Best Bellingcat Podcasts (2025)

1
"Building Tools for Research" with Galen Reich 1:00:21

6d ago1:00:21

1:00:21

This week we spoke to Galen Reich, Tech Community Lead at Bellingcat. In the talk Galen provided invaluable advice for those who want to build a tool for research, highlighting what aspects you need to consider in the planning stages, raising awareness of what obstacles could arise once the tool is established and explaining how anyone can build an…

1
“Speaking of Violence” with Leyla Hussein 1:00:16

23d ago1:00:16

1:00:16

This week we were joined by psychotherapist and activist Leyla Hussein. In the session we explored how reporters and researchers can make survivors of sexual violence feel safe, supported and heard, and at the same time ensure they make an impact with their work. TW: The talk contains extensive discussion of sexual violence particularly FGM. This t…

1
"Detecting Stolen Art" with Arthur Brand 56:48

1M ago56:48

56:48

This week we were joined by Art Detective Arthur Brand. Arthur Brand has recovered over 200 stolen artworks throughout his career, these include famous paintings once thought lost, from Dali’s to Picasso’s. Within the talk he explains how open sources are crucial to his work and he shares valuable resources for those who are curious about the world…

1
"Monitoring US Immigration Raids" with Bellingcat, Evident and CalMatters 1:03:53

2M ago1:03:53

1:03:53

This week we were joined by Bellingcat researcher Kolina Koltai and our long-standing publishing partners Kevin Clancy, cofounder of Evident Media and Sergio Olmos, an investigator from CalMatters. The conversation centered around the reliance on bystander videos for accountability of these arrests and the scale advice for other researchers on what…

1
The Exciting World of Digital Peacebuilding - With Nicole Rieber, Head of Unit Peace Education of the Berghof Foundation 27:47

2M ago27:47

27:47

The Exciting World of Digital Peacebuilding - With Nicole Rieber, Head of Unit Peace Education of the Berghof Foundation Today's guest is Nicole Rieber. She works as Head of Unit for the Peace Education team at Berghof Foundation. In her work, she focuses on digital peace education, in particular phenomena like misinformation, hate speech and consp…

1
"Investigating Cold Cases" with Peter Barth 57:28

2M ago57:28

57:28

This week we were joined by Bellingcat's Peter Barth. Peter has been researching a cold case murder from Corpus Christi, Texas, 1971. As part of his research , he's uncovered links to multiple murders and high profile criminal networks, and learnt some invaluable research tips along the way. This talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on Thursday the 3…

1
"Mapping Shootings" with Cecília Olliveira 1:01:06

3M ago1:01:06

1:01:06

This week we were joined by Fogocruzado founder and journalist Cecília Olliveira. Cecília launched Fogocruzado after working on a story and discovering that data on armed violence in Rio and elsewhere in Brazil, something she was seeking at the time for the investigation, was not being robustly collected. She came in to our Server to discuss the po…

1
The Exciting World of Digital Peacebuilding - With Grace Connors focussing on peacebuilding and disinformation 34:53

3M ago34:53

34:53

The Exciting World of Digital Peacebuilding - With Grace Connors focussing on peacebuilding and disinformation Today's guest is Grace Connors. Grace is an alumna of the University of Notre Dame with a double major in Computer Science and Peace Studies. Her role as a digital peacebuilder has led me to a diverse array of experiences across sectors an…

1
"Monitoring Wagner Mercenaries in Africa" with Lou Osborn 52:52

3M ago52:52

52:52

This week we were joined by Swiss-based NGO Inpact’s Lou Osborn. Lou is one of the lead researchers in their flagship All Eyes ON Wagner project team. Within the conversation she broadened our knowledge on the current economic and political status of Russian PMCs in Africa and raised the difficulties in reporting on these types of groups. This talk…

1
"Protecting the people within your research" with Eliza Anyangwe 1:03:34

4M ago1:03:34

1:03:34

This week we spoke to The Fuller Project's Eliza Anyangwe about the steps her newsroom takes to protect their sources. We highlighted the basic precautions you should consider when speaking to those with lived experience of the topic you're reporting on and the differences between traditional investigations and open source research when it comes to…

