[Commlist] CfP - Institutionalizing Open-Source Investigations in Journalism

Call for Papers - Digital Journalism

*Institutionalizing Open-Source Investigations in Journalism: Changing 
Epistemic Legitimacy in Media Systems*
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Open-source intelligence investigations (OSINV) in journalism have 
steadily evolved from ad hoc, grassroots practices carried out by 
internet sleuths into a formalized and well-structured approach to 
journalistic research (van der Woude et al., 2024). By leveraging 
publicly available data—such as satellite imagery, social media content, 
and official records—to expose misinformation and generate actionable 
insights, organizations like Bellingcat, Forensic Architecture, and 
OSINT For Ukraine have used digital verification to counter 
disinformation, investigate war crimes, expose corruption, and influence 
political agendas (Charlton et al., 2024).

Initially developed in fields such as security studies and intelligence 
analysis (Glassman & Kang, 2012), OSINV methods are now in high demand 
across newsrooms, journalism schools, and civic organizations seeking to 
upskill their members (Reese, 2023). Reflecting this shift, many 
journalists now prefer the term “Open Source Investigations” (OSINV) 
over “Open Source Intelligence” (OSINT) to distance the practice from 
its military and intelligence connotations.

This special issue for Digital Journalism aims to explore the 
institutionalization of OSINV in journalism from multiple perspectives, 
including OSINV’s impact on journalism as a field, the formalization of 
grassroots networks, and the role of academic institutions in shaping 
the future of OSINV for journalists.

As with many innovations in the field, institutionalizing OSINV involves 
more than adopting new tools—it requires renegotiating professional 
boundaries, ethical norms, and notions of journalistic authority 
(Carlson, 2017). For example, while the epistemic authority of 
traditional journalism relies heavily on the notoriety of the media 
organization reporting the news, in the case of OSINV, authority is 
derived from the transparency, replicability, and rigor of the 
investigative methods used. This shift challenges conventional 
gatekeeping roles, raises questions about credibility and verification 
in decentralized investigations, and calls for a reassessment of 
professional norms and epistemic legitimacy in media systems.

In recent years, OSINV has gained greater legitimacy within formal 
journalistic institutions, influencing sourcing practices, verification 
routines, and newsroom workflows (Grut, 2020). Yet, as El-Sherbiny 
(2023) notes, “a number of challenges put a few countries from the 
Global South at the tail end of a thriving trend.” For example, people 
in the Global South face a relative disadvantage in access to good 
internet connections or personal computers that can navigate high-res 
satellite imagery. At the same time, OSINV practices are deeply shaped 
by access to state- and market-controlled data infrastructures, the 
uneven availability of open data, and dependencies on privately-owned 
systems like satellites.

This begs the question: How are journalistic OSINV practices shaped by 
local constraints, such as resource scarcity, surveillance, or 
repression? This special issue aims to map the evolving relationships 
between OSINV and more mainstream journalistic practices, exploring both 
the structural barriers and enabling conditions that shape its adoption. 
Particular attention may be placed on the role that languages, local 
cultures, and knowledge systems play in shaping the development of OSINV 
techniques. Crucially, these developments highlight the need for new 
forms of journalism education that integrate OSINV methodologies into 
journalistic training while being sensitive to global disparities in 
access and infrastructure (Dodds et al., 2025)

We encourage submissions from diverse disciplines and contexts. We 
invite contributions that draw on a wide range of empirical, 
theoretical, and methodological approaches, including content analysis, 
interviews, critical and cultural analysis, and many others. 
Additionally, we seek manuscripts that not only capture the current 
state of affairs but also help chart the path forward for the future of 
OSINV and journalism. Such work may include questions like:

How does the institutionalization of OSINV in journalism affect 
professional boundaries, journalistic authority, and epistemic 
legitimacy within traditional news organizations?
What challenges and adaptations emerge when OSINV methodologies are 
applied in contexts with limited press freedom, digital infrastructure, 
or access to open-source data?
How do grassroots OSINV networks negotiate their autonomy, credibility, 
and activist origins while engaging with legacy media and formal 
journalistic institutions?
How has integrating OSINV into journalism curricula influenced 
investigative reporting practices, and what tensions arise when academic 
institutions formalize these methods?
To what extent do OSINV methods still require interfacing with 
proprietary data or infrastructure, and how do journalists and 
associated groups negotiate such tensions and the asymmetric 
dependencies they may entail?
Submission Instructions
Extended abstracts should include an abstract of 500-700 words, not 
including references, and an abbreviated bio(s) for each author.

Please submit your proposal to Dr. Tomás Dodds 
((digitaljournalism.osinv /at/ proton.me)) as a single PDF file, with your 
names clearly stated on the first page.

Full Manuscript should be between 7,000 and 9,000 words.
There are no APCs or Article Processing Charges for this publication.

Timeline
Extended abstract submission deadline: September 1, 2025
Notification on submitted abstracts: October 1, 2025
Article submission deadline: February 1, 2026

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