Free Online Course: Digital investigations for journalists: How to follow the digital trail of people and entities provided by Independent is a comprehensive online course, which lasts for 4 weeks long. The course is taught in English and is free of charge. Upon completion of the course, you can receive an e-certificate from Independent.
4 weeks long
Self Paced
Digital services and products touch nearly every aspect of our lives. They’re core to business, government, and social interactions, which means they’re essential elements of any investigation. Journalists need to know how to gather, monitor, analyze and make sense of the digital trail and presence of any person or entity.
Introduction Module: Fundamentals of digital investigations
In the introductory module, you will get an overview of the course structure and meet the instructors. You’ll also read about the fundamentals of digital investigations, and get your computer set up with the correct (free!) software and plugins.
Module 1: Investigating people and social media accounts
Brandy Zadrozny, investigative reporter, NBC News
This module will cover:
Module 2: Search techniques for finding and monitoring
Jane Lytvynenko, senior reporter, BuzzFeed News
This module will cover:
Module 3: Investigating websites
Craig Silverman, media editor, BuzzFeed News
This module will cover:
Module 4: Network analysis
Johanna Wild, investigator and tech innovation lead, Bellingcat
This module will cover:
