Flight MH17 Searching for the Truth Power Reporting 2015 Wits University, Johannesburg David Crawford CORRECT!V

MH17 Where is the public interest?

When should we investigate? When we have something important to say When the story requires intensive research

Our investigative goals Know everything Get all the files Know everything Get all the files

Things to find Dutch investigation report Satellite images

Things to find Photos Art Animation 

Things to find A story 

Where to look

Be confident We have the right to interview people and view documents

We don’t beg for access We force it German foreign ministry Projected questions

First find the easy information Web-based information Russian social media Press conferences

First the easy information Ask your colleagues to suggest sources

Analyse news stories Bellingcat

Other sources Commercial registries

How to find secret files?

Collect whole sets of documents

Russian soldiers in social media Download it fast

Look for absurd sources CORRECT!V goes to court sues for documents

Files rarely tell the whole story Find other sources

Human sources

“Yes people” and “No people“ Lots of people can say „no“ press officers

“Yes people” and “No people“ Only a few people can say „yes“ Rupert Smid

Avoid „no“ people German Ministry of Defence

Help the „yes“ people Rupert Smid

Don’t offer protection Just protect the source if necessary I meet with an informant. He knows everything about Russian warfare.

How to identify potential sources? Read your competition

Voluntary sources NGOs

Unwilling partners Government officials Companies

Beware of volunteers Especially other journalists

How do you gain trust?

Never ask a question If the answer is easy to find elsewhere

A „No“ is hard to change into a „Yes“ Avoid asking questions that will lead to a „No“

Plan interviews Plan three meetings with key sources

Plan interviews How to get there When to go 

East Ukraine is a war zone 

Plan interviews Fill your notebook first Ask hard questions last 

Plan interviews Ask interview partners to suggest new sources 

I demand from sources Reliable answers to every question Complete access to documents

Communicate your goals We have a project

What separates good stories from outstanding stories? Unwilling sources

We can force sources to talk So no concessions

We can force sources to talk Don’t give your source a veto

We can force sources to talk Lawsuit demanding documents Ambassador, Christof Weil, in Kiev

Have patience

Interview partners might hide Wait them out

How reliable is my source?

Check the reliability? Compare details with documents and info from other sources

Check the reliability? Is the source willing to answer questions completely

Check the reliability? Look for new sources

Finally Factcheck everything Including your own pet theories

Take the next step David Crawford Thanks