‘It’s not just about circling things on a map’: how our journalists use and corroborate satellite imagery

From the destruction of Gaza to climate breakdown, satellite imagery has become an indispensable reporting tool.

But as a recent Guardian investigation illustrates, a lot of work goes into ensuring its veracity and keeping the focus on the people affected on the ground How to bear witness when you can’t physically go there? Journalists have always grappled with this.

Whether it’s because of armed conflict, repressive regimes or prohibitive terrain, some places remain too dangerous or difficult for reporters to access.

Enter low-orbit satellites.

As the technology has evolved and proliferated, satellite imagery has become increasingly indispensable.

But as with all reporting tools, it requires professional judgment and painstaking work to verify things.

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