Reporter’s Notebook: How to Track Down People Who Don’t Want to Be Found
OCCRP’s research director offers up a series of tips and techniques to help reporters safely and effectively build a profile of whoever they are looking for.
Tag
open source reporting
23 posts
Methodology
New York Times’s Malachy Browne on the Future of Visual Investigations in the Age of AI
What began as the niche practice of verifying shaky mobile phone footage in an era of social media chaos has since become one of the most consequential developments in modern journalism.
Reporting Tools & Tips
This Reporter Exposed the Civilian Toll of US Airstrikes. Her Warning: Be Ready for a More Hostile World
Azmat Khan is known for her rigorous reporting on civilian casualties from US airstrikes, and for exposing systemic failures in military and government accountability.
How They Did It
Exposing Extremism Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa Using Open Source Tools
As extremism spreads across sub-Saharan Africa, journalists are turning to open source tools to track the networks and physical movement of these often violent groups.
Reporting Tools & Tips
Struggling to Find the Right Open Source Tool? Try Bellingcat’s New Online Investigations Toolkit
The toolkit helps reporters discover tools in categories like satellite imagery, maps, and social media, and is designed to help researchers learn how to use each tool with in-depth descriptions.
Investigative Techniques Methodology
Embracing Failure: The Importance of Learning from Your Mistakes in Open Source Reporting
Small amounts of failure in the open source field are inevitable, and somewhat expected. But they will also help you become a better open source analyst and investigator.
Databases Investigative Techniques
Guide to Investigating Digital Ad Libraries
Digital investigations expert Craig Silverman offers a short guide to using digital ad libraries to dig through online influence efforts.
News & Analysis Reporting Tools & Tips
How Generative AI Is Helping Fact-Checkers Flag Election Disinformation, But Is Less Useful in the Global South
AI is revolutionizing the spread of falsehoods. But can this technology also be used to help debunk disinformation campaigns?
Resource Tipsheet
Tipsheet for Investigative Journalists on War Crimes and Open Source Research
Open source information can be a valuable method of reporting when investigating violations of international humanitarian law or war crimes.
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.