Exposing Chaos and Repression in Wuhan with User-Generated Content


Four Corners television produced a documentary about the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China that uses footage filmed by residents. The clips, which show people with the virus being taken by police and bodies left on the street, were found on a YouTube channel where they were uploaded to prevent deletion by government censors. The company verified the location, time, and factual context of each clip, and wove them together with original reporting. The raw footage, shot on the ground with smart phones, was particularly memorable and the film received over 12 million views and high ratings in Australia.

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