Internet & Society at Harvard
Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2025 9:21 am
By Hannah Ellis , researcher at the Berkman Klein Center foUniversity. Originally published in English on bellingcat and republished on meta-media with permission.
Whether it’s victims of a chemical attack or a iran cell phone number list bombing, journalists doing open source investigations are required to view and interact with raw footage from the field, which is at the heart of online open source investigations . With the increase in media outlets that process information through images, investigators must adapt and process a significant amount of audiovisual footage.
While this is potential evidence for investigative and public interest purposes, we must be aware of the traumatic effects it can have on those who come into contact with it regularly. The consequence of repeated exposure for journalists is what can be called vicarious or secondary trauma. This is mental distress that results from interacting with this imagery online.
This guide is intended to serve as an educational tool for anyone working in the field of open source research . It includes research by Sam Dubberley, Head of Amnesty International’s Digital Verification Corps/EyeWitness Media Hub Contributor, as well as the author’s experience at the Open Source Investigations Lab at the Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley Law School. The guide focuses on investigative work topics related to the Middle East, but can be adapted to other geographies.
Whether it’s victims of a chemical attack or a iran cell phone number list bombing, journalists doing open source investigations are required to view and interact with raw footage from the field, which is at the heart of online open source investigations . With the increase in media outlets that process information through images, investigators must adapt and process a significant amount of audiovisual footage.
While this is potential evidence for investigative and public interest purposes, we must be aware of the traumatic effects it can have on those who come into contact with it regularly. The consequence of repeated exposure for journalists is what can be called vicarious or secondary trauma. This is mental distress that results from interacting with this imagery online.
This guide is intended to serve as an educational tool for anyone working in the field of open source research . It includes research by Sam Dubberley, Head of Amnesty International’s Digital Verification Corps/EyeWitness Media Hub Contributor, as well as the author’s experience at the Open Source Investigations Lab at the Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley Law School. The guide focuses on investigative work topics related to the Middle East, but can be adapted to other geographies.