Stage Talks with Bellingcat

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Join Bellingcat and a live audience in our discord server, where every two weeks we host discussions with leading voices within open source research and investigations. Be part of the audience at the next stage talk by joining our discord community here: https://discord.gg/bellingcat

  1. "Synthetic Propaganda - Tracing an AI-Driven Political Operation" with Effie Webb

    3 DAYS AGO

    "Synthetic Propaganda - Tracing an AI-Driven Political Operation" with Effie Webb

    This week we spoke with The Bureau of Investigative Journalism's AI reporter, Effie Webb about the use of AI in the political sphere and what researchers/journalists can effectively report on AI misuse. Effie uncovered what some experts are calling a first-of-its-kind case—where a registered political party paid for content from an AI-generated influencer pushing ideological messaging. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on April 16th 2026. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. Recorded live in our Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat Links: Effie Webb's original reporting: https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026-03-12/danny-bones-meet-the-ai-rapper-funded-by-a-far-right-party Effie's follow up investigation on the cash in following her reporting: https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026-03-26/the-hate-economy-in-action-how-an-ai-rapper-tried-to-cash-in-on-our-coverage Advance UK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_UK Bellingcat coverage of Indian political parties using AI-generated images to spread hate: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/03/31/india-bjp-hate-speech-ai/?utm_source=rss The Node Project website: https://www.thenodeproject.com/ On AI lego videos from Iran conflict: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/15/iran-beating-us-social-media-wars AI generated band finding success on Spotify: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/14/an-ai-generated-band-got-1m-plays-on-spotify-now-music-insiders-say-listeners-should-be-warned One of our previous talks on digital political influence campaigns: https://rss.com/podcasts/bellingcatstagetalk/2021916/ On AI and the first amendment: https://www.freedomforum.org/artificial-intelligence-first-amendment/ Bellingcat's Auto Archiver: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2025/08/13/the-open-source-tool-that-has-preserved-150000-pieces-of-online-evidence/ Effie's contact: https://www.linkedin.com/in/effie-webb-ab29941938

    1hr 1min
  2. "Tracking The Traffickers" with Foeke Postma

    2 APR

    "Tracking The Traffickers" with Foeke Postma

    This week we spoke with Foeke Postma of Bellingcat about the online trade of rare and protected species. He found traffickers not operating on the dark web, nor hidden forums but in plain sight- on social media platforms. Many of them used coded language to avoid detection. In this talk he discusses his investigative methods, what platforms could do more of to stop these networks and how you can help protect these vulnerable animals in small ways. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on April 2nd 2026. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. Recorded live in our Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat Links: Foeke's investigations on this topic: Indonesian trafficker: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/03/19/how-wildlife-traffickers-are-using-coded-language-to-sell-protected-animals-on-facebook/ Mongabay's coverage: https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/facebook-shuts-indonesia-groups-after-mongabay-and-bellingcat-report-illegal-wildlife-trade/ Malaysian trafficker: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/02/11/the-hunt-for-malaysias-elusive-wildlife-trafficker/ Dubai trade: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/middle-east/2021/02/08/how-instagram-celebrities-promote-dubais-underground-animal-trade/ Digital tips: Facebook bookmarklets: https://tools.myosint.training/ Wildlife specific organisations: Cities: https://trade.cites.org/ Pitch to Bellingcat: submissions@bellingcat.com Mental hygiene guide: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2022/11/23/how-to-maintain-mental-hygiene-as-an-open-source-researcher/ Link to Discord environment/wildlife topic channel: https://discord.gg/GQDsGvXJdf

    59 min
  3. "Identifying Munitions In The War With Iran"- with Bellingcat Researcher Trevor Ball

    13 MAR

    "Identifying Munitions In The War With Iran"- with Bellingcat Researcher Trevor Ball

