For the first time in its short history, UC Berkeley's Human Rights Investigations Lab launched in spring 2019 its inaugural crop of graduating students. In the lab, the first university-based effort of its kind, some 100 students a year from 20-plus academic majors and minors are learning to collect and analyze open source, or public, digital information—such as YouTube videos made by citizens worldwide—for use in national and international criminal courts as evidence of war crimes and human rights violations. This story details the trajectories of four of the graduating students who were headed to jobs at The New York Times, Amnesty International and Bellingcat. None had arrived at Berkeley with knowledge of the lab or plans to become human rights workers. All four became enamored with the lab and its cause, the two women who founded it, and the tech skills they were learning and how to use digital tools for human rights work.
From the Judges
This article is an excellent example of solid reporting, good writing and tight editing. The article is compelling because each student’s story is distinct, and yet they share a common thread. Great work in clearly demonstrating the success of the university’s lab.
