Pitch Wildlife and Environmental investigations to Bellingcat
Bellingcat is looking for wildlife and environment related pitches grounded in open source methods and tools.
What is open source?
Open-source methods can include using satellite data to expose illicit mining or logging. Ship tracking data to follow fishing vessels, monitor oil spills, or detect waste dumping in the ocean. Social media analysis can help geolocate videos and track usernames to uncover wildlife trafficking networks – whether selling wild animals for the pet trade, trafficking animal parts, or exploiting infant animals in egregious activities like fighting or abuse. Other techniques include examining large public databases to expose greenwashing or training AI models to detect illegal mines.
Previous environmental investigations include tracking an illicit wildlife trafficker, identifying a stranded barge at the centre of a major oil spill, and exposing vloggers who repeatedly pose with wild and vulnerable animals.
If your source material is online and public, and your story unearths something deeper about our planet, we’d love to hear from you.
What can we offer?
- Payment – A sliding scale depending on the complexity of your story and stage of development.
- A home for your story – Published on our website and social channels under your byline.
- Access to tools and support – Depending on your needs.
Is a loose idea or theme enough?
No. You must be able to share some initial findings that support a working hypothesis and demonstrate your investigation has potential.
Your idea must be original
We want to bring new stories, new ideas, not repeat what other media outlets have already covered. When pitching, include both a working headline and topline – a sentence summarising what you expect to uncover, and why it matters. Both will likely evolve before publication, but writing them down will help you to define your investigative question and us to understand your ambitions.
Our Editorial Standards
Before pitching, please familiarise yourself with our Editorial Standards. Bellingcat’s editorial process is rigorous, and all work must meet our standards on impartiality, transparency, and plagiarism. Expect your draft to go through several revisions for clarity, accuracy, and readability. You’ll need to respond to edits in a timely manner. All stories are carefully fact-checked.
Is this just for individuals or groups of researchers, or can news desks apply?
Bellingcat has a strong track record of collaborating with local newsrooms, and we welcome partnerships. This includes working with local or regional media or larger publications in any language, whether in print, radio, online, or other formats. Our main criterion is that our partners uphold rigorous ethical and editorial standards. A Memorandum of Understanding and Non-Disclosure Agreement will likely be required.
All reporters and partners must adhere to internationally recognised investigative journalism standards. This includes prohibitions on lying, stealing, hacking, misrepresentation, paying sources, undercover recording, or other controversial news-gathering practices.
How to pitch
Copy and paste the template below into the body of an email. Aim for 300-500 words total. Change the subject heading to Wildlife and Environmental Pitches and send it to editors@bellingcat.1eye.us.
| INTRO | What’s your working headline? And topline? How is your idea original? Why is it important to investigate this? Why does it matter? |
| MINIMUM STORY | Outline the most basic findings that your article would include. These may be findings you’ve already made. |
| MAXIMUM STORY | Lay out your most ambitious, high-impact ideas. These may be findings you expect to uncover with further research. Dream big. |
| RESOURCES | Describe your source materials? Archive of videos? Satellite data? What open-source tools, if any, do you plan to use or need access to? |
| EXPECTED TIMELINE | If your pitch is accepted, when do you think that you’ll be able to submit a first draft? |
| ABOUT YOU | Name all the researchers involved including a short bio(s) and/or links to past works. |
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