Chapter 4: Verifying Images Trushar Barot is assistant editor at the Social Media and User Generated Content hub at BBC News1. He has worked in the British media for the past 15 years, across newspapers, TV, radio, online, social and digital. Over the past 4 years, he has helped develop and implement BBC News’ social media strategy and its “social newsroom” at its new headquarters in Central London. He tweets at @trushar2. One powerful image can define a story. That was certainly the case for BBC News’ User Generated Content hub in the beginning of July 2005. It had been one week since the initial pilot team was set up to help collate the content being sent to BBC News by its audiences, and help get the best of it shown across TV, radio and online. Then the July 7 bombings in London happened. That morning, as the BBC and other news organizations reported a power surge on the London Underground, the UGC team started seeing a very different story emerging via content sent to BBC News directly from its audience. Photo: Alexander Chadwick This was one of the first images the team received. Before it was broadcast, the image was examined closely and the originator was contacted to verify his story and the details of what 35