Written by Dawn Chmielewski and Rollo Ross in Los Angeles, the following news report covers social media personality Alex Choi’s documentation of the wildfire in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades:
Upon witnessing the devastating wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, social media influencer Alex Choi promptly embarked on a mission to capture the unfolding events. Armed with his camera and dirt bike, Choi ventured into the heart of the disaster to document the chaos and destruction. His footage, showcasing homes engulfed in flames, embers swirling through the air, and a courageous elderly man using a garden hose to defend his property, has garnered a staggering 673 million views on Snapchat.
Expressing his passion for chronicling such moments, 25-year-old Choi shared, “I love documenting situations like this.” While Choi initially rose to fame through automotive escapades, such as a notorious YouTube video featuring a helicopter launching fireworks at a speeding Lamborghini, his recent focus has shifted towards capturing news events for audiences who rely on social media for their daily dose of information.
According to Pew Research, social media platforms like Snapchat play a pivotal role in shaping how younger adults consume news. The study reveals that approximately one-third of U.S. adults regularly turn to Facebook and YouTube for news updates, with Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat catering to the news preferences of the younger demographic.
With over 443 million daily active users, Snapchat primarily attracts individuals aged between 13 and 24. Numerous individuals, including celebrities like Paris Hilton, Spencer Pratt, and Heidi Montag, utilized the video-sharing platform to document their firsthand experiences during the wildfires.
Choi’s daring expedition through the fire-ravaged zones granted him access to hard-to-reach areas like Will Rogers State Park. Recounting the harrowing scene, Choi remarked that every home in the adjacent community was ablaze, with a lone exception – the residence defended by the elderly man wielding a garden hose. Despite Choi’s pleas for the man to evacuate, he adamantly chose to remain behind.
Returning to the site at daybreak, Choi discovered that the elderly man’s home stood unscathed amidst the devastation. Reflecting on his approach to capturing the wildfires, Choi emphasized his consideration for Snapchat’s youthful audience, ensuring that his content remains suitable for viewers as young as 13 or 14 years old.
“I make sure that all my stuff is not too disturbing to watch as a 13- or 14-year-old kid,” Choi explained. “And it still delivers eye-opening news to the younger audience that watches everything on a phone.”
This report was authored by Dawn Chmielewski and Rollo Ross in Los Angeles, with editing by Rosalba O’Brien.
