How To: Covering Protests

1. We're going live from Instagram, so you'll need to log into Matter's IG account

   1. If you don't already have the app, download Instagram onto your phone

   2. Log in to Matter's account

      • username: matternews_

      • password: Gr3yM@tters!Columbus

2. Before you go live, record a short selfie video introducing yourself

   1. How to record on IG, for those less familar

      • From the landing page in Instagram, tap on the camera icon in the top left corner. With the camera on you, push and hold the center button to record a video.

   2. Record a short intro similar to "Hi, everyone. I'm [name], a reporter for Matter News. I'm out here at [location] covering [name of protest]. I'll be going live off-and-on for the next while, so stay tuned!" (Note: Does not have to be exact)

   3. If you're comfortable, put your handle in text over the video, then add it to our story.

3. Then, go live!

• • Going live is a similar process as recording a video for the story. Swipe the bottom text until the farthest option on the left is highlighted. That option should be "LIVE." Hit the center round button and you'll go live. (You can also go live by hitting the + button in the top right and choosing the last option that says "LIVE").

  • Most of the live stream should be centered on the protest: speeches, performances, marches through the street, signs, etc.

  • However, if you as the reporter have insight to add to the live stream, you can do that so long as it's relevant and you're sure it's factual. Do not say anything that you don't know to be factually true. But, you can add information such as the part of town you're in, the protesters movements, how police are responding, etc.

  • You can also conduct interviews with folks who are willing. Have them introduce themselves on camera, including their name and occupation.

    • Example questions:

      1. Why are you here today?

      2. What has your relationship with the police been like?

      3. What has your experience protesting been like?

  • Take care when going live to follow the photojournalism ethical guidelines linked below and here.

  • You do not need to be live the whole time. Go live when there's stuff happening, but feel free to take breaks and end the stream.

4. After you finish a live stream, save the video to your phone and post it to IGTV with the protest name and date in the description and a title that describes the action you captured. Make sure to save the video to your phone.

5. Continue going live and posting the videos to IGTV throughout the event.

6. When the protest is wrapping up, go live once more and do a short recap and conclusion. Sign off so the viewers know it's over.

Capturing footage with a DSLR camera or other professional video camera is preferred, but not necessary. Footage from a phone that is clear is sufficient. However, if you're filming on a phone, make sure the footage is vertical, not horizontal.

After the protest, submit the footage using the form below.