About the Episode

That is how one of the cases worked on by Eoghan Macguire, editor-in-chief of the server Bellingcat, began. In the fifth episode of the Protagonista podcast, he speaks with Pavla Holcová about how open sources can be used to expose war crimes, the digital footprints of drug bosses, and state failures.

Eoghan explains how Bellingcat is reshaping journalistic practice: without people in the field, but with an analytical team that combines public data, satellite imagery, social networks, and detailed geolocation. In the interview, you will learn how they found the online trail of wanted cartel boss Christopher Kinahan, why they had to inform NATO before publishing an article about nuclear bases—and what it means to do investigative work when you are constantly one step ahead of those you are exposing.

The episode shows the power of digital journalism that crosses borders while requiring neither a passport nor a visa. What is it like to analyze a video of a journalist's murder? Where does the line lie between truth in the public interest and responsibility for its impact? And how to work with data when you know that those who would prefer none of this ever be heard are also reading you?

HOST

Pavla Holcová

Pavla Holcová is an investigative journalist and the regional editor for Central Europe at OCCRP. Based in Prague, she founded investigace.cz and has contributed to high-profile investigations such as the Panama Papers and the Pegasus Project. Alongside her colleague Ján Kuciak, she exposed ties between Slovak politicians and the Italian mafia. Following the murder of her colleague, Ján Kuciak, she continued his work, contributing to an investigation that profoundly destabilised the Slovak political landscape. She is the recipient of the ICFJ Knight Award, the Allard Prize, and the Anthony Lewis Prize. In 2024-25 she was a John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford.

guest

Eoghan Macguire

Eoghan Macguire is the Lead Editor at Bellingcat, the Netherlands-based open-source investigative outlet, where he oversees a team employing digital open-source methods to expose war crimes, transnational criminal operations, and extremism. Under his leadership, Bellingcat has used publicly available data to uncover potential war crimes, trace the movements of fugitive cartel leaders, and document the activities of violent extremist groups.
In 2024-25 she was a John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford.