Write the claim you are checking
Separate the video’s visible content from the caption’s assertions about date, place and participants. A clip can be genuine footage while its description is wrong. If the claim says an event happened today, an established matching copy from years earlier directly challenges that date claim even before every other question has been answered.
Look for the earliest matching evidence you can establish
Full Fact’s video-verification guides describe searching phrases and key stills to locate earlier appearances. Compare recognisable sequences rather than treating a loosely similar crowd or building as a match. Keep the source page and its dated context. The oldest result you personally find is an evidence point, not necessarily the first publication anywhere.
Use a real example proportionately
In August 2026, Full Fact reported that footage presented alongside current Ceuta events had already appeared in 2021 reports. That finding challenged the suggestion that the clip was new. The useful lesson is the date comparison, not an assumption that every border video is false or that a similar-looking clip must show the same event.
State what remains unresolved
A careful conclusion might say that the footage predates the claimed event while leaving the original filming date or participants unconfirmed. Do not fill those gaps from an anonymous repost. Share the established correction with the supporting link if needed, rather than recycling the misleading clip with a vague warning that leaves the false caption doing most of the work.
Questions, answered
Is the earliest result I find necessarily the original upload?
No. It is the earliest matching evidence you have established.
Can genuine footage carry a false breaking-news caption?
Yes. Date and context need separate verification.