Does OSINT Have An Access Problem? Meet The Disabled Journalists Rewriting Digital Investigations

Alina recently suffered a breakdown. Living with ADHD, she once threw herself into open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigations. Hours would vanish as she verified images on Twitter, now known as X, geo-locating events in conflict zones. Her behind-the-scenes investigations exposed human rights abuses while shielding her from physical danger. But the weight of it eventually became unbearable.

In the UK, 16.1 million people — one in four — navigate life with disabilities; research by the National Council for the Training of Journalists shows a similar proportion of disabled journalists. At the same time, OSINT has emerged as a digital investigation tool promising accessibility. But, as it comes of age, have the hidden costs been overlooked?

What Is OSINT Journalism?

OSINT, or open-source intelligence, involves collecting and verifying information from public sources like social media, satellite images, and geographic data. Instead of a single method, OSINT is more like a combination of techniques, creativity, critical thinking, and the curiosity to see digital information from unconventional perspectives. It pieces together stories where information is controlled, obscured, or scattered.

Initially a tool for intelligence agencies to predict threats and track movements, OSINT moved into the journalism sphere during the Arab Spring of 2010. With social media providing raw, unfiltered footage instantly, reporters no longer had to rely on traditional channels.

Amateur investigator groups began using tools like Google Maps, flight trackers, and satellite imagery to verify posts. Eliot Higgins, an unemployed admin worker known as Brown Moses, began monitoring more than 450 YouTube channels to track the weapons used in Syria. Despite knowing “no more about weapons than the average Xbox owner”, his work led him to found Bellingcat, pioneers of this new investigative frontier.

“A significant impact of OSINT is the democratisation of investigative journalism,” argues Walid Al-Saqaf. Writing in Deutsche Welle, the associate professor of journalism at Södertörn University continues: “With the necessary skills, any journalist, regardless of their location, can now uncover stories that would have demanded extensive resources and connections just a few years ago.”

Walid Al-Saqaf (L) and Tom Sanderson (R)

What was once considered an amateur pursuit is now a fundamental part of mainstream newsrooms; just take BBC Africa Eye’s collaboration with Bellingcat in 2018, which earned the prestigious Peabody Award for exposing Cameroonian soldiers’ brutality. Later that year, the BBC made a commitment to train future journalists in this “art of open source media.”

Tom Sanderson, deputy director at the Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ), continues: “OSINT has enabled people to investigate conflict zones and issues otherwise inaccessible. It’s also crucial for accountability in journalism; fact-checking social media posts, verifying information, and investigating corruption.”

It also offers unique opportunities for disabled journalists; investigators can work from where they are comfortable, enabling those with limited mobility to contribute. Neurodivergent interviewees also told us that their keen attention to detail was invaluable.

Sophie* worked in law enforcement for two decades until they were diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a chronic disease that causes long-term fatigue and cognitive fog. Speaking to Journo Resources, the ex-detective says: “Pivoting my investigative mindset allowed me to continue to use my skills and knowledge, and the nature of OSINT enables me to remain effective as a digital investigator rather than a traditional one.”

Similarly, Alina found herself drawn to the challenge of verification threads on online forums. “I was just naturally drawn to it; I didn’t even know the term OSINT at the time,” she explains. By 2014, she was already a well-known investigator within the community, sharing her guides and findings with others.

One day, as her team struggled to identify the location of a video, Alina noticed the dialects in the crowd and solved the puzzle. “I don’t even speak that language, but I somehow did hear the nuance,” she says. Moments like that gave her a sense of achievement.

Femmesbian, an autistic contributor to an online OSINT community, echoes this: “I like data and evidence, and being able to find concrete evidence through OSINT is so satisfying. I also tend to struggle with the whole ‘autistic sense of justice’ thing [where autistic people have a greater sensitivity to injustices than neurotypical people], and OSINT is a very powerful tool to expose those injustices.”

A Psychological Toll

But over time, Alina’s enthusiasm faded. Collaborating with teams verifying information from war-torn regions, she confronted brutal realities. “War correspondents might see these scenes once and walk away. I have to watch them repeatedly, from different angles, because that’s how I work,” she says. Every round of online searches returned violent images of blood, exploitation, and brutality.