1
"Chinese influence operations and disinformation campaigns" with Jasper Hewitt 56:42

4M ago56:42

56:42

This week we spoke with DoubleThink Lab’s Jasper Hewitt as we explored the new forms of digital propaganda. We discussed spamouflage operations in the US elections to AI influencers pushing state lines on TikTok. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on Thursday May 8th 2025. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. Recorded live in the Bellingcat D…

1
"Tracing a Drug Cartel" with John Mooney and Connor Plunkett 1:00:27

5M ago1:00:27

1:00:27

This week we spoke to John Mooney and Connor Plunkett about their investigation into the Kinahan cartel. We discussed the considerations you need to make when reporting on large scale operations and how they found a hidden side to one of Irelands most notorious cartel bosses. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on Thursday April 24th 2025. Music…

1
"Monitoring the environment from Space" with Lisa Broekhuizen 56:08

5M ago56:08

56:08

This week we spoke to Lisa Broekhuizen from Space4Good, looking at how satellite imagery can help show large scale impacts on our environment from deforestation to the growth of trees. The talk was hosted by Giancarlo Fiorella on Thursday April 10th 2025. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. Recorded live in the Bellingcat Discord Server: https:/…

1
"Identifying Explosive Ordnance in Social Media Imagery" with Andro Mathewson 51:08

5M ago51:08

51:08

This week we spoke to Andro Mathewson from Centre for Information Resilience on identifying explosive ordnance seen in imagery on social media. Explosive ordnance are munitions that contain explosives, and can detonate without warning, killing or injuring civilians long after conflicts have ended. Andro wrote a guide to easily identify the most com…

1
"Using the Open Source Munitions Portal" with The OSMP Team 59:13

6M ago59:13

59:13

This week we spoke to Joe Dyke and Joe Emmett from AirWars and Nick R. Jenzen-Jones from Armament Research Services (ARES). Together they work on the Open Source Munitions Portal, a database of different munition types for open source research analysis. The team walked us through the uses of the OSMP, the many exciting features they've added over t…

1
"Covering Gender Based Violence" with Alexa Koenig 1:01:58

7M ago1:01:58

1:01:58

This week we spoke to Dr. Alexa Koenig from UC Berkeley. Alexa has spent much of her recent career looking into how digital investigations could aid accountability for war crimes and gender based violence. Within this discussion we focused on her work covering gender based violence and what lessons she’s learnt from the various groups she’s spoken …

1
"Funding Open Source Research" with Mareike Vitt 1:05:04

7M ago1:05:04

1:05:04

This week we're joined by Bellingcat Senior Fundraiser Mareike Vitt. Mareike is here to share invaluable tips on sourcing sustainable funding for open source research and journalism efforts. In the discussion we spoke about the current funding trends and how you as an individual or as an organisation can stand out in grant applications and when rea…

1
"Building Open Source Research into a Newsroom" with Mike Yambo 52:06

7M ago52:06

52:06

This week we're joined by Mike Yambo, open source investigator from the popular African news outlet Nation. Mike explains how he managed to establish open source research practices in his traditional newsroom and how he taught himself those skillsets. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on Thursday January 30th 2025. Music featured is courtesy o…

1
"Investigating Art Crime" with Lynda Albertson 1:01:42

8M ago1:01:42

1:01:42

This week, we're back for the new year with a new topic, exploring the nexus of art theft, trafficking, and intelligence. We spoke with Lynda Albertson from the Association for Research into Crimes Against Art about the process of collecting and analysing information related to art crimes. How can open source research help tackle the world's cultur…

1
"We are Bellingcat" Q&A session with Eliot Higgins 58:30

9M ago58:30

58:30

This week, we decided to change the format a little to mark the final stage talk of the year. We were joined by founder of Bellingcat, Eliot Higgins to discuss how he feels about the last 10 years of open source research as Bellingcat celebrates its decade anniversary. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on Thursday December 12th 2024. Music fea…

1
“Monitoring Damage to Cultural Heritage in Volatile Regions” with Caucasus Heritage Watch 59:29

