"Video of Catching Falling Child" Manipulation Scandal... "Security Guards Intended to Promote Good Deeds"

'Security Guard Who Caught Falling Child' Video Goes Viral
Turns Out to Be Staged... "To Promote Good Deeds"
Police Investigation Amid 'Fake News' and 'Manipulation' Controversy

Anger among Chinese netizens is mounting over the "manipulated hero." On the 31st, Chinese media Jumu News reported, "A video circulating on social media (SNS) showing a 'department store security guard catching a falling child with bare hands' was revealed to be a staged video produced by a security company."

The video shows a security guard running to catch a child who appears to be falling from a department store building, stretching out his arms to catch the child. The guard then sits down while safely catching the falling child with bare hands, and the commotion ends as bystanders gather. This video was uploaded to SNS on the 25th of last month and quickly spread, attracting significant attention. Local netizens reacted explosively, calling the security guard a "hero," and there was also concern about the child's condition.

[Image source=Captured from Chinese social networking service]

However, it was revealed that the video was not a real incident but a staged production by a security company. A representative from a security company in Shanxi Province, western China, told the media, "The video was filmed not at a department store but under the company's office," adding, "The security guard in the video was an employee acting, and the child caught by the guard was not a real child but a doll."

They also explained, "We have produced many videos, mainly imitating real incidents," and said the video was made to promote the good deeds of security guards amid frequent negative news about them. However, they emphasized, "The video was mistakenly taken as real and spread, so it was deleted the next day." Nevertheless, netizens expressed anger, saying, "Fake news must be strictly controlled."

Despite the explanation through the media, as the controversy over "fake news" did not subside, local police have also become involved in the aftermath. The police stated, "On the 26th, we visited the company to investigate the matter," and added, "We demanded that the company stop producing and distributing such videos and publicly clarify this incident."