Open source intelligence, with Bellingcat's Giancarlo Fiorella

Learn how to begin using open source intelligent tools (OSINT) and methods to investigate and tell stories rigourously and responsibly.

As journalists strive to report accurately and hold power to account in an era of misinformation and digital complexity, open source intelligence has become one of the most essential, and fast-evolving, skillsets in modern journalism.

From verifying images and videos to geolocating evidence and uncovering hidden connections online, OSINT offers journalists powerful tools to investigate stories rigorously and responsibly using publicly available data.

In this masterclass, we explore how journalists can use OSINT techniques to strengthen investigations, expose falsehoods and add depth and credibility to their reporting.

Our speaker is Giancarlo Fiorella, director of research and training at Bellingcat, the award-winning open-source investigative collective. Bellingcat began as an investigation into the use of weapons in the Syrian civil war. Its reports on the Russo-Ukrainian War (including the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17), the El Junquito raid, the Yemeni Civil War, the poisoning of Alexei Navalny and also of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and the killing of civilians by the Cameroon Armed Forces have attracted international attention.

Giancarlo leads Bellingcat’s global training programmes, helping journalists and researchers use OSINT methods to uncover truth and verify digital evidence. He is also an assistant professor with the Global Justice Investigations Lab at Utrecht University.

This masterclass is brought to you by the Civic Journalism Lab at Newcastle University.