In almost all research, we need to uncover information about given individuals: criminals, extremists, corrupt public officials. This workshop focuses on identifying the players in a nasty game, as well as people who can provide valuable information as sources. It delves into investigating their social media accounts, their addresses, and their networks. Details they aim to keep hidden but often fail to.
We will provide strategies, tools and tricks for finding people online. What can email addresses, social media profiles and telephone numbers reveal about a person? How can data leaks, Google reviews, and even apps like Strava offer insights for research? And what do the deceased leave behind? We go beyond abstract methods and present real-world investigation cases: Learn how an investigation can start with nothing more than a name – and end with ringing someone’s doorbell.
The examples include investigations into neo-Nazis and other extremists, police officers and unpeaceful UN peacekeepers, criminal divers, and Secret Service agents kidnapping people.
Sebastian Erb ist Redakteur im Investigativ-Ressort der Süddeutschen Zeitung in Berlin. Zuvor arbeitete er bei der taz. Er beschäftigt sich v.a. mit Themen der Inneren Sicherheit, insbesondere Rechtsextremismus und Spionage, aber auch mit MeToo und zuletzt dem internationalen Wildtierhandel... Read More →
Industry biases science by funding research projects and organisations, as well as individual scientists. In this session, we will explore how to investigate this bias, presenting different approaches, story angles, data sources, and methods. We will focus on investigations covering food, tobacco, environment, and medicine. The attendees will get an understanding of the importance of commercial influence on science, ways to investigate the subject, as well as possible pitfalls.
Hristio is a Berlin-based investigative health and science journalist, using data driven methods to tacke research integrity issues and systemic problems in medicine. Hristio is freelance investigations reporter at The BMJ (British Medical Journal) and leader of “Follow the Gra... Read More →
In this session, we will show how satellite imagery can support investigations into war, militarisation, and environmental changes. The methods discussed are applicable to climate investigations such as land-use change, infrastructure expansion, and environmental damage.
We will cover: -Getting the image: How to choose between open and commercial satellite imagery based on editorial needs, such as resolution, timeliness, licensing, and costs—and what to be aware of when downloading an image. -Analysing the image: Measuring distances and object sizes in images (e.g., airplanes), verifying the time an image was taken, and merging different satellite images. -Presenting the image: Tools to tell stories with satellite images so that readers can understand them intuitively—for example, through before–and–after comparisons, annotations, colour correction, sliders, GIFs, and scrolly-telling, with a focus on mobile-first presentation.
The session is intended for reporters, editors, and visual journalists. No prior experience with satellite imagery is required.