Similarly, autistic investigator Alex found he was becoming fixated on finding the truth. When he couldn’t identify a location or object, he’d lose himself for hours or even days, sometimes neglecting basic needs. Another investigator described the double effects of their fixation as “weaponised autism.”

This repeated exposure to violent user-generated content can seriously harm mental health. Neuropsychiatrist Anthony Feinstein subsequently observed anxiety, depression, and PTSD in the newsroom, concluding that exposure should be limited. Similarly, mental health charity Mind warns journalists may experience vicarious trauma throughout and even after an investigation, such as flashbacks, panic attacks, and dissociation.

Yet while the Tow Center for Journalism found such trauma common among journalists, newsroom managers “tended to be disconnected” from this reality. As a result, young journalists are often the ones assigned to sift through graphic footage, writes researcher Sam Dubberley for Columbia Journalism Review. Eager to please, they fear speaking up, thinking it will cast doubt on their capabilities.

The changes needed to protect journalists are structural and wide-reaching; Tom stresses that mitigating trauma requires preparation and awareness. Investigators should seek descriptions before viewing content or adding trigger warnings.

Today, platforms like X now use algorithms to filter some violent content, giving viewers a buffer. But on Telegram, Alina rarely finds such protection, unless explicitly requested. Brutal scenes arrive without warning, and her quest for justice forces her to watch.

Barriers to Access for Disabled Journalists

At the same time, disabled journalists are still facing barriers to access, in what’s touted as a community accessible to all. In my own research, I encountered scepticism and even hostility when I tried to find disabled practitioners to speak with. “Why should disabled people be treated differently?” asked one user. “This is just political correctness,” wrote another.

According to the NCTJ’s 2024 Journalists at Work report, nearly half of disabled journalists experience discrimination, more than double the figures for non-disabled journalists. At the same time, women are also twice as likely to report discrimination compared to men.

In the forums she joined a decade ago, Alina found a male-dominated space. Initially, she used a male alias to conceal her identity in a conservative culture. “OSINT comes from military and security services,” Tom explains. “And that history doesn’t make it the most inclusive.”

But journalists have responsibilities beyond those of amateur sleuths. OSINT enthusiasts trace facts; journalists consider how audiences receive those truths. And journalism has a responsibility to reflect the diversity of the public it serves.

“With any new tool, the problem is the same: they don’t consider the needs of all at first,” says Johny Cassidy. He’s worked at the BBC for 16 years and currently co-chairs the BBC Disabled Staff Network. Having previously worked in the broadcaster’s Business and Economics Unit, he recalls how data journalism often excludes people like him who use a screen reader. He’s since fought to find accessible alternatives as part of a fellowship at Oxford University.

OSINT works using publicly “accessible” data, but the working process and the results of investigations are, contradictorily, often not “accessible” to all members of the public. “We need a total cultural change,” says Johny. For him, it’s about “putting audiences first” and considering accessibility from the very beginning of production.

Expanding OSINT Training for Inclusion

Making OSINT accessible to everyone is part of the CIJ’s aim. Its Lyra McKee Bursary Scheme, named after a disabled Northern Irish journalist who was murdered in 2019, supports marginalised journalists beginning their careers.

The scheme switched to an online class during the pandemic, which Tom says has helped improve accessibility. “We tried to keep our training hands-on remotely and, in some cases, it’s even more effective [than in-person]. Participants can share their screens, making troubleshooting and collaboration easier,”

And, for those looking to make a start themselves, no specialist knowledge is needed; just an internet connection, attention to detail, patience and some creativity. And, despite its conservative origins, many veterans are leading the way to inclusion, such as Benjamin Strick’s YouTube Channel packed with tutorials.

For journalists entering OSINT, the goal should be seeking truth; but not at the expense of themselves or others. Ethical inquiry, mental preparedness, accessibility and audience involvement should guide every step.

Alina’s breakdown did not turn her fractured enthusiasm away — it’s now transformed. She envisions OSINT not as a digital battlefield, but as a collaborative ecosystem that prioritises human resilience. The future of OSINT isn’t about technological sophistication. It’s about building a compassionate infrastructure that trains practitioners properly, recognises psychological tools of digital witnessing, and tools that are designed with inclusion at their core.

“We need investigations that don’t just expose truths, but also protect the truth-seekers. This is how we can contribute.” Alina concludes.

* Some interviewees requested anonymity or to be identified by their first/user names due to the sensitive nature of OSINT.