Welcome to "Digital investigations for journalists"

Knight Center

9 Sept 202002:54

Summary

TLDRCraig Silverman introduces a free digital investigations course for journalists, hosted on journalismcourses.org. The course covers essential skills for digital journalism, including investigating social media, monitoring platforms, analyzing websites, and connecting online entities. It requires internet access, Chrome browser, and accounts on Twitter and Facebook.

Takeaways

📚 This is a free course called 'Digital Investigations for Journalists' offered by BuzzFeed News and the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas.
🌐 Internet access is required to participate in the course.
🔍 Participants should have the Chrome web browser installed.
🐦 A Twitter account and a Facebook account are necessary for the course.
📚 Several Chrome extensions are needed, including Wii Verify for images and videos, Crowd Tangle, and the Wayback Machine.
🏆 A certificate of completion can be obtained by completing quizzes, participating in discussions, viewing all videos, and engaging with all materials.
👤 Week one focuses on investigating people and social media accounts, led by Brandi Zadrosney, an investigative reporter at NBC News.
🔎 Week two covers searching and monitoring across Twitter and Facebook, and investigating images and videos, taught by BuzzFeed News senior reporter Janel Fannenko.
🌐 Week three is about investigating websites, including understanding who is behind them and analyzing content, taught by Craig Silverman, BuzzFeed News media editor.
🔗 In week four, Johanna Wilde from Bellingcat will show how to connect various accounts, pages, and websites to draw conclusions.
💬 Active participation in forums, quizzes, and video viewing is encouraged throughout the course.

Q & A

Who is the host of the 'Digital Investigations for Journalists' course?
-The host of the course is Craig Silverman, the media editor of BuzzFeed News.
What is the purpose of the 'Digital Investigations for Journalists' course?
-The purpose of the course is to equip journalists and those interested in investigations with the skills and tools to effectively conduct digital investigations.
Is the 'Digital Investigations for Journalists' course free?
-Yes, the 'Digital Investigations for Journalists' course is a free course offered at journalismcourses.org.
What are the prerequisites for taking the 'Digital Investigations for Journalists' course?
-The prerequisites include having internet access, the Chrome web browser installed, and having a Twitter and Facebook account set up.
What are the Chrome extensions that students need to install for the course?
-Students need to install the Wii Verify extension for images and video, the Crowd Tangle browser extension, and the Wayback Machine browser extension.
What are the main topics covered in the first week of the course?
-In the first week, Brandi Zadrosney, an investigative reporter at NBC News, will teach how to investigate people and social media accounts.
Who covers the topics of searching and monitoring across Twitter and Facebook in the second week?
-Janel Fannenko, a senior reporter at BuzzFeed News, covers these topics in the second week.
What will Craig Silverman teach in the third week of the course?
-In the third week, Craig Silverman will teach how to investigate websites, including learning about who is behind them, technical details, and analyzing content.
Who is the instructor in the fourth week of the course, and what will they cover?
-Johanna Wilde, an investigator with Bellingcat, will teach in the fourth week. She will show how to connect various accounts, pages, and websites and draw conclusions from them.
What is required to obtain a certificate of completion for the course?
-To obtain a certificate of completion, students need to complete the quizzes, participate in discussions, view all the videos, and do all the materials.
How can students participate in the course discussions and ask questions?
-Students can participate in the forums, which are part of the course platform at journalismcourses.org.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Digital Investigations for Journalists

Craig Silverman, Media Editor at BuzzFeed News, introduces the 'Digital Investigations for Journalists' course offered by the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas. The course is free and available on journalismcourses.org, aiming to equip journalists with digital investigation skills essential in today's digital environment. Craig emphasizes the importance of internet access, the Chrome web browser, and having Twitter and Facebook accounts. He also mentions the need to install specific Chrome extensions for image and video verification, Crowd Tangle for social media monitoring, and the Wayback Machine for historical web data. The course includes a certificate of completion, contingent on completing quizzes, participating in discussions, and engaging with all course materials.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Digital Investigations

Digital investigations refer to the process of examining and analyzing digital data to uncover information or verify facts. In the context of the video, it is the core theme and the main focus of the course being introduced, aimed at teaching journalists how to effectively conduct investigations in the digital environment. The script mentions that the course will cover essential skills for journalists to perform well in digital investigations.

