Al Jazeera, has its own fact-checking agency called Sanad which is committed to investigative journalism, verifying news, and OSINT news stories, recognizing the crucial role of research in providing accurate and comprehensive coverage.
There are often limitations on what types of satellite imagery can be acquired and posted publicly, which poses a challenge for many media companies and can deter them from using satellite imagery. To monitor world events and acquire weekly satellite imagery for thorough analysis, Al Jazeera's Sanad agency, needed a cost-effective and reliable resource that could connect them with the right providers to acquire the data they need. SkyWatch supported Al Jazeera’s needs and helped create the competitive edge they were looking for.
Challenges Al Jazeera Faced
While Al Jazeera has a team dedicated to analyzing open-source intelligence, they still experienced challenges getting the data they needed. With a focus on collecting satellite imagery to verify geopolitical events, the team would examine events such as plane movements, shipments, and construction activities in different areas. However, they struggled to identify a cost-effective and accessible solution that would enable them to obtain imagery in specific areas promptly, while also following rules and regulations given by satellite imagery providers.
Why SkyWatch
Al Jazeera explored various providers but found that SkyWatch was the most efficient and cost-effective. Unlike other providers requiring substantial upfront payments, SkyWatch's pay-as-you-go model suited their needs, and the flexibility to purchase only the required area without minimum obligations was a key factor in choosing SkyWatch. Staying on top of budget was critical to the Sanad team, as they acquire imagery a few times a week at different resolutions.
Sanad confidently stated that the unwavering support of SkyWatch's team was instrumental in resolving the challenges associated with searching for and acquiring imagery and providing a seamless experience. The support team’s responsiveness, and the management of unique requests such as connecting with direct providers to procure certain types of imagery that they couldn’t source on their own was a big asset for a media company like Al Jazeera.
“The customer service is top [notch], and the response rate is very good”
Finally, SkyWatch's partnerships with the world's leading satellite imagery providers gave Al Jazeera’s Sanad team, the highest level of confidence in accomplishing their objectives.
Adopting EarthCache Enterprise
While Al Jazeera started with EarthCache, Sanad eventually upgraded to EarthCache Enterprise for its enhanced features such as enterprise-wide data management and access. The enterprise subscription offers an enterprise-wide archive, consolidated analytics and reporting, s, discounts on data, and a user-friendly DirectView feature for seamless image sharing within their network.
Collaborative Benefits with EarthCache Enterprise
EarthCache Enterprise helps organizations get more out of their remote sensing data by consolidating imagery procurement across the organization into a fully-indexed, enterprise-wide archive, and facilitates collaboration within non-technical team members with DirectView, which allows easy, web-based imagery sharing.
Al Jazeera has a specific task force for the technical elements and analysis to gather data for their journalists, but the journalists themselves are not necessarily technical experts.
EarthCache Enterprise’s multi-layered and multi-account structure simplifies data organization, and closes the gap between technical and non-technical team members, resulting in highly researched stories.
Using SkyWatch
As mentioned, Al Jazeera tasks satellites or purchases archival data every week, relying on high to very-high-resolution images (15-70 cm), typically in True Colour outputs, for their analyses. The ease of interpretation comes from using geographic information system (GIS) technology to further enhance the efficiency of their work. The API provided by SkyWatch creates a seamless experience for integrating with other technologies to analyse and interpret the data. Through detailed visuals and technical components, SkyWatch makes things easy and accessible.
SkyWatch’s API can be used to easily acquire and integrate data with other applications, including GIS software. For those who use Esri ArcGIS Pro, SkyWatch offers a custom add-in that enables users to purchase satellite imagery within ArcGIS Pro itself, thereby making accessing and analyzing satellite imagery easier and more accessible than ever before.
Influencing the Industry
Al Jazeera's success story highlights the accessibility and reliability of satellite data and serves as an inspiration for the media industry, where there is a growing demand for satellite imagery as a valuable tool for journalists seeking comprehensive information for analysis.
In conclusion, Al Jazeera's strategic use of SkyWatch's satellite imagery solutions has not only addressed their challenges but also contributed significantly to their success in providing accurate and timely news coverage and in-depth investigative analysis, while managing their internal operations for technical and non-technical employees with ease.
To start using satellite imagery, create your SkyWatch account.