Writing about the Russian invasion of Ukraine means taking arms against a sea of misinformation. The Russian government is lying on an astonishing scale, but we can’t always trust information from the Ukrainian side either. In war, there’s always a tendency to paint the enemy in the worst light possible, and sometimes that includes making up facts. In the modern era, it includes faking videos.

Distinguishing authentic videos, which present what they claim they do, from fakes isn’t easy. These are some of the fakers’ tricks:

• Splicing pieces of legitimate videos to give a misleading impression. Example: Pushing a statement into a context where it seems to mean something different from what the speaker intended.
• Altering the content of a video. Example: Putting one person’s head on someone else’s body.
• Using a video from a different event and making false claims about it. Video games have gotten so realistic that they’re sometimes a source of fakes. Example: Presenting a military exercise as an attack.
• Using actors, models, and props. Example: Presenting an attack that never happened.
• Misattributing the source. Example: Creating a fake and then claiming it’s from CBS News.

To make things more complicated, there are fake fakes. Some videos are claimed to be fakes but aren’t, even if the accusation has some credibility. For example, a video from Ukraine was called a fake because of a firefighter’s jacket that showed the name of Edmonton, Alberta. However, this one was real (I think); the jacket was a donation from Canada.

It isn’t easy for a writer to tell legitimate videos from fakes. One from a major news organization is more trustworthy than something a stranger (or even a friend) posts on Facebook or YouTube, but they can be fooled too. Hoaxers can put a reputable source’s logo into a fake video. Many fakes are of poor quality; if the images are blurry or the shadows look wrong, be cautious. Don’t let the narrator talk you into seeing things that aren’t there.

If the source is a satire site such as the Onion or the Babylon Bee, be skeptical. Be very skeptical.

If a video looks dubious, search on its title or key phrase plus the word “hoax.” Others may have spotted it as a hoax. (But watch out for fake fakes, especially when someone has a motive to discredit a video. Treat anything from RT as worthless.)

If the accompanying information isn’t specific enough to fact-check, take it as a warning. The video or accompanying information should tell you when and where the event happened.

When using a video as a source, don’t express more confidence than it warrants. Sometimes it’s better to say “This video appears to show…” rather than “This video shows…” Give information about the source, so your readers can do their own fact checking.

Here are a few articles on spotting fake videos:

• Washington Post
• Lifehacker
• Scambusters