Journalism
35 mins
Capturing, Storing & Sharing Video Evidence
- Abstract:
- This course will provide you with an overview of what you need to consider when you are filming in an environment where human rights violations may be taking place. You’ll learn about different ways of filming and the importance of maintaining the integrity of your video content so it can potentially be used as evidence in a court of law.
- About this course:
- Because of smartphones, it is now more possible than ever to carry around a high quality video camera in your pocket. The ability to record and upload content is now in the hands of many, not just the journalist or dedicated activist. Footage from ‘citizen journalists’ is widely available on social media but is this footage suitable for the courts?In this course we'll pass on some tips and techniques to give you the best possible chance of making your video footage useful, reliable and acceptable in a legal context. We’ll look at what to film, how to film it and what to do with the footage once you press the stop button.
- What do I learn:
- You will learn about the kind of content that is useful to shoot when exposing human rights violations and how to pass on that footage in a way that doesn’t compromise its usefulness.
- What do I need to know:
- This course is useful for anyone who is interested in the possibility of filming potential human rights violations with the aim of making that footage available in a legal context or wants to enhance it’s value for use in advocacy work. You should have a working knowledge of a camera and be comfortable with transferring files from your camera to computers and other systems.
Trainers
Raja Althaibani
Raja is human rights defender and citizen journalist with strong experience in Yemen and across the MENA region.
Yvonne Ng
Yvonne Ng is an audiovisual archivist and the Archives Program Manager at WITNESS. Working at the intersection of human rights, technology, and human rights, Yvonne supports and trains grassroots activists on collecting, managing, and preserving video evidence for advocacy and evidence. Yvonne holds an MA in Moving Image Archiving and Preservation from New York University.
- 1.1 Introduction to course1.2 Safety First1.3 Video for legal purposes1.4 Quiz: Safety
- 2.1 Your role: The intentional documenter2.2 What, Who & How2.3 The Collection Plan2.4 Quiz: What, who and how
- 3.1 Metadata: What is it?3.2 More metadata tips3.3 Filming Tips3.4 Writing a camera report3.5 Quiz: Filming key points
- 4.1 Chain of custody4.2 Protecting your footage4.3 Managing your media4.4 Organising and tracking your footage4.5 Quiz: Protecting your footage
- 5.1 Sharing your footage with a trusted few5.2 Sharing your footage publically5.3 Quiz: Sharing your footage
- 6.1 Conclusion
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