Note: As we have seen recently with the police abuse cases across the country and as we saw during the occupy encampments, citizens video is critical not just to creating our own media but for documenting what occurs. Repeatedly citizens video has the made the difference between whether people are aware an injustice occurred and has been critical evidence in achieving justice. This guide describes how video should be archived.
Who is this Guide for?
- You are a human rights activist, a small or grassroots human rights organization, or media collective;
- You are creating or collecting digital video to document human rights abuses or issues, and;
- You want to make sure that the video documentation you have created or collected can be used for advocacy, as evidence, for education or historical memory – not just now but into the future….
- But you are not sure where to begin, or you are stuck on a particular problem.
If this is you, then this Guide is for you.
Why Archive?
With everything else you need to think about and do – why archive?
One reason to archive your videos.
Ask yourself:
- Do you want your videos to be available in the future?
- Do you want your videos to serve as evidence of crimes or human rights abuses?
- Do you want your videos to raise awareness and educate future generations?
If the answer is yes, it is important to begin thinking about archiving before it is too late.
Still not sure? Here is what might happen if you do not take steps to archive:
- Your videos may be accidentally or deliberately deleted and lost forever.
- Your videos may exist somewhere, but no one can find them.
- Someone may find your videos, but no one can understand what they are about.
- Your videos cannot be sufficiently authenticated or corroborated as evidence.
- Your videos’ quality may become so degraded that no one can use them.
- Your videos may be in a format that eventually no one can play.
What is Archiving?
Archiving is… a general term for the range of practices and decisions that support the long-term preservation, use, and accessibility of content with enduring value. In this Guide, our focus is on your digital videos.
Archiving is … an ongoing process that begins when a video is created and continues infinitely into the future.
Archiving is…a process that can be incorporated into your existing video workflows.
Archiving is … a way to ensure your videos remain authentic and intact, so you can use them as evidence.
Archiving is … a way to ensure your videos are available, findable and playable long into the future.
Archiving is NOT… a one-time action.
Archiving is NOT… putting your videos on a hard drive and leaving it on a shelf.
Ensure your videos are preserved, accessible, and usable in the long-term.