Split the claim into parts
Write down what the caption asserts: event, place, date or attribution. Search for the image's source, then compare the source's own wording with each part of that assertion.
Review the context
- Find a credible earlier publication where possible.
- Read the surrounding article, not just the image caption.
- Check whether the picture is labelled illustrative or archival.
- Record which parts of the claim remain unsupported.
A genuine flood photograph might be reused to illustrate a later flood in another location. Finding the image confirms reuse, but only the original context can help assess the new caption.
Report the specific mismatch
Say that the image appeared in a different documented context if that is supported. Avoid declaring every part of the new story false based only on the photograph. The purpose of the check is to narrow the claim to what the available evidence can sustain.
Continue with tracing an original source.
Published by Facehunch with AI assistance. How we use sources and maintain these guides.