Case Studies
Can AI Chatbots Be Used for Geolocation?
Bellingcat fellow Dennis Kovtun tests the online geolocation capabilities of two popular AI chatbots — Microsoft’s Bing AI and Google’s Bard — and finds both have some serious drawbacks.
Tag
open source reporting
14 posts
News & Analysis Teaching & Training
How to Maintain Mental Hygiene as an Open Source Investigator
Practicing good mental hygiene is a continuous process for investigators that requires active input at all times. Bellingcat offers these small steps to minimize and mitigate your exposure to distressing content, to possibly save you from burnout or worse.
GIJN Webinar: How Journalists Investigated the Killing of Shireen Abu Akleh
The controversial killing of Shireen Abu Akleh has drawn global media attention and sparked a number of in-depth inquiries by the news media. Two of the most comprehensive investigations were done by Bellingcat and the Washington Post – and members from both teams will be joining this GIJN webinar.
Resource
How Journalists Can Investigate on Telegram
Telegram is an invaluable research tool, helping journalists mine for information, investigate groups of people whose content is otherwise banned or limited on social media, and track protests and political movements in authoritarian countries. Here’s how to get started using it.
Data Journalism
Data Journalism Top 10: Outlawing Abortion, Russian Disinformation, Dog Breeds, India Heat Wave
This week’s Top 10 in Data Journalism features an analysis of Russian military casualties, the heat wave scorching India, myths about the link between dog breeds and behavior, and the potential impact of overturning a key judicial ruling on abortion in the US.
Resource
10 Lessons from Bellingcat’s Logan Williams on Digital Forensic Techniques
Bellingcat’s Logan Williams, who presented a panel on digital forensic reporting labs at the 2022 International Journalism Festival 2022 in Perugia, Italy, gives his top tips for journalists interested in open source digital investigations.
Data Journalism News & Analysis
Sigma Awards: 10 Lessons for Data Journalists Around the World
The Sigma Awards celebrate the best in data journalism from around the world. Speaking at the Perugia International Journalism Festival, three of the founders of the award highlighted the best projects of recent years and pointed to what journalists can learn from these data stories.
Data Journalism
Data Journalism Top 10: Ukraine’s Destruction, Russia’s Isolation, 007’s Cars, Oscar Movies
This week’s Top 10 in Data Journalism features in-depth analysis of the massive destruction being wrought on Ukraine, the harassment of scientists working on COVID-19, the various ways global corporations are changing their footprint in Russia, and the ranking of Oscar-nominated films.
Investigative Techniques Reporting Tools & Tips
Journalists’ Guide to Using AI and Satellite Imagery for Storytelling
Satellite imagery provides information that can enhance the ability to write compelling narratives about the state of our planet, cutting across multiple beats. But such a tool tends to be complex and out of the reach for many journalists, so this guide offers a process that reporters interested in covering the climate crisis can use for story projects.
Data Journalism Methodology News & Analysis
Tips for Investigating Hate Crimes and Violence When Government Data Sources Fail
Journalist Rachel Chitra used news reports to build a database on hate crimes and violence in India. Here she gives tips for reporters facing a data gap, and offers lessons learned from her research about how journalists can reliably step in to gather, clean, and publish data when the government fails to keep track of important information.