Starting at the beginning of open source intelligence in history, I can understand why its resurgence in the digital age is so popular. Before the advent of the internet, open sourcing was more closely tied with the “librarian” image, but today it has become an integral aspect of information gathering for stories of high levels of risk. Watching the methods used by Bellingcat, it is clear that OSINT has a real place in the ecosystem of news today, and I imagine will only continue to gain popularity as deepfake videos and other AI created content begins circulating.
The most central value for Bellingcat and other similar organizations is the meticulousness with which they find their information and the degree of transparency they are able to present. One problem in society today is the distrust towards mainstream media. Citing sources, linking videos, re-creating scenes using mapping software are all methods that yield high legitimacy perceptions for viewers. Although this documentation of history is not appreciated as widely today as it deserves, I can only hope that in the future the atrocities covered are given justice in the history books, and it is projects like these that make that possible.
A few things that stood out to me in the readings for this week was the data available for those willing to seek it. Hearing about the documents posted on Chinese websites citing laws that allowed the government to create re-education camps was truly shocking. In other oppressive regimes like Russia, their strategy has been to declare reports of [insert unjust claim] a complete fabrication by western media sources. I was actually surprised that China was attempting to rectify their actions through citing laws that would allow them to carry out this action, and that this information was publicly available. This served as an example for me to see how oppressive regimes can be called out by citizens with enough persistence.
Another interesting aspect of OSINT from the sources was the reach of this method into “black box” areas. The report by the listening post about the Sanaya prison that was recreated through interviews without a single photograph or video for reference is investigative journalism at its finest. This group was reporting about something entirely unknown, with every effort made to maintain privacy.
Though the OSINT methods alone are impressive, I think they are most effective when combined with more standard journalistic practices. Rebuilding an event or scene is only emotionally capturing when it is coupled with interviews, pictures, or video. It is the personal narrative that was so strong in the Human Rights Watch piece that gives meaning to their open source intelligence gathering,
Lastly, it is hard to read about the Trump administration’s decisions to cut funding to projects like the Yale Humanitarian Lab and feel confident in the direction our country is headed. The Financial Times’ story about tech giants and governments’ relationship further illustrates dangers facing the US and Europe as democratic values are eroded.
