The video moments that captured the newsroom throughout 2018

On the video desk at The Independent we watch countless hours of footage. The latest press conference from Donald Trump, a veteran being reunited with their family, distressing scenes from a natural disaster, police bodycam showing a deadly shooting – we pretty much see it all.

Despite this, though, there are always moments that stand out. Those clips that don’t just blend in with all the others.

Almost a year ago, in January 2018, the controversial vlogger Logan Paul uploaded footage to his YouTube channel which showed a suicide victim in hanging in a forest in Japan. The clip was heavily criticised and subsequently deleted, but it marked the start of a year that saw many stories defined by particular moments captured on film.

Politics around the world can always be trusted to throw these up. Viral videos of prime minister Theresa May dancing during her summer trip to South Africