"Student Researchers Vs The Misinformation Machine" with Utrecht University
Stage Talks with BellingcatShow Notes
This week, we were discussing how open source research can help build vital factchecking skills across disciplines. We spoke to Prof. dr. Brianne McGonigle Leyh, a professor and one of the leaders of the Open-Source Global Justice Investigations Lab at Utrecht University. Alongside her, we were joined by Felix Lommerse, the student assistant at the lab and a former student of the course. In the talk they described the purpose of the project, how major newsrooms have got involved and why other universities may want to take note. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on Thursday October 9th 2025. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. Recorded live in the Bellingcat Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat Links discussed: The lab: https://www.uu.nl/en/research/institutions-for-open-societies/contesting-governance/projects/open-source-global-justice-investigations-lab Berkeley: https://humanrights.berkeley.edu/ Dr Alexa Koenig Stage Talk: https://rss.com/podcasts/bellingcatstagetalk/1908244/ FT article in partnership with lab: https://ig.ft.com/haiti-gangs Their work was also mentioned by GIJN: https://gijn.org/stories/african-journalism-database-local-digital-verification/ Their timeline of the Palestinian protests at Utrecht University: https://www.uu.nl/sites/default/files/UU%20May%207%20-%209%20Events%20Report_0.pdf Bellingcat challenge site: https://challenge.bellingcat.com/ Giancarlo's article on protecting your mental hygiene as a researcher: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2022/11/23/how-to-maintain-mental-hygiene-as-an-open-source-researcher/ The Dart Center referenced has been closed over the summer. You can now access those resources here: https://gcjt.org/
More from Stage Talks with Bellingcat
This week we spoke to the people behind the Bellingcat Online Open Source Investigation Toolkit, two years after it was first launched. In the conversation, Johanna Wild, Anisa Shabir and Martin Sona explored how they assess new tools, put tools to the test and manage to upkeep the toolkit amongst a constantly changing digital landscape. They also provided invaluable tips on how you can stay safe and precise with your analysis when using open source tools. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on October 8th 2026. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. Recorded live in our Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat Links: Bellingcat Toolkit: https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit Contact: [email protected] Support the Toolkit work: https://www.bellingcat.com/donate-bellingcat-toolkit/ Areas in our Discord for tools: Interested in finding or sharing useful tools? tools-and-sites Need help with a tool? tool-support Looking for help with or review of development of your own tool? tool-development We spoke about some of these ethical issues and restrictions with AI tools last week with Craig Silverman, listen back here: https://rss.com/podcasts/bellingcatstagetalk/3202578/ Johanna previously gave a talk when the new toolkit launched here: https://rss.com/podcasts/bellingcatstagetalk/1675152/ Image/Video category in the toolkit: https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video Tool Pure Ref: https://www.pureref.com/ Social media category in the toolkit: https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media Tool zeeschuimer: https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/zeeschuimer Learn about our volunteer community here: https://www.bc-community.org/
This week OSINT journalist and trainer Craig Silverman joined us to share how he uses AI in investigations, from prompting Claude to become a research assistant to searching with facial recognition tools. This talk specifically dove into his methodology on his recent investigation into a North Korean scam, where fake recruiters were trying to get new hires to download malware. Craig shared invaluable tips on how and when AI could come in use, alongside pointing out the risks involved with using this technology for research. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on October 1st 2026. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. Recorded live in our Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat Links: Craig's investigation: https://indicator.media/p/i-got-inside-a-north-korean-hiring-scam-what-i-found-reveals-a-troubling-shift-in-tactics Tools mentioned: spotlight.buriedsignals.com https://navigator.indicator.media/ Xuele Doc: https://github.com/Malfrats/xeuledoc Bellingcat Toolkit: https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit Bellingcat AI articles: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2026/06/25/how-to-use-ai-to-help-find-civilian-harm-conflict-report-monitor-war-machine-learning-telegram/ https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2025/08/14/llms-vs-geolocation-gpt-5-performs-worse-than-other-ai-models/ Indicator framework: https://indicator.media/p/the-indicator-framework-how-to-tell-what-your-digital-osint-evidence-is-actually-worth Space in Discord for this topic: https://discordapp.com/channels/709752884257882135/1089154093810978866
