Citizen journalism: Is Bellingcat revolutionising conflict journalism?

Abstract

The title of the chapter asks a concrete question: “Is Bellingcat revolutionising conflict journalism?” Through what appears to be one of the first academic explorations into Bellingcat’s operations – a case study analysis which historicises and conceptualises the citizen-oriented investigative journalism website – the chapter seeks to facilitate a discussion into the organisation’s practices and methods. The aim of the chapter is to envision and critique the award-winning open-source site and its role in journalism, while also discussing the contextual disputes between “mainstream” and “new/alternative” media narratives, the concept of citizen journalism as well discussing the changing terrain of citizen journalism and the role of technology in conflict reporting.