The Digital Investigations Bootcamp is the first intensive, hands-on OSINT training program in the Midwest designed specifically for journalists, OSINT practitioners, editors, and newsroom researchers. Hosted by the Public Tech Media Lab at the School of Journalism & Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) uses publicly available, natively digital or digitized data to reconstruct events and verify information through transparent, replicable methodologies. OSINT has become one of the fastest-growing areas of investigative journalism, informing high-impact investigations such as Bellingcat’s MH17 reporting and BBC Africa Eye’s verification of civilian executions in Cameroon. As newsrooms increasingly invest in their digital investigative capacity, they are hiring OSINT specialists and partnering with organizations that specialize in these methods.
Benefits
Participants will acquire immediately applicable skills in chronolocation and geolocation, advanced search techniques, social media analysis and verification, safety and security practices, and ethical protocols. The program offers hands-on technical training using real investigative cases, exposure to global trends in digital investigations, a practical OSINT toolkit adaptable to local reporting contexts, and opportunities for professional networking and collaboration.
In a media environment shaped by misinformation, AI-generated deception, shrinking newsroom resources, and declining public trust, OSINT offers a practical set of investigative, verification, and accountability tools that strengthen core journalistic practice.
Speakers and Trainers
The program brings together leading practitioners from organizations with extensive experience in digital investigations, public communication, and democratic resilience, including the Public Tech Media Lab and the UC Berkeley Human Rights Center.
Confirmed OSINT trainers from the UC Berkeley Human Rights Center include Guillén Torres, a specialist in action research, methodological experimentation, and data-driven technologies for justice and accountability; Gisella Pérez de Acha, an investigative reporter focused on extremism, disinformation, and environmental issues; and Tomás Dodds, Director of the Public Tech Media Lab.
Where and When
The Digital Investigations Bootcamp will be offered as a two-day, in-person program, with participants able to choose between sessions held on May 26–27, 2026, or May 28–29, 2026. All sessions will take place at the WARF Centennial Seminar Hub at Morgridge Hall in Madison, Wisconsin. Reduced hotel rates will be available at select hotels located near Morgridge Hall, with additional accommodation details provided upon registration.
Registration
Register using this link: https://uwmadison.eventsair.com/2026ptml/regptml/Site/Register