Episode 657
Bellingcat: An Intelligence Agency for the People with Eliot Higgins
October 29, 202458m 27s
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Show Notes
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.