The Storyful Podcast

Before Saudi Arabia offered any official explanation for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at its Istanbul consulate on October 2, there was a steady drip of information coming from Turkish security sources – from the amount of time Khashoggi spent in the consulate, to the more gruesome details of his death.

In the days following Khashoggi’s disappearance, journalists around the world worked to create a picture of the events – much of which contradicted the official line coming from Riyadh.

Here at Storyful, we took the information that was emerging at early stages and, with the help of open source tools, began to search extensively for any corroborating evidence. Once details of the 15 suspects in the case had been published, we were able to uncover more about them with the help of official Saudi websites, local media archives, and personal social media accounts.

One of our senior journalists, Razan Ibraheem, worked extensively on the story from the beginning, and not only uncovered evidence of the suspects’ links to the Saudi government, but also tracked an online campaign against Khashoggi’s fiancee in the period after his killing.

Our latest podcast explores the verification work that we did to uncover the truth in this case.

We’ve all become aware of the role that social media has played in political discourse in recent years. The political and social reverberations of information and disinformation posted on social platforms have rocked the world, shaken up journalism forever, and, in the eyes of many analysts, legislators and investigators, posed a threat to the democratic process as we know it. 

Since Storyful was founded, our focus has been on the sourcing and verification of usable content from open platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. But, with the growth of fringe platforms and their influence on what’s appearing on open platforms, we've had to find a way to delve deeper, to uncover and chart the flow of misinformation and disinformation.

Enter News Intelligence, a data-driven analysis of social media platforms by our team of journalists. This team has devised ways of understanding the flow of information and disinformation from the fringes to the mainstream. We believe the work this team is doing, in-depth, detailed and painstaking, is akin to the investigative reporting of old: the principles and methods remain the same. 

In this episode of the Storyful podcast, and with an eye on the US midterms this November, we ask the question: is news intelligence the antidote to what we’ve come to know as fake news in election coverage?

In recent years, social media challenge videos have become increasingly popular. From the good natured ice bucket and ‘in my feelings’ challenges to the more dangerous neknomination and cinnamon snorting challenges - online trends have grown in many forms. It’s easy to witness the growth of these trends and roll our eyes at it all. But the ever-tempting hunt for likes and shares has prompted social media users to take greater risks online, with the challenges becoming wilder and progressively more dangerous. 

For instance, in January, the tide-pod challenge briefly became an online phenomenon. It saw teens consuming laundry detergent on camera in a bid to impress viewers. But the trend sparked concerns from health experts who warned the pods were poisonous and potentially lethal when consumed. 

Another popular and consistently recreated stunt has been has been the cinnamon challenge. It involves participants eating one spoonful of ground cinnamon, which can cause considerable irritation, nausea and even asphyxiation. The challenge, which saw a surge in trending videos in 2014, even featured on reality television shows such as Big Brother. Again, health agencies warned of dangers, saying the challenge could cause serious health problems, including inflammation and scarring of the lungs.

Most of these trends, although potentially harmful, have not to date proved fatal. However, things took a more sinister turn with the reported appearance of the trend dubbed the Blue Whale suicide game, an online bullying game that reportedly sees an online administrator torment a vulnerable young person over 50 days, culminating in the suicide of the victim. 

So, are these online copycat trends just another example of the wild and unchartered waters of the internet, or should we be treating these as a public health issue? And what approach should mainstream media outlets take in their reporting of these trends?

In our latest podcast, we discuss some of the whackier trends we’ve seen here at Storyful and speak to a number of scientists who are conducting research in this area.

The 2018 World Cup begins in Russia this week, with football at last having a chance to take center stage after a run-up dogged by accusations of bribery, geopolitical tensions, concerns about racism and homophobia in Russian football, worries about hooliganism, and problems with freedom of the press. 

For millions of people, the World Cup is remembered for epic highs and lows from across the years and decades: Hurst's hat-trick, Maradona's Hand of God, Gazza's tears, Baggio's penalty miss, Zidane's final goals, and final headbutt.

Storyful will be there to monitor all the World Cup activity on social media. We’ll be documenting the big stories, but also watching for memes on the sidelines. Will it be another summer of golden moments, to be remembered for years to come? Or have the shadow of FIFA corruption and the machinations of Putin's Russia made such innocent joy a thing of the past?

To discuss all this and more, Laura Byrne is joined by investigative journalist [Hajo Seppelt](https://twitter.com/hajoseppelt), of German broadcaster ARD, who was instrumental in reporting extensive doping in Russia. He was earlier denied entry to Russia by authorities, but FIFA intervened and it looks like he’ll be there. We also speak to [Eliot Rothwell](https://twitter.com/EliotRothwell), an ESPN reporter based in Moscow, who tells us that the ordinary Russian fan just wants to watch good football. Our analysis is provided by JJ Worrall, Storyful’s Trends Editor.

Every year, mobile content creators gather in the Irish city of Galway for Mojofest, a conference dedicated to the rapidly evolving world of mobile journalism. As always, Storyful was there, and in this short Mojo Bites series we’re bringing some of the most interesting conversations to you. 

And for our final Mojo Bite you’ll hear from Sarah Htett, who trains people in Lebanese refugee camps … But first, here’s Bjorn Staschen, who runs the Next News Lab with Germany’s NDR television.

Every year, mobile content creators gather in the Irish city of Galway for Mojofest, a conference dedicated to the rapidly evolving world of mobile journalism. As always, Storyful was there, and in this short Mojo Bites series we’re bringing some of the most interesting conversations to you. 

In the third of our Mojo Bites series, you’ll hear Storyful’s Rhona Tarrant speaking with Rob Freijssen, the editor-in-chief at the public local broadcaster OPEN Rotterdam, a Dutch news outlet using citizen journalists to tell hyperlocal stories.

