Isabella Cortez

Public defender Sam Okonkwo takes a teenager’s case after a viral clip—ten million views and counting—appears to show him throwing a punch at a protest. The internet has judged; sponsors flee; a prosecutor smells an easy win. Then Sam secures the full footage and sees what the clip hid. But when he tries to share it, platforms flag it for length, violence, and low engagement. The edited lie spreads faster than the truth, and an algorithmic tide threatens to wash the defense away. With five years of prison on the line, Sam must navigate hostile media, a jittery courtroom, and a client who is running out of time. Can he get the whole story heard? When attention becomes a weapon, what does justice look like—and who controls it?

Tempest & Tale

Viral Video Defense: When truth loses to the algorithm

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