To Show or to Shield: Twin Cities News Media’s Gatekeeping of the George Floyd Video

Through the lens of gatekeeping, this study investigates Twin Cities news editors’ decision-making regarding publication of the video of George Floyd’s murder. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with editors, news directors, and executive producers at five Twin Cities television and newspaper outlets. The study reveals that some gatekeeping procedures remain unchanged from pre-social media days. However, editors are increasingly reliant on user-generated visual content, particularly when it counters an institutional authority’s narrative. Overall, the findings suggest editors still consider themselves active gatekeepers, even as they contend with emerging technologies and evolving ethical considerations. The findings also reveal editors are using a “trauma rubric,” rather than just the traditional “Breakfast Test,” for a more nuanced approach to handling graphic content.