9M ago59:29

59:29

This week, we spoke to Dr Adam Thomas Smith, Distinguished Professor of Arts & Sciences, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University and Dr Lori Khatchadourian, Associate Professor, Department of Near Eastern Studies, Cornell University about their work at Caucasus Heritage Watch. CHW focuses on monitoring at-risk heritage caught in the cross-fi…

1
"Studying Russia's Digital Grasp" with Dr Mariëlle Wijermars 1:01:30

10M ago1:01:30

1:01:30

This week, we spoke to Dr Mariëlle Wijermars about internet governance in authoritarian states like Russia. We discussed the current strategies of the Russian government in internet crackdowns both at home and abroad and the trend of bots, online propaganda and banned media outlets in attempts at ongoing censorship. The talk was hosted by Charlotte…

1
J-Lab Episode 42: An ethical approach to crime reporting and true crime content, with Bethany Usher 56:42

10M ago56:42

56:42

As the public’s fascination with crime stories grows, so too does the responsibility of those who bring these stories to light. Whether through traditional journalism or increasingly popular true crime content, the way these narratives are crafted can shape perceptions, impact communities and, significantly, affect the lives of victims and their fa…

1
"Researching Central Asia: Strategic Insights and Defence Data" with Michael Hilliard 59:54

11M ago59:54

59:54

This week, we talk to Michael Hilliard. He and his colleagues at the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs recently released their report titled "The Armed Forces of Central Asia". We discuss the complex geopolitical landscape in Central Asia, and what defence capacity the countries have to tackle their strategic challenges. The talk was hosted by…

1
"Researching Online Extremism and Terrorism" with Elizabeth Pearson 58:30

11M ago58:30

58:30

This week we talk to Elizabeth Pearson. Together with her colleagues she recently worked on the REASSURE report (https://voxpol.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Online-Extremism-and-Terrorism-Researchers-Security-Safety-Resilience.pdf )- which is published with the online extremism and terrorism research network VOX-Pol. The report describes experienc…

1
"Revealing the Bellingcat Toolkit" with the Bellingcat Team 57:32

12M ago57:32

57:32

This week's stage talk is focused on our new and updated toolkit! We've packed every useful open source research tool into one place to help assist new and old researchers, journalists and NGOs. Johanna Wild, who lead the project, joined us on stage to talk through the new developments. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on Thursday September 2…

1
“Investigating a Massacre in Burkina Faso" with The Bellingcat Team 59:32

12M ago59:32

59:32

This week's stage talk is about a militant attack in Burkina Faso that happened in late August, in which over 100 unarmed civilians died. We explore how Bellingcat investigators went to work trying to locate and verify graphic imagery claiming to be associated with the massacre. Content warning: Discussion of civilian harm, abuse and death. The tal…

1
“Tracking Deforestation with Open Data” with Luiz Toledo 56:57

1y ago56:57

56:57

This week's stage talk is about using open sources in environmental focused investigations. We spoke to freelance journalist Luiz Toledo about his recent work covering deforestation policy gaps. He uncovered his stories using open databases and FOIA requests. Note that Luiz's mic has some distortion in the recording. The talk was hosted by Charlott…

1
"Investigating protest movements and the police response using open sources" with the Bellingcat team 59:50

1y ago59:50

59:50

In this week's stage talk we discuss open source research methods of covering protest movements and any corresponding violent action. Using the example of recent clashes in Bangladesh, our team unpack how they go about reporting on this topic, sharing their favourite resources, techniques and advice. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on Thursd…

1
"A Collaborative Model For Big Impact With Local Investigations" with Sam Stecklow 55:54

1y ago55:54

55:54

This week we were joined on stage by Sam Stecklow, from the not-for-profit newsroom The Invisible Institute. Within the talk we discussed their work on making police complaint data publicly accessible and explored their collaborative models, funding and large data projects. The talk was hosted by Giancarlo Fiorella on Thursday August 1 2024. Music …

1
“Tracking Wildfires Using Open Sources” with Aram Shabanian 53:08

1y ago53:08

53:08

This week we were joined on stage by Aram Shabanian, the Open-Source Information Gathering Manager at the New Lines Institute and long time Bellingcat contributor. Aram shared a long list of interesting open source tools that citizens and journalists alike can use to help monitor wildfires. Find the full list of tools shared by Aram here: https://d…

