A new peer-reviewed study published in Television & New Media examines the rise of YouTube channels that turn police body camera footage into viral entertainment — including footage from La Crosse, Milwaukee, and surrounding Wisconsin communities.
The study, authored by Matthew Clark, M.A., and Jacquelyn Arcy, PhD, analyzes the popular YouTube channel Code Blue Cam, which frequently features police encounters from western Wisconsin and Milwaukee-area departments and has amassed millions of subscribers and over a billion views.
The researchers call this growing trend “participatory policing.”
Article: Participatory Policing: Code Blue Cam and the Disciplinary Power of Police Body Camera Videos on YouTube
Journal: Television & New Media
Link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/15274764251399170
Why This Matters for Wisconsin
Police encounters filmed in La Crosse, Eau Claire, Wausau, Milwaukee and other Wisconsin communities are reaching national and global audiences.
Wisconsin-based cases are being edited, narrated, and monetized as entertainment.
AI-enhanced thumbnails and dramatic framing may influence how viewers interpret local incidents.
Key Findings
First-person “body cam” footage positions viewers from an officer’s perspective.
Videos presented as “raw” are often heavily edited with narration and sensational titles.
Comment sections frequently amplify racial and class-based stereotypes.
Engagement metrics may incentivize increasingly dramatic portrayals of local incidents.
Media Contact:
Matthew Clark, M.A.
Email: mclarklax@gmail.com
