Sourcing images: Copyright, etc

Public domain images and videos

Just because it’s on social media, does NOT mean you can use it.

Images and videos can only be sourced from social media accounts on Facebook, X and Instagram if:

● The image or video does NOT belong to a news source, particularly a competing source (you are responsible for cross-checking).

● The image or video is NOT credited to a photographer. If a photographer is credited, direct written  permission needs to be provided by the image creator (again, you are responsible for cross-checking).

Additionally, here’s how you can trace the origins of an image by reverse-searching it on Google:

STEP 1. Rick-click on the  image and select “Search image with Google”.

STEP 2: On the right of your screen, a panel should appear. Click on “Find Image Source”.

STEP 3: Go through the search results and find the most reliable page to determine the origin of the image. If you are still unsure, rather use another image.

Sourcing images and videos from political parties’ social media platforms is usually fine. If you’re unsure – ask your manager.

We also have a comprehensive list of free-to-use image resources – please refer to this under ”More resources”.

Finding free-to-use images with Google Search

Google has devised a way to find free-to-use images through a series of three simple steps.

STEP 1: Search for the image you want. Click on the “Images” tab.

STEP 2: Click on the “Tools” on the far right.

STEP 3: Expand the “Usage Rights” drop-down menu then choose “Creative Commons licences”

Download the image you need, in the appropriate size (minimum of 1200px in width), and credit the source in the caption correctly.

Sourcing from Flickr

When sourcing images from Flickr, please note that not all images are free to use. There are some we shouldn’t use due to rights and licence restrictions.

To ascertain whether an image is free to use on Flickr, please follow these steps:

Open the image and “view all sizes”.

Next, see the highlighted “download” part. If “The owner has disabled downloading of their photos”, refrain from using the image and rather search for an alternative.

Additionally, if the image’s license is “All rights reserved by …”, it means it’s not free and permission must be sought before usage.

There are plenty free-to-use images on Flickr, such as SA government images. 

These need to be properly credited in the caption as per The South African’s rules.

With free-to-use images, you’ll usually see “Download the Original size of this photo” as seen below:

If you want to use an image but you’re unsure of the licence conditions, please reach out to your manager.