Facebook Sit-In Stream Is Defining Moment for Social Video

Since Wednesday, millions of people have tuned in via live-streamed videos through Facebook and Twitter’s Periscope app to follow a sit-in by U.S. House Democrats protesting congressional inaction on proposed gun control legislation.

The online video feeds became the only way to watch the sit-in after House Speaker Paul Ryan shut down cameras used by C-SPAN, usually the go-to TV network for action in Washington. The cable channel itself kept its broadcast going using footage from lawmakers’ live-streamed videos sent from their mobile phones on Facebook and Periscope. Individuals could also find the videos on social media using the hashtag #NoBillNoBreak. As of 1 p.m. Thursday in New York, Facebook Live videos broadcast from 19 representatives attracted 3 million views, according to Rachael Horwitz, a company spokeswoman.