Storyful Spotlight: How Eyewitness UGC is Changing Disaster Coverage [Video]

This week’s Spotlight is brought to you by Senior Editor John Hall.

As floods devastate southeastern Spain, international newsrooms face a crucial question: How do we provide real-time, sensitive coverage of such a complex disaster? More than 100 lives have been lost so far, and as floodwaters recede, the toll is expected to rise. For journalists, covering a fast-moving crisis in real time is a challenge—but it’s one that can be addressed with the right tools.

In moments like these, user-generated content (UGC) has proven invaluable. Just minutes after reports of flash flooding in Valencia surfaced, social media became flooded with videos capturing the disaster: swollen rivers, streets submerged, and rescue efforts that would otherwise go unseen. Within hours, hundreds of videos emerged from hard-to-reach areas, providing a vivid, firsthand look at the scale of destruction that no traditional reporting could match.

The Role of UGC in Real-Time Journalism

When communities are effectively cut off, deploying journalists …