Telegram 101 for Journalists

Reporters and researchers working in newsrooms and at academic institutions are invited to a 1-hour training session with the Technology and Social Change team at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center, to learn how to investigate and analyze Telegram.

As Russia’s war on Ukraine escalates, Telegram continues to be an increasingly vital source of news for people in Ukraine and Russia. It is also a place where journalists and information researchers must pay attention in order to track information operations, the information ecosystem, and the dissemination of misinformation and

false or misleading information intentionally spread to deceive

read more

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In this crash course, our experts will walk you through the history, structure, and research potential of Telegram. We will offer hands-on demonstrations and tips for navigating and using Telegram in your reporting.

Suggested readings on the history of Telegram

• Once Celebrated in Russia, the Programmer Pavel Durov Chooses Exile (2014) - https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/03/technology/once-celebrated-in-russia-programmer-pavel-durov-chooses-exile.html 

• Mail.ru Takes Full Ownership of VKontakte, Russia’s Largest Social Network (2014) - https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/mail-ru-takes-full-ownership-of-vkontakte-russias-largest-social-network/ 

• 'Russia's Mark Zuckerberg' takes on the Kremlin, comes to New York (2015) - https://mashable.com/archive/russias-mark-zuckerberg-pavel-durov 

• Telegram Messaging App Closes Channels Used by ISIS (2015) - https://www.nytimes.com/live/paris-attacks-live-updates/messaging-app-telegram-closes-isis-channels-after-russian-founders-rant-calling-french-socialists-responsible-for-attacks/ 

• 60 Minutes interview with Pavel Durov (2016) - https://www.cbsnews.com/video/edward-snowden-is-my-personal-hero/ 

• Telegram Was Built for Democracy Activists. White Nationalists Love It. (2019) - https://slate.com/technology/2019/08/telegram-white-nationalists-el-paso-shooting-facebook.html 

• In Hong Kong Protests, Faces Become Weapons (2019) - https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/26/technology/hong-kong-protests-facial-recognition-surveillance.html 

• ‘The People Can’t Take It Anymore’: Puerto Rico Erupts in a Day of Protests (2019) - https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/22/us/puerto-rico-protests-politics.html 

• The 889 Pages of Telegram Between Rosselló Nevares and His Relatives (2019) - https://periodismoinvestigativo.com/2019/07/las-889-paginas-de-telegram-entre-rossello-nevares-y-sus-allegados/ 

• The Telegram Billionaire and His Dark Empire (2021) - https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/the-telegram-billionaire-and-his-dark-empire-a-f27cb79f-86ae-48de-bdbd-8df604d07cc8 

• After the Capitol Insurrection, Telegram Moved to Ban White Nationalists. Today, It’s a Different Story. (2021) - https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/02/telegram-capitol-insurrection/ 

• In Belarus, subscribing to Telegram channels branded as ‘extremist’ may now get users in trouble (2021) - https://globalvoices.org/2021/10/15/in-belarus-subscribing-to-telegram-channels-branded-as-extremist-may-now-get-users-in-trouble/ 

Harm Reduction Security Guide on Using Telegram (2022)
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/03/telegram-harm-reduction-users-russia-and-ukraine