not to be in a rush. I have always had the bad habit of speaking very quickly. This is not a good thing, especially when broadcasting internationally to an audience where many people would have English as a second language. It has taken me time and conscious effort to slow myself down – and even then, I could do more.

Take your time and focus on delivering the content in a measured way at a good pace. The BBC used to have a rough guide of three words per second, but I think things have sped up a bit since then. Still, it’s in your interest to make sure that people get to hear everything you have to say, so, as well as the tone, emphasis, inflection (and, hopefully well-written content), you need to control the pace of delivery.

Don’t be afraid to pause. A second is only a second, even though it might feel like a lifetime when live on air. Good pacing will also reduce the chance of mistakes.

Remain relaxed, remember to breathe evenly, and not so audibly that it’s distracting! As much as possible try to enjoy the job of broadcasting.

Yes, it does involve a certain amount of “acting”, but, done well, it can significantly improve your presence and authority as a broadcaster.

Radio

I have already covered how to improve the use of your voice in the section above, but there are a couple of extra considerations that apply to radio in particular.

Microphones for on-screen broadcasting are usually discreet, fitted to the lapel of a man or woman’s jacket or hidden as much as possible on any other outfit so that the cable is not dangling and distracting.

These lapel mics, often called lavaliers, are in a fixed position on one’s body. As a result they are fairly consistent in how they record your voice. You should also be aware that their position on your body will affect the tone and depth of your voice, as well as how prone they might be to picking up background noise.

In the case of audio-only recording, you have much more flexibility in how you control the “feel” of your voice. This is one of the reasons I’m such a big fan of radio. It’s possible to change the mood of one’s voice simply by positioning the proximity of one’s mouth with the microphone. It takes practice but can add a great feel to the audio content, such as a warmer tone with more bass notes when speaking up close to the mic.

Any time you are reading from script papers on radio, where teleprompters generally don’t exist, the “crumpling” of the papers and notes is even more useful in avoiding extraneous and distracting noise, so use that trick to separate the sheets for more easy handling.

Writing content for audio as opposed to video is a whole learning session in itself, but needless to say, the mood, feel, and expression in your voice is all the more important in radio or on a podcast, where there are no pictures to guide the story.

Conclusion

There is quite a lot to consider when maximising your potential as a broadcaster in order to best engage with your audience.

Many of the tips I have shared may seem obvious but are often overlooked. The main point is to be as natural as you can so that you can come across as the best version of you as a broadcaster, you don’t have to mimic anyone else.

Being relaxed, feeling in control, and actually trying to enjoy the job of being a broadcaster is central to coming across as a good, engaging communicator.

It may be somewhat subconscious but viewers and listeners can actually “feel” the mood of those to whom they listen and watch so try to put the most positive energy you can into your work.

Good luck!

Below are some interviewing techniques that might help presenters who conduct live interviews.

The post The art of engaging viewers and listeners first appeared on Media Helping Media.