💡Journalists

Journalists are individuals who collect, verify, and report news for media organizations. The video targets this group, offering a course to enhance their investigative skills in the digital age. The script emphasizes the importance of these skills for journalists to conduct thorough digital investigations.

💡BuzzFeed News

BuzzFeed News is an American news and media organization that publishes articles and reports on various topics. In the script, Craig Silverman, the media editor of BuzzFeed News, introduces the course, indicating the credibility and relevance of the course content to modern journalism.

💡Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas

The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas is an educational institution that offers courses and resources for journalists. The video script mentions this center as the provider of the free course on digital investigations, highlighting its role in advancing journalistic education.

💡Internet Access

Internet access is the ability to connect to and use the internet. The script specifies that internet access is a prerequisite for the course, as the digital investigations to be taught heavily rely on online resources and tools.

💡Chrome Web Browser

The Chrome web browser, developed by Google, is a popular internet browser used for navigating the web. The script instructs participants to have the Chrome browser installed, as it is necessary for using certain extensions that will aid in digital investigations.

💡Social Media Accounts

Social media accounts are user profiles on social networking platforms. The video mentions the investigation of people and social media accounts as part of the course content, indicating the significance of social media in modern journalism and digital investigations.

💡Browser Extensions

Browser extensions are add-ons for web browsers that enhance or modify browser functionality. The script lists specific extensions like 'Wii Verify' for images and videos, 'Crowd Tangle', and 'Wayback Machine' as tools to be installed on the Chrome browser for the course, showing their utility in digital investigations.

💡Investigative Reporter

An investigative reporter is a journalist who conducts in-depth research and reporting on a particular subject or issue. The script introduces Brandi Zadrosney and Janel Farnando as investigative reporters who will be teaching parts of the course, emphasizing the practical expertise they bring to the lessons.

💡Bellingcat

Bellingcat is an online investigative organization known for its use of open-source intelligence to conduct investigations. Johanna Wilde from Bellingcat is mentioned in the script as one of the course instructors, indicating the course's focus on advanced digital investigation techniques.

💡Certificates of Completion

Certificates of completion are documents awarded to participants who finish a course or program. The script mentions that participants can receive a certificate after completing the course requirements, which serves as a motivation for engagement and a recognition of their learning.

Highlights

Introduction to the digital investigations course for journalists by BuzzFeed News media editor Craig Silverman.

The course is offered free at journalismcourses.org and is designed to equip journalists with digital investigation skills.

Craig emphasizes the importance of digital presence or digital exhaust in investigative journalism.

Participants are reminded to have internet access and specific web browsers and accounts for the course.

Installation of Chrome extensions such as Wii Verify, Crowd Tangle, and Wayback Machine is necessary for the course.

A certificate of completion is offered upon completion of quizzes, discussions, and viewing all materials.

Week one focuses on investigating people and social media accounts with Brandi Zadrosney from NBC News.

Week two covers searching and monitoring across Twitter and Facebook, and investigating images and video with Janel Fankenau from BuzzFeed News.

Week three involves investigating websites, learning about their technical details and content analysis by Craig Silverman.

Week four features Johanna Wilde from Bellingcat, tying together investigations and showing connections between accounts and pages.

The course encourages participants to participate in forums, complete quizzes, and engage with the course materials.

Craig invites questions or issues from participants to ensure a smooth learning experience.

The course is designed to help journalists effectively utilize digital tools in their investigative work.

The course content is structured to build on each week's learning, culminating in a comprehensive understanding of digital investigations.

Participants are encouraged to explore the connections between different digital entities to draw meaningful conclusions.

The course aims to provide practical applications of digital investigation techniques for journalists.

Craig Silverman highlights the value of the course in enhancing journalists' ability to conduct thorough digital investigations.