Every story has a timeline. Start there.
Putting the sequence back together, one carefully sourced moment at a time.
Begin with the sequence
Stories often arrive in fragments. A recollection, an image, and a short video may each point to a different moment. A timeline is a way to organise those fragments without pretending they tell the whole story.
Leave gaps visible
A useful timeline makes uncertainty easy to see. An approximate time should stay approximate. Two accounts that differ should remain distinct until there is a sound reason to reconcile them.
Return to the material
A timeline is a working guide, not a replacement for the sources. Keeping each entry connected to its original material makes it easier to revisit a detail when new context becomes available.
The case-file format
Future case files can bring together a sourced chronology, a documentary, and subsequent updates in one place. This is an editorial example of that format; the image does not depict a reported incident.
Reader comments.
Keep it respectful and relevant to the report. No personal information, harassment or unsupported accusations. Comments are readers’ views.
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