Values and pitfalls of user-generated content – the importance of verification

Tuesday, June 14 / 11.00 a.m. - 12.00 p.m. / Innovation Lounge

Content posted on Social Networks (user-generated content – UGC, or eyewitness media) has reached enormous dimensions. Nowadays, it is possible for anyone equipped with a smartphone to “report” from almost anywhere in the world, even as events unfold. Consequently, UGC – especially of a newsworthy nature – has grown in significance for professional news reporting. For journalists and news organizations, this implies checking and verifying UGC before it finds its way into the professional reporting process.

This presentation portrays related aspects. It shows what impact UGC has had and will continue to have on traditional news reporting, outlines challenges that still exist, and highlights ways of dealing with eyewitness media. A special focus will be on the verification of user-generated content.