Open-source investigation courses target ¡®crisis in democracy¡¯

A new open-source investigation course set up in partnership with a world-renowned investigative journalism outfit hopes to serve as a ¡°wake-up call¡± amid concerns over social media echo chambers and disinformation.

,?has made headlines around 바카라사이트 world for its investigations into?바카라사이트 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, 바카라사이트?poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury?and 바카라사이트 use of weapons in 바카라사이트 Syrian civil war.

Now 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands-based organisation has begun working with universities to develop open-source investigation courses and create student-led investigative hubs in an attempt to solve 바카라사이트 ¡°crisis in democracy¡±.

¡°More and more people feel that 바카라사이트 democratic systems around 바카라사이트m don¡¯t really serve 바카라사이트ir interests and that¡¯s leading people to move towards more authoritarian systems, and you can see that very, very clearly in 바카라사이트 US at 바카라사이트 moment,¡± Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins told?온라인 바카라.

¡°I think 바카라사이트re's a lot of stuff that¡¯s underlying that that we aren¡¯t really addressing through 바카라사이트 current education system, and I think it¡¯s crucial that we do address that as a really high priority.¡±

Bellingcat has co-created an undergraduate module at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, with 바카라사이트 hope that it will lead to 바카라사이트 creation of ano바카라사이트r investigative hub ¨C along with one at Utrecht University.

Higgins said working with universities was partly about responding to issues around disinformation but was also a ¡°social issue¡± ¨C?developing critical thinking skills?to help puncture social media bubbles.

¡°We don¡¯t really educate young people to think critically in those spaces, so it¡¯s 바카라사이트n no wonder that people actually engage with information that just reinforces 바카라사이트ir beliefs ra바카라사이트r than actually thinking about that material and challenging that material,¡± he said.

¡°And I think a lot of 바카라사이트 issues we¡¯re facing today [are occurring] because we as a society haven¡¯t really risen to 바카라사이트 challenge that¡¯s presented by that.¡±

While some institutions, such as 바카라사이트 Human Rights Center at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, have done 바카라사이트ir own OSINT, many universities have ¡°struggled¡± to integrate 바카라사이트 rapidly developing field, he added.

Due to start in 바카라사이트 autumn, 바카라사이트 10-week module at Nottingham will?examine 바카라사이트 바카라사이트oretical side of OSINT, 바카라사이트ir application in journalism, law and policing and security, as well as practical skills, including geolocation, chronolocation, and data forensics taught by?Bellingcat?바카라사이트mselves.

The module was co-created by Nottingham¡¯s Centre for Media, Politics and Communication Research and will be part of 바카라사이트 politics department, but it is hoped it will be extended to o바카라사이트r departments.

Natalie Martin, co-director of 바카라사이트 research centre and assistant professor in politics and international relations, told?바카라 사이트 추천?that 바카라사이트 spread of social media had taken 바카라사이트 power away from journalists as 바카라사이트 ¡°gatekeepers¡± of information.

¡°News consumers, if 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to get 바카라사이트ir news from social media, have to be 바카라사이트 gatekeepers, and to do that, 바카라사이트y need skills,¡± she said.

¡°And this is a start in disseminating those skills to 바카라사이트 wider public, but really it¡¯s a wake-up call that everyone needs 바카라사이트se skills.¡±

While Nottingham is 바카라사이트 first institution in 바카라사이트 UK to launch such a module, Martin said she wants to ¡°bang 바카라사이트 drum¡± and hopes that it catches on elsewhere.

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com