1
"Mapping the destruction of cultural heritage sites in Gaza"- with the Bellingcat and Scripps News team 57:27

1y ago57:27

57:27

This Stage Talk is about the impact of conflict on cultural heritage sites and how, as open source researchers, we can monitor the scale of destruction. The discussion was based around our latest documentary with Scripps News, which you can watch in full here Tools: Planet Sentinel Hub Google Earth Ollie Ballinger's damage probability map tool of G…

1
"Extremism in Gaming Spaces" with Rachel Kowert and Linda Schlegel 56:37

1y ago56:37

56:37

In this Stage Talk we discuss extremism on digital gaming platforms with experts Rachel Kowert and Linda Schlegel. We talk about how and why extremists are using digital gaming spaces for radicalisation and mobilisation efforts, but also about prevention efforts to stop extremists from exploiting these gaming communities. You can find Linda and Rac…

1
“Getting Started In Open Source Research” with Sofia Santos 1:00:00

1+ y ago1:00:00

1:00:00

In this week's Stage Talk we were joined by Centre For Information Resilience's Sofia Santos. Sofia also runs a website called Gralhix.com which provides exercises and guides for those needing to practice their open source research skillsets. The discussion on stage was all about how to get into our industry, Sofia provided invaluable tips and reso…

1
Episode 2: The Power of Hindutva Pop 57:15

1+ y ago57:15

57:15

In our second episode of 2024, we talk about the Indian elections and the phenomenon of Hindutva pop. Bellingcat’s Michael Colborne and Pooja Chaudhari spoke to Kunal Purohit, independent journalist and author of H-Pop: The Secretive World of Hindutva Popstars. If you'd like to read Kunal's book, you can find it here on Amazon. You can read Pooja's…

1
"Exploring the Digital Profiles of Human Smugglers” with Carlos Gonzales 57:58

1+ y ago57:58

57:58

In this week's Stage Talk we were joined by Bellingcat' Research Lead, Carlos Gonzales. Carlos unpacked a series of recent investigations, delivered by Bellingcat and partners into human smuggler operations across South America and into the US. You can find a link to Bellingcat's investigation into the digital coyote here: https://www.bellingcat.co…

1
J-Lab Episode 41: Breaking the RAAC in schools story with Jessica Hill 37:06

1+ y ago37:06

37:06

Our guest on this episode is Jessica Hill, senior investigations and features reporter for Schools Week and FE Week. Jessica was the first journalist to reveal to the general public how reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was ‘a ticking time bomb’ making school buildings ‘liable to collapse’. She brought the scale of the danger to an even…

1
"Publishing on closed messaging platforms” with Sipho Kings 57:24

1+ y ago57:24

57:24

In this week's episode, co-founder and director of The Continent, Sipho Kings joined us. The Continent is an award winning journal, distributed weekly to audiences, covering 54 countries. It's published as an old fashioned newspaper of sorts, on a beautifully designed PDF, and distributed via word of mouth, on closed messaging platforms. In the tal…

1
J-Lab Episode 40: Going undercover with Paul Morgan-Bentley of The Times 35:21

1+ y ago35:21

35:21

Our guest on this episode is Paul Morgan-Bentley, head of investigations at The Times newspaper, who has just scooped Investigation of the Year at the Press Awards for undercover reporting that exposed the force-fitting of British Gas meters in the homes of vulnerable people.In our conversation, Paul explains how he reported this story, why he thin…

1
"Justice and Accountability with Open Source Research" with Natasha Pereverzina 58:25

1+ y ago58:25

58:25

This week we spoke to a representative from Bellingcat's Justice and Accountability Unit, Consultant Natasha Pereverzina. Bellingcat’s Justice and Accountability Unit is a joint project with the Global Legal Action Network. Through years of collaboration, we have developed and tested a step-by-step methodology for investigators to follow, hopefully…

1
"Researching the Troubled Teen Industry" with Bellingcat Discord community member Allison Jenkins 59:38

