The recent proliferation of software that allows video of events to be altered by the addition of peoples faces to actors in the events is pretty ominous, and will be likely to make your work more difficult.
Do you have any sources of means to detect such?
Thanks!
At the moment, no. My method has always been to simply use first person video, a little research and solid social media connections to confirm events. I have developed relationships with good connections through social media over the last 4 years and that has been my primary source for a lot of the information I acquire. Currently, for Syria, I focus on the connections between You Tube pro-FSA terrorist accounts such as SMART News Agency, Aleppo Media Center, On The Ground News, etc, and western and Gulf State government agencies and NGO's that support such organizations. These accounts can be easily shown to belong to FSA (terrorist) support networks and are linked to the Gulf States, EU, US, UK, France and others. Thus, they are already quite suspect, even if video editing software was used to manipulate their video.
I personally do not have any significant experience in image data analysis. I have yet to come across any videos that may have been digitally manipulated thus far, however, I have seen how the technology is employed online and have dabbled in attempting to differentiate images where manipulation has been conducted. The White Helmets seem to stick with the simple method of providing real, heavily cut and paste edited HD footage of people covered in makeup and powder. That's the most manipulation I've seen coming from them so far. I would not be surprised to see the Deep State attempt to portray some images as digital manipulated in order to deflect blame for their own support for the White Helmet terrorists.