More than nine months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the online methods for tracking this war are many and proliferating, including the most obvious source of all: social media networks. From the missile attack on a mall in Kremenchuk to mass graves in Motyzhyn, many reporters have relied on open-source investigations (OSI) — or the use of publicly accessible sources, like satellite imagery and social media posts — to expose Russia’s crimes in this war.
Though the war in Ukraine has been exemplary of OSI, open-source newsgathering is becoming integrated into journalistic practice as a standard reporting technique, particularly at investigative outlets.
Nieman Reports’ Winter 2023 takes a look at how open-source investigations are becoming a mainstay in the digital age, and the newsrooms that have taken the lead in incorporating OSI into their reporting.
One week after the May 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, I attended a vigil for the victims. I felt it was important to arrive early to ask permission from people attending the event who I might photograph. Three families of victims gave consent, including relatives, seen here, of Alexandria “Lexi” Aniyah Rubio.
Because I had talked to them before the event, I felt more comfortable being close to them and documenting their grief. As dusk fell, photos of victims were projected on a wall while families huddled together, holding candles that struggled to stay lit in the hot summer wind. Moments later, people lined up to release balloons, and friends and family of victims spoke about their loved ones to the crowd gathered in the courtyard.
As a photojournalist in Texas for the past 18 years, I’ve photographed the aftermath of five mass shootings, including the one at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, where 26 were killed, including several children, in a tiny, wooden church near San Antonio.
The number of mass shootings in America averages more than one per day. As these tragedies mount, and we cover more families like Lexi’s who are mourning in their wake, it’s imperative that we center their grief in our work without adding to it. We must work with compassion and empathy, and use trauma-informed reporting, while providing the public with what they need to know.
The mother of 10-year-old victim Annabell Rodriguez was also at the vigil. When I asked for her permission, she said yes but not when she was “breaking down.” She told me every time she started to cry, the cameras went up. I gave her my word, and I kept it. The balance of knowing who wants to share their story and who doesn’t in the midst of traumatic events is difficult, but I am certain we must make every effort to not further traumatize those most affected.
