Graphic video of Kirk shooting was everywhere online, showing how media gatekeeper role has changed

Traditional news organizations were cautious in their midafternoon coverage of Charlie Kirk's assassination Wednesday not to depict the moment he was shot, instead showing video of him tossing a hat to his audience moments before, and panicked onlookers scattering wildly in the moments after. Gory video of the shooting was available almost instantly online, from several angles, in slow-motion and real-time speed. Video was easy to find on X, on Facebook, on TikTok, on Instagram, on YouTube — even on Truth Social, where President Donald Trump posted official word of the conservative activist's death.