    This week we spoke with Trevor Ball of Bellingcat about how to identify weapons used in conflict, including the munitions appearing in the Iran conflict. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on March 12th 2026. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. Recorded live in our Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat Links: The Weapons Being Deployed https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/03/03/bombs-will-fall-everywhere-the-american-israeli-and-iranian-weapons-being-deployed-in-middle-east/ The Incendiary Bomb Never Seen in Israel https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/03/07/the-incendiary-bomb-never-seen-in-israel-before/ Video Of US Tomahawk Missile Strike Next to Girls’ School https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/03/08/video-shows-us-tomahawk-missile-strike-next-to-girls-school-in-iran/ US Missiles Spotted Over Iraq https://www.bellingcat.com/news/middle-east/2026/03/11/iran-war-iraq-tomahawks-munitions-syria-located-kurdistan-missiles-fired/ OSMP The Iran War 2026 https://osmp.ngo/collection/the-iran-war-2026/ Iran-Israel conflict June 2025 https://osmp.ngo/collection/iran-israel-conflict-june-2025/ US munitions used in Yemen 2025 https://osmp.ngo/collection/us-munitions-in-yemen/ Bulletpicker - https://www.bulletpicker.com/index.html ODIN- https://odin.tradoc.army.mil/WEG Images shared by Iranian state media show remnants of a US Tomahawk missile https://bsky.app/profile/bellingcat.com/post/3mgnv5iscv226 Talk with the OSMP team last year: https://rss.com/podcasts/bellingcatstagetalk/1945244/ SIPRI https://www.sipri.org/ Identifying possible crater in Gaza: https://www.bellingcat.com/?p=40534 CAGE: https://cage.dla.mil/Home/UsageAgree Conflict Armament Research field investigation on the Kh-101: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ea22b213d5414fefbcfe2f977ff07910

    59 min
  4. "Real-Time Monitoring For Research" with Aram Shabanian

    27 FEB

    "Real-Time Monitoring For Research" with Aram Shabanian

    This week we spoke to Aram Shabanian, a Bellingcat contributor and experienced open source researcher. Aram is somewhat of an expert in monitoring live events. He's often the first to spot something on a livestream or hear an emergency call on a radio. In this talk he walks us through his preferred open source tools for watching things unfold and provides insight into how this type of research can save lives, prevent panic and create an important archive of historic incidents. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on Thursday February 26th 2026. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. Recorded live in the Bellingcat Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat Links discussed: Broadcastify: https://www.broadcastify.com/ Compilation of resources including the aforementioned spreadsheet can be found on our Discord here: https://discord.com/channels/709752884257882135/1144296259805528256 Watch Duty: https://www.watchduty.org/careers Earth Null School: https://earth.nullschool.net/ IQ Air: https://www.iqair.com/ Weather and Geological Phenomena channel in our Server: https://discord.com/channels/709752884257882135/1204206076493434930 US River gages: https://water.noaa.gov/rfc/mbrfc VidGrid: https://vidgrid.tk.gg/ Sewage map (UK): https://www.sewagemap.co.uk/ This is for disease: https://www.wastewaterscan.org/en

    58 min
  5. "Mapping the Anti-Rights Movement From the US to the UK" with Amnesty International UK

    13 FEB

    "Mapping the Anti-Rights Movement From the US to the UK" with Amnesty International UK

    In this week's Stage Talk we were joined by Amnesty International UK’s Gender Justice Director Chiara Capraro. In a recent report, Chiara and her team mapped the structure and funding of 65 anti-rights groups operating across the UK. She shares the methodology behind the research, what it reveals about the current trajectory of rights-restriction campaigning, and what it could mean in the years ahead. We also explore the key similarities and differences between movements in the UK and the US. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on Thursday February 12th 2026. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. You can contact Chiara on chiara.capraro@amnesty.org.uk Recorded live in the Bellingcat Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat Links discussed: The report: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/knowledge-hub/all-resources/the-anti-rights-movement/ Alliance Defending Freedom Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_Defending_Freedom NY Times report on the US anti-abortion influence on Britain: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/world/europe/uk-abortion-farage.html Sex Matters Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_Matters_(advocacy_group) LGB Alliance Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGB_Alliance Companies House: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house Bellingcat tool to dig into US corporate data: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2023/12/18/new-tools-dig-deeper-into-hard-to-aggregate-us-corporate-data/ Hope Not Hate: https://hopenothate.org.uk/ Telegraph article on ministers cutting down on foreign donations: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/12/ministers-crackdown-on-foreign-political-donations/ Our previous Stage Talk on counter-disinformation strategies: https://rss.com/podcasts/bellingcatstagetalk/2507049/ Democracy for Sale: https://democracyforsale.substack.com/ Panorama investigation on Pregnancy Crisis Centres: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64751800 EPF: https://www.epfweb.org/publications

    1 hr
  6. "How We Got Here: The Rise, Backlash and Future Of Counter-Disinformation" with Eliot Higgins and Dr Claire Wardle

    30 JAN

    "How We Got Here: The Rise, Backlash and Future Of Counter-Disinformation" with Eliot Higgins and Dr Claire Wardle