1+ y ago59:38

59:38

This week's live Stage Talk was slightly different, we were joined by a Discord community member/open source researcher, Allison Jenkins. Allison was speaking on an ongoing project that she was looking for support on. Allison has lived experience of the Troubled Teen Industry and realised there was a lack of comprehensive and easy to access informa…

1
Episode 1, The Return: Emotions, Culture and White Supremacy in the U.S. 43:55

1+ y ago43:55

43:55

In our first episode of 2024, Bellingcat’s Michael Colborne and Kolina Koltai spoke to Dr. Kathleen Blee. A sociologist at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Blee has spent decades researching far-right movements in the United States, and spoke with us about the often-underdiscussed roles of culture and emotion on the far right. She is the co-author…

1
”Politics in the Age of Disinformation” with Sasha Issenberg 1:04:01

1+ y ago1:04:01

1:04:01

In this week's live Stage Talk we were joined by Sasha Issenberg, an author and political writer, speaking on how political parties around the world but particularly in the US, have previously and are currently responding to election mis and disinformation. You can find Sasha's full list of books here: https://www.sashaissenberg.com/copy-of-sasha-s…

1
The Exciting World of Digital Peacebuilding - With Martina Richard and Karolin Loch from the Civil Peace Service of AGIAMONDO 57:41

1+ y ago57:41

57:41

The Exciting World of Digital Peacebuilding - With Martina Richard and Karolin Loch from the Civil Peace Service of AGIAMONDO Welcome back to season three of The Peacebuilding Practitioner’s podcast. Season three is all about digital peacebuilding, this highly complex, tremendously exciting, often messy, and quickly developing intersection where em…

1
"The Role Of The Fact Checker" with Alice Milliken and Hannah Ajakaiye 1:05:14

1+ y ago1:05:14

1:05:14

In this week's Stage Talk we were joined by fact checkers, Alice Milliken and Hannah Ajakaiye. In the talk we discussed the role of a fact checker in this digital age and how these skillsets are vital for journalists, researchers and the wider public. We also spoke about how AI has had an impact on verification techniques. Hannah's profile A link t…

1
"Investigating An Oil Spill With Open Sources" with Logan Williams 57:54

1+ y ago57:54

57:54

In this week's Stage Talk we were joined by Bellingcat reseracher, Logan Williams and some Discord community members who have recently become Bellingcat contributors. They were there to speak on a series of investigations into an environmental disaster which had been evolving since February 7th in Trinidad and Tobago. Bellingcat and these discord m…

1
The Exciting World of Digital Peacebuilding - With Nina Strumpf from the Berghof Foundation 33:14

1+ y ago33:14

33:14

The Exciting World of Digital Peacebuilding - With Nina Strumpf from the Berghof Foundation Welcome back to season three of The Peacebuilding Practitioner’s podcast. Season three is all about digital peacebuilding, this highly complex, tremendously exciting, often messy, and quickly developing intersection where emerging technologies and the digita…

1
The Exciting World of Digital Peacebuilding - With Emma Baumhofer from swisspeace 37:44

1+ y ago37:44

37:44

The Exciting World of Digital Peacebuilding - With Emma Baumhofer from swisspeace Welcome back to season three of The Peacebuilding Practitioner’s podcast. Season three is all about digital peacebuilding, this highly complex, tremendously exciting, often messy, and quickly developing intersection where emerging technologies and the digital world on…

1
"Teaching Media Literacy" with Giancarlo Fiorella 1:01:36

1+ y ago1:01:36

1:01:36

In this week's Stage Talk we were joined by Bellingcat' Director of Research and Training, Giancarlo Fiorella. Giancarlo detailed Bellingcat's efforts in the education space and how training high school students in media literacy may be one solution to the issue of disinformation. You can find a link to the Student View project here: https://thestu…

1
The Exciting World of Digital Peacebuilding - With George Katz from Bellingcat 39:22

1+ y ago39:22

39:22

The Exciting World of Digital Peacebuilding - With George Katz from Bellingcat Welcome back to season three of The Peacebuilding Practitioner’s podcast. Season three is all about digital peacebuilding, this highly complex, tremendously exciting, often messy, and quickly developing intersection where emerging technologies and the digital world on th…

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