2025 Marie Colvin Distinguished Lecture

The New Battlefield: Open Source Investigations into Conflict and Disinformation with Rhona Tarrant, Executive Editor, CBS Confirmed

Social media has transformed conflict reporting, elevating open-source investigations to a core part of modern journalism. These techniques allow journalists to verify events in real time, supporting the indispensable work of on-the-ground reporting.

At the same time, state-backed disinformation campaigns have become increasingly sophisticated, blurring the lines of reality and driving greater demand for rigorous fact-checking and verification.

Rhona Tarrant examines the rising prominence of open-source verification in conflict reporting and outline the critical tools required for the next generation of journalists.