The readings for this week on Open Source Intelligence were motivating. On the one hand, journalism is in peril as sensationalism favors accuracy online, and disinformation is rampant. On the other hand, new technologies like artificial intelligence, digital mapping, spatial reconstruction, and geolocation allow people to pursue rigorous investigations behind their computer screens. In many ways, journalists have more tools than ever to bypass the restrictions of security states.
The Human Rights Watch articles we read are excellent examples of open-source journalism. I was fascinated by the way satellite imagery combined with survivor narratives to prove that bombings took place. Open Source Intelligence is also used to counter Russia’s denials of the bombings. In this example, journalists who follow stories with online tools return credibility to survivors, taking it away from a powerful state. In another example, Human Rights Watch reconstructed the story of a bombing at a train station in Ukraine. They used video and photographic evidence to estimate the amount of people in the crowd, and screenshots of telegram announcements to provide context. I was most impressed by the way the investigators collected medical evidence from survivors–X-rays, fragments of metal, and descriptions of injuries–and matched it with the remnants of submunitions. This kind of project is inspiring. Communication with people on the ground, along with social media posts, satellite imagery, and background research into Russia’s weapons combined to produce a comprehensive account of a bombing that can be archived.
I was blown away by the “spatial reconstruction” technique mentioned in “The Listening Post” episode. The only evidence journalists had to investigate a torture prison in Syria were memories of survivors. They used the sensory details victims remembered to identify architectural elements of the space, eventually reconstructing it using digital tools. This example made clear how important collaboration will be as the field of journalism changes. In the case of spatial reconstruction, reporters, architects, and software developers collaborated to expose war crimes. On that note, exposing war crimes seems to be the greatest use of Open Source journalism, which relies on reporting tools that do not endanger sources.
Open Source signals a shift not only in the tools of journalism, but also in the structures of power that govern its dissemination. Traditionally, the stamp of legacy media – NYT, BBC, etc. – gave a piece of writing credibility. Now, that is undermined on the one hand by politicians who spread disinformation, and on the other hand, by changing reader habits. Further, anyone, today, can be a journalist. It is harder to verify the truth of the media than ever before.
Open Source – and specifically, citizen journalism – responds by proving credibility through transparency, not institutional backing. Citizens and Open Source journalists who operate independently must lay bare the evidence backing up their claims. The documentary on Bellingcat develops this idea, paving a way for a new model for building public trust in the media. Ironically, this ideology, in some ways, aligns with the anti-establishment view of many populist politicians. But while a source like Bellingcat may favor transparency over institutional backing, its work is ultimately guided by the pursuit of truth, not profit or political gain.
