Storyful verifying Sandy videos for Google crisis map

Social news agency Storyful is verifying and geo-locating YouTube videos for Google's Hurricane Sandy crisis map.

As it has done at the time of other natural disasters, Google's philanthropic initiative Google.org has launched a crisis map displaying the details of traffic conditions, power outages, evacuation routes and other information for areas affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Storyful, which sources and verifies content shared on social media on behalf of its news outlet clients, has been checking the videos are genuine, adding locations and pinning them to the crisis map.

Storyful, which was launched two years ago, has "a long-term relationship with YouTube and Google", editorial director David Clinch told Journalism.co.uk. The agency verified and curated videos on behalf of YouTube during the height of the Arab Spring and other major news events.

Clinch added that Storyful is also curating a playlist on YouTube which is the source for the so-called 'one box' search results. The playlist is displayed at the top of the results when anyone searches for 'Sandy' on YouTube.

Related reading: How to: verify content from social media

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