Which major TV networks and newspapers obtained and broadcast original January 6 footage?
Executive summary
Major outlets that obtained and publicly aired original January 6 footage include HBO (unaired documentary footage shot by Alexandra Pelosi), public-broadcast documentary producers such as FRONTLINE/PBS, legacy and digital newsrooms that reviewed Capitol security camera archives (Business Insider) and police bodycam material (NPR), and media groups that reposted House-released footage (Nexstar/The Hill); House Republican releases of thousands of hours of security video created the raw material many outlets used [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. The pattern of release and reuse has been politically contested, with partisan actors and governments both posting footage and contesting its interpretation [6] [7] [8] [9].
1. HBO: private documentary footage that entered the public record
Unaired, behind‑the‑scenes footage recorded by filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi and held by HBO became a notable example of original material that later surfaced in public debate when the House Administration Subcommittee obtained the clips from HBO and released them; the committee cited Pelosi’s comments captured on that footage and said HBO produced the material to investigators after earlier releases in June [1]. The footage originated as documentary material under HBO’s control and was later provided to congressional investigators rather than first airing on a broadcast network in the traditional live-news sense [1].
2. FRONTLINE / PBS and other documentary producers: curated original material
PBS’s FRONTLINE and other documentary makers created long-form films that included original interviews and archival clips from January 6, and were listed among recommended documentaries that trace the events and their antecedents—these documentary projects gathered and presented original footage and testimony as part of their investigative programming [2]. FRONTLINE’s work exemplifies how public‑broadcast outlets have aggregated raw video, security camera clips, and interviews into widely viewed programs [2].
3. Newsrooms that accessed and displayed Capitol security footage
Independent news organizations like Business Insider reported on and directly viewed the House‑hosted Capitol security camera archive, describing hands‑on review of camera angles and timelines made available after Republican-led releases of footage [3]. That hands‑on access allowed outlets to surface previously unseen security-camera moments and to embed those clips in reporting rather than relying solely on third‑party summaries [3].
4. NPR and reporting using bodycam and police footage
Public radio reporting has also used original video sources: NPR’s audio and visual reporting showcased D.C. police bodycam footage and officer accounts to relive the violence and injuries officers suffered on January 6, demonstrating how local law‑enforcement recordings were integrated into national coverage [4]. NPR later assembled and hosted an archive of visual material for public access, reflecting newsroom efforts to preserve and present original material [10].
5. Aggregators and local/national networks reposting House releases
House Republicans’ decision to post thousands of hours of interior security footage created a trove that national and local media republished or mined; reporting noted that outlets such as The Hill (part of Nexstar’s network) and other Nexstar properties were among media organizations linking to or making use of those releases [5]. Analysts warned that the mass release of raw footage was being repurposed for competing narratives, with some actors using selectively edited clips to push false or misleading claims [9].
6. The political uses of footage and limits of the public record
Footage has not been neutral: the White House, House Republicans, and conservative outlets highlighted snippets (including the Pelosi/HBO clips) to argue for alternative accounts of responsibility or to recast the day’s meaning, while mainstream outlets and documentary producers emphasized violence against police and the scale of the breach—this contest illustrates how identical original material can be curated into opposing narratives [6] [7] [8] [11]. Reporting indicates also that some government actors have removed or redacted records, and that newsrooms differ in what they obtained and published, so a definitive list of every outlet that ever held or aired “original” Jan. 6 footage cannot be compiled solely from the provided sources [10].
Conclusion: who “obtained and broadcast” footage?
Taken together, the public record shows HBO (documentary footage by Alexandra Pelosi) and documentary and public‑broadcast outlets like FRONTLINE/PBS produced and presented original material [1] [2]; national newsrooms including Business Insider and NPR directly accessed and reported on Capitol security and police bodycam recordings [3] [4]; and media networks tied to Nexstar/The Hill republished House‑released footage that many outlets then used [5]. The political reuse of that footage by partisan actors and the ongoing release, redaction, and archiving disputes mean coverage remains contested and incomplete in the public sources reviewed [9] [10].