This week Bellingcat's Peter Barth joined us to go behind the scenes of his latest investigation into a cold case murder. This talk specifically dove into his methodology for public record requests and how this pursuit led to him finding the answers he was looking for. Full of FOIA tips and tricks, this episode is perfect for anyone looking to do in-depth investigations on cases that may have taken place pre-internet boom. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on September 17th 2026. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. Recorded live in our Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat Links: Peter's cold case investigation: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/us-canada/2026/08/31/investigating-a-murder-public-records-uncover-new-clues-in-chinatown-cold-case/?utm_source=stagetalks Peter's slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aGJNVqzHSgOC4nwsKT7rrw7NpO--a8lWCK8k2Z8apoM/edit?usp=sharing Merch contest (referenced at beginning): https://www.bellingcat.com/uncategorized/2026/09/14/bellingcat-official-merch-design-contest/ Peter's last talk on cold cases: https://rss.com/podcasts/bellingcatstagetalk/2101281/ Space in the Discord Server to talk tools for cold case investigations: https://discordapp.com/channels/709752884257882135/1375086026275688488 Muckrock: https://www.muckrock.com/foi/ also a great FOI website: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/ Peter's Texas cold case: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/05/27/pigeon-shoots-and-hitmen-new-leads-in-a-texas-oilmans-cold-case/
This week Bellingcat's Michael Colborne and Pooja Chaudhuri joined us to share their experience of using network analysis techniques to study transnational hate groups. We spent the hour discussing useful research tips and exploring the wider context of how these types of groups operate. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on September 3rd 2026. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. Recorded live in our Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat Links: Want to learn more about researching this topic? Check out our webinar in October: https://www.bellingcat.com/workshops/hate-symbols-online-extremism-and-how-not-to-amplify-hate-webinar-october-28-2026/ Colombian investigation on AC Bogota: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/05/11/active-club-colombia-politics/ Bulgarian streetwear investigation: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2024/10/09/active-club-far-right-fashion-w2r-bulgaria/ Example of an event in Budapest: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/01/30/neo-nazis-linked-to-terrorist-activities-to-host-budapest-concert/ Hindu nationalist website article: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2024/05/28/how-hindu-nationalist-far-right-india-websites-money/ RSS map: https://rssproject.caravanmagazine.in/map QANON analysis guide: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2021/11/24/toy-rabbits-chemtrails-and-german-qanon-fanatics-how-not-to-conduct-open-source-investigations/ RSS in Modi Government: https://theprint.in/politics/rss-in-modi-govt-in-numbers-3-of-4-ministers-are-rooted-in-the-sangh/353942/
This week Bellingcat's Kolina Koltai and The Press' Michael Wright joined us to discuss their recent investigation into the website LeakedBB. LeakedBB was a publicly accessible forum with millions of registered users, where intimate images were allegedly shared without consent. Kolina and Michael provided insight into the methodology behind their investigation, how they identified a key admin of the website, and the challenges of tackling the wider issue of non-consensual sharing of explicit images online. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on August 13th 2026. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. Recorded live in our Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat Links: The investigation: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/07/16/leakedbb-crypto-entrepreneur/ The Press' version of the investigation: https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/361041069/leaked-global-online-forum-trading-leaked-nudes-and-its-christchurch-links These researchers also recently spoke to The World about this investigation: https://theworld.org/segments/2026/08/07/investigative-report-traces-global-reach-of-revenge-porn-website Have a story for Bellingcat? https://www.bellingcat.com/contact OpenCorporates: https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates MrDeepfakes investigation: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/05/07/canadian-pharmacist-linked-to-worlds-most-notorious-deepfake-porn-site/ Motherless (.com) podcast episode: https://rss.com/podcasts/bellingcatstagetalk/2909687/ Image Angel podcast episode: https://rss.com/podcasts/bellingcatstagetalk/2962192/ Hunchly: https://hunch.ly/ Autoarchiver: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2025/08/13/the-open-source-tool-that-has-preserved-150000-pieces-of-online-evidence/