    In our first Stage Talk of 2026, we were joined by Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins and Cornell University's Dr. Claire Wardle sharing their expertise on the formation of fact checking and verification strategies we see today. But how do we cope with the collapse of trust in media and academic institutions? Are corrections and AI fact checks enough? Listen in to find out what two seasoned open source verification experts think could be our next steps. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on Thursday January 29rd 2026. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. Recorded live in the Bellingcat Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat Links discussed: Legacy site of First Draft News: https://firstdraftnews.org/ Projecto Comprova: https://projetocomprova.com.br/ Eliots framework: https://demos.co.uk/research/verification-deliberation-accountability-a-new-framework-for-tackling-epistemic-collapse-and-renewing-democracy/ Eliot's article for Reuters Institute: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/how-protect-democracies-falsehoods-empowering-young-open-source-investigation-skills FullFact: https://fullfact.org/ The video of Alex Pretti that faced claims of AI manipulation: https://bsky.app/profile/eliothiggins.bsky.social/post/3mdkcgmsvdk2y Claire's previous work on Information Disorder: https://firstdraftnews.org/long-form-article/understanding-information-disorder/ Links shared by audience members relevant to the discussion: https://theconversation.com/when-critical-thinking-isnt-enough-to-beat-information-overload-we-need-to-learn-critical-ignoring-198549 https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/medialse/2018/05/08/media-literacy-everyones-favourite-solution-to-the-problems-of-regulation/ https://www.disarm.foundation/framework https://www.brookings.edu/articles/adding-a-d-to-the-abc-disinformation-framework/ https://issues.org/misunderstanding-misinformation-wardle/

    1hr 4min
  7. “Digging for Gold in Import-Export Data” with Bellingcat's Katherine de Tolly

    08/12/2025

    “Digging for Gold in Import-Export Data” with Bellingcat's Katherine de Tolly

    In the final Stage Talk of the year, we learnt the mechanics of investigating trade data thanks to this week's guest, Bellingcat research consultant and self-confessed data nerd Katherine de Tolly. Using the example of opioid shipments from India to West Africa, Katherine talked us through the intricacies of import-export data and how to navigate the many data gaps/inconsistencies inherit in the system. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on Thursday December 4th 2025. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. Recorded live in the Bellingcat Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat Links mentioned: Katherine's slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JvDqFnM-caIPo39ez3aennGa9iwB-NwWPh9VXAKUFgg/edit?usp=sharing You can contact Katherine on: kdetolly@gmail.com Money channel in Discord: https://discord.com/channels/709752884257882135/710247961426395186 Comtrade: https://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow 52WMB: https://en.52wmb.com/ BBC investigation: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyew21yyjzo

    57 min
  8. "Studying Conflict’s Impact on the Environment" with the Conflict and Environment Observatory

    21/11/2025

    "Studying Conflict’s Impact on the Environment" with the Conflict and Environment Observatory

    This week, we explored one of war’s less visible consequences: its devastating impact on the environment. How large is the ecological footprint of conflict? What do we know about the long-term harm caused by bombing, heavy machinery, and the waste left behind—and how these pollutants affect both human health and fragile habitats? In this episode, Eoghan Darbyshire of the Conflict and Environment Observatory reveals how his team tracks the immediate and lasting environmental fallout of warfare around the world. He also underscores why open-source research skills are indispensable for uncovering damage that often remains hidden in plain sight. The talk was hosted by Charlotte Maher on Thursday November 20th 2025. Music featured is courtesy of Artlist. Recorded live in the Bellingcat Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat Links discussed: CEOBS: https://ceobs.org/ Ukrainian forest tracker: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2023/08/18/a-new-tool-shows-what-war-has-done-to-ukraines-forests/ Guide on visualising conflict and displacement data: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/how-tos/2025/07/04/the-story-of-a-storm-part-ii-visualising-conflict-and-displacement-data/ CEOBS blog on the fibre optic damage in Ukraine: https://ceobs.org/plastic-pollution-from-fibre-optic-drones-may-threaten-wildlife-for-years/ Sudanese Civil War Discord channel: https://discord.com/channels/709752884257882135/1099724243706589245 Environment and Wildlife Discord channel: https://discord.com/channels/709752884257882135/807311724893175878 Ship detection tool: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2023/05/11/peering-beyond-the-clouds-a-guide-to-bellingcats-ship-detection-tool/ Sketchy Boats Stage Talk: https://rss.com/podcasts/bellingcatstagetalk/2235217/

    52 min
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About

Join Bellingcat and a live audience in our discord server, where every two weeks we host discussions with leading voices within open source research and investigations. Be part of the audience at the next stage talk by joining our discord community here: https://discord.gg/bellingcat

Information

  • Creator
    Bellingcat
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    87
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Bellingcat 2023
  • Show Website
    Stage Talks with Bellingcat
  • Provider

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