My mini docs vs CBS

This was the last major protest I filmed in Oakland for the George Floyd protests of 2020. I knew after filming it that the movement would quiet down a bit after. I captured a split, or a fracture within the protest that had been percolating in conversations and hinted at, but up until that moment I had not seen the split materialize in anger on the ground. Many news outlets wanted to show the footage on people burning down the courthouse alone. I insisted on a bit more context and asked that they show the argument play out beforehand of peaceful protests vs destruction.

I have mixed feelings about the part I played in how the story is told. Ultimately its a nuanced story in a flashy media environment. I think a lot of people were struggling with that moment, in trying to figure out the next step.

This is what I put together -

and this is what CBS pulled -