Scanning Of Conflicting Information Sources A Case Study Based Approach
1. International SOS Control Risks
Scanning Of Conflicting Information Sources: A Case Study Based Approach
30 January 2015
2. 2
Contents
• Travel Security Services and Information
• Implications of incorrect information
• Biases
• Case studies of conflicting information sources
• Inferences from case studies
• What the GIC needs to be weary of?
• Red flags while scanning
• General scanning tips
• Advice from the wider team
7. 7
THE CONUNDRUM
• Jerusalem police fatally
shoot 2 after apparent
synagogue attack.
• At least four Israelis have
been killed and seven
injured in what police say
was a “terrorist attack” at
a Jerusalem synagogue.
• Jerusalem synagogue
attack kills four Israelis
• 4 Israelis, 2 Palestinians
killed in synagogue
attack, Israeli police say.
• Four dead in suspected
Palestinian attack on
Jerusalem synagogue.
8. 8
What GIC looks for?
• Fatalities
– Confirmation available?
– CBC, BBC, CNN, Reuters
• Perpetrators
– Confirmation available?
– Why is it important?
• Nature of attack
– Confirmation available?
• Immediate impact
– Most relevant to Business travellers
10. 1010
THE CONSTANT BLAME GAME
• The British press proclaimed “Putin’s Missile” brought down MH17 well
ahead of evidence that it was a missile, or linked to Russia.
• Russia has blamed Kiev authorities for the escalating violence in
eastern Ukraine that has left dozens dead in recent days, despite
mounting evidence that a missile attack on a residential suburb of
Mariupol on Saturday in which 30 died was carried out by Russia-
backed militants
• The US placed the blame for recent violence in the Ukraine firmly on
Russia on Sunday, hours after British efforts to agree a UN Security
Council statement condemning the rebel forces were halted by a
Russian veto.
• Sources such as Russia Today, NTV or Russia 24 are highly biased.
These are owned by the Kremlin who has its own agenda in the conflict
and most of their reporting is sensationalist and distort events to follow
the Kremlin line.
11. 1111
What the GIC looks for?
• Who is responsible?
• Was it the Russian-backed separatists or the Ukrainian
Armed forces?
• Are any acts of violence indicative of a trend?
• If so what is the nature of violence on both sides?
• Wider security implications on BTs in the country.
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STATE CENSORS ABOUND
• Reports on 19 February: "I don't trust our television and radio
stations at all,'' says Adriana Sanchez, 36, a tax accountant in
Caracas. "The government stations just run propaganda, while the
few privately owned stations are afraid to broadcast the truth. What
other options do we have?
• Hackers from multiple countries, including the internet
vigilante group Anonymous, have infiltrated Venezuelan government
websites due to the alleged repression and censorship of the people
in Venezuela.
• From the RIM:
» State controls almost all media
» Most reporting is biased towards the state
» Information is not timely.
» Most information available is contradictory to information provided by state-
run media houses.
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WHAT THE GIC LOOKS FOR?
• Locations of protests if any
• Dates and times for any further rallies
• Government response during protests
• Fatalities during demonstrations, particularly foreigners
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Recommended actions for the GIC
• ISRAEL-PALESTINE
– Check funding or political leanings of media
– Check equation between internal actors, which may dilute
information further
– Sources:
» Leads: http://www.haaretz.com/
» Specifics, including details such as Rally routes etc:
http://www.jpost.com/
» Information/ Confirmation of security incidents:
http://www.idf.il/english/, http://www.idfblog.com/
17. 17
Recommended actions for the GIC
• Eastern Ukraine
– Check Russian and Western media to assimilate information
– Integrate advice based on possible involvement of both sides to
the conflict.
– Sources:
» http://www.bbc.co.uk/ukrainian/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/russian/
http://www.interfax.ru/
http://interfax.com.ua/
http://www.unian.net/
http://zn.ua/
http://mignews.com.ua/
http://www.newsru.ua/
18. 18
Recommended actions for the GIC
• Venezuela
– Check Social Media as censorship makes access to information very
difficult.
– Monitor US State Department, DFAT, UKFCO and Canada Travel
Advisories.
– Various media representatives covering VENEZUELA during protests in
2014. Good sources to look at if journalist confirmed to be in-country.
– Al Jazeera reporters: Rachel Levin. Chris Arsenault (@AJEchris)
– Reuters reporters: Brian Ellsworth (@brianpablo10), Andrew Cawthorne
(@AndrewCawthorne) and Daniel Wallis (@danieljwallis), Carlos Garcia Rawlins
(@carlosrawlins), and Girish Gupta (@jammastergirish) in Caracas
– CNN reporters: Mariano Castillo, Ed Payne Faith Karimi, Catherine E. Shoichet,
and Osmary Hernandez (@osmarycnn)
– The Guardian reporters: Virginia Lopez (@virginialopez_o) and Jonathan Watts
(@jonathanwatts)
– Associated Press photographers: Rodrigo Abd, Alejandro Cegarra (@Alecegarra),
and Raul Arboleda
20. 2020
GENERAL SCANNING TIPS
• Using local language searches
• Using Google news country pages
• Translating key words and searching
• Identify reporters who cover specific issues and follow them
on Twitter and conduct Google searches on recent articles.
• Check funding and affiliations if any for newspapers that seem
partisan.
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ADVICE FROM THE WIDER TEAM
• Rajat
– Prominent wire services,
PTI
– Local news sources
– Last updated date
– Caveat
• Abhishek
– Determine time sensitivity
– Local sources to
corroborate
– Caveat
– RIM/RIA/NEds to check on
analysis
• Kartik
– Key word searches
– Language biases: MB= Terrorists
in Egypt
– Internal biases: CIS state-run
agencies, Iran press TV, North
Korea reporting
• Rajeev
– Try to find more sources using
keywords and Google translation
and go with what majority of the
sources say.
– If more sources are not available,
determine the credibility of
whatever source I have. For
example, if I have two sources -
Iranian Press TV and Reuters - I
will rely on the latter.
– Discuss with RIM/RIA. If they are
not available, liaise with NEds.
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ADVICE FROM THE WIDER TEAM
• From Udit
– Scan the URL (Media agency)
– Check on past regimes/governments
– Western Media Houses- Independent/ Biased
– Conflict zones (CIS, MENA, India-Pakistan)
• Jawahar
– Hindu, IE, The New Express Tribune, TOI
– Wire sources
– Primary sources
– Fact check sheet
– RS is indicative
– Compensate in advice
– DNA- Alarmist
– Indian- Pakistan
– Complaints - Facts
– Primary sources
– Single media reporting
– Western embassies RSO
