Hello, reporters! I am currently in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (yes, I know that is random) because I am teaching at the American University of Central Asia. Exciting!
This is a full 12-hour time difference from where I’m from, so let me tell you, it is an adjustment. My brain-addling jet lag has inspired me to share a tool I’ve been aware of for a while: SunCalc.
To be honest, I don’t see a ton of use cases for SunCalc for the average reporter, but it’s been all the rage in anti-misinformation circles for a while now. SunCalc tells you the direction of the sun for every exact date and time everywhere in the world. Intense.
You go to SunCalc.org (not SunCalc.net, which is apparently a dead version?) and enter any location (city, building, etc.) and the date and time you want to see its sunshine.
I don’t think you would use it everyday, but it has helped the BBC and Bellingcat investigate and debunk online content, using techniques that would be awesome to replicate if you need to vet a video or image. Let the sun shine!