In the second of our Mojo Bites series, we discuss the rise of the social media influencer and vlogger. In 2017, the social media influencer market was valued at $2 billion, but this is set to reach a whopping $10 billion by 2020, according to Ad Week. Love it or hate it, this market is growing and it’s here to stay. 

Large brands have recognized the value of linking in with successful vloggers, influencers and celebrities to harness the power of their large following. So, does this spell the end of the Ad Guys, the Mad Men of advertising as we traditionally know it? And if so, what are the new rules of engagement for brands in this space, given some reports of influencers buying followers and also some talk of a growing trend towards live vlogging?

Here at Storyful we identify what’s real, what’s relevant and what’s valuable for brands across the complex social media landscape, allowing creative agencies and brands to harness social media and the power of influencers, and to strategize the best social campaigns.

Our panelists for the second of our Mojo Bites are:

[FIONA MAGUIRE](https://twitter.com/mamma_magic): Mojo Vlogger.

[JOANNE SWEENEY-BURKE](https://twitter.com/tweetsbyJSB): CEO of Digital Training Institute.

[MEAGHAN MCKEON JOYCE](https://twitter.com/MeaghanMcJ): Producer for ‘BalconyTV Galway’.

[WYTSE VELLINGA](https://twitter.com/WytseVellinga): Mobile Storyteller - Omrop Fryslân.

Every year, mobile content creators gather in the Irish city of Galway for Mojofest, a conference dedicated to the rapidly evolving world of mobile journalism. As always, Storyful was there, and in this short Mojo Bites series we’re bringing some of the most interesting conversations to you. 

First Bite: Has Stories Killed the Newsfeed? 

One of the panels at this year’s conference asked if Instagram had finally taken Snapchat’s crown as the most influential platform in that market. What emerged from the discussion, though, was more of a commentary on the Stories format, and how it has begun to emerge as the feed of choice. So, are we looking at the end of the newsfeed model? One panelist certainly thinks so. 

In the first of our Mojo Bites series, we speak to the journalists and photographers who are using Instagram and Snapchat to change how they connect with their audiences, and ask them where they see this technology going. Our guests include: 

[NUSAIBA MUBARAK](https://twitter.com/Nusi22): Formerly of TRT World, starting her own media venture.

[DAN RUBIN](https://twitter.com/danrubin): Designer, Photographer & Creative Director.

[J’AIME SPEZZANO](https://twitter.com/UneasyMovie): Actor and Travel Photographer.

[LISA HAYDEN](https://twitter.com/leeshayden): Digital Content Manager with Ireland’s Gaelic Athletic Association.

[SUMAIYA OMAR](https://twitter.com/snap_sumaiya): Co-founder of Hashtag Our Stories.

Voters in Indonesia will shortly go to the polls in local elections that are seen as an indicator of the political mood ahead of next year’s presidential elections. It’s a new democracy, just 20 years old, having been transformed in 1998, when President Muhammad Suharto resigned after 32 years in power, amid rioting and violence.

The current government is headed by President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi - a moderate reformer who was elected in 2014\. Indonesia is dealing with some very modern problems, including the all- too-familiar spread of fake news - something we’ve seen play out in western democracies over the past few years.

Fake stories about attacks on mosques, blasphemous politicians, even plastic rice are being generated and widely shared online.

They’re stoking up political tensions.

Storyful has been monitoring this story, and in this episode of The Storyful Podcast, we take a look at how things are developing ahead of the local elections.

The Eighth Amendment to the Irish Constitution, recognising the equal right to life of the unborn and the mother, was passed by referendum in 1983 after a contentious campaign. While abortion had been illegal in Ireland since the mid-19th century, the amendment meant that any future legislation could only permit abortion in Ireland in limited circumstances, where the life of the mother was at risk.

The amendment has proven to be one of the most controversial legal measures in the history of the Irish state, and abortion has been frequently debated since. In a 1992 referendum, which followed the case of a 14-year-old girl pregnant after being raped, two further amendments were passed, allowing women the right to access information on abortion abroad, and the freedom to travel abroad for such a procedure.

In 2013, the Irish parliament passed the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act, for the first time setting out the conditions under which a legal abortion could be performed in Ireland. 

This month, on May 25, the Irish people will vote again on the issue of abortion. The question they’ll be asked is whether or not they agree to repeal the Eighth Amendment, allowing the government to legislate more broadly for abortion. 

The campaigning has been as contentious and divisive as ever. But with one crucial difference – in the 80s and early 90s, there was no internet, no online campaigning, no Google ads, no Facebook pages. 

In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and amid questions surrounding the role of social media in the Brexit and the US presidential votes, the Irish abortion referendum is serving as another important test case for the impact of social media on the democratic process. Online campaigning is a field that, for now, is outside the remit of regulation. Unlike with traditional media, there is no requirement for transparency, no accountability in terms of fundraising and advertising spend, none of the strict rules around accuracy and balance that govern coverage.  

This lack of accountability and transparency has been much reported on in Irish and international media, eventually prompting Facebook and Google to take steps to curb advertising relating to the campaign. After these moves, the question remains: has the time for self-regulation of tech companies passed? And if so, how do democratic governments legislate for and oversee online campaigning, without restricting free speech? With the US midterm elections coming in November, should US legislators be watching closely to see what happens in Ireland?

We at Storyful have been following the online campaign closely as part of the news intelligence work we do here. Today, our podcast team look at the results of our work on this referendum, and discuss what comes next.

#podcast #socialmedia #journalism #news #storyful #fakenews #media #elections #democracy #referendum