Summary

Eliot Higgins (X; Wikipedia) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the work of Bellingcat. Eliot founded the open-source investigative website in 2014.

What You’ll Learn

Intelligence

Bellingcat’s approach to “investigative journalism”
The rise of OSINT as a tool of journalism
Bellingcat’s relationship with intelligence agencies
Case studies from Bellingcat’s past, including the Skripal Case and the MH17 flight investigation

Reflections

Leading by example
Accessibility and accountability

And much, much more …

Quotes of the Week

“When I first started doing this work ... I would present geolocation and stuff on stage. The reaction was like I was doing magic tricks, but my point was that. This isn't magic – This is something that you can do and recreate and understand.” - Eliot Higgins.

Resources

SURFACE SKIM

SpyCasts

Digital Innovation and the Next Frontier of Intelligence with Jennifer Ewbank (2024)
The Future of OSINT and the Intelligence Community with Jason Barrett (2024)
U.S. Army Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) with Dennis Eger & Shawn Nilius (2024)
Ukraine & Intelligence: One Year On with Shane Harris (2023)

DEEPER DIVE

Books

OSINT Techniques: Resources for Uncovering Online Information, M. Bazzell (2023)
Deep Dive: Exploring the Real-world Value of Open Source Intelligence, R. L. Baker (Wiley, 2023)
We Are Bellingcat: The Online Sleuths Solving Global Crimes, E. Higgins (Bloomsbury, 2022)

Primary Sources

Map of Civilian Harm in Ukraine (2024)
Death of Sinwar Report (2024)
The IC OSINT Strategy 2024-2026 (2024)
DoS Open Source Intelligence Strategy (2024)
MH17 Investigation (2019)
Skripal Report (2018)

Wildcard Resource

The fable of Belling the Cat
The inspiration behind Bellingcat’s name, the moral of this story is simple – It’s one thing to suggest a solution or idea, but it’s a whole other beast to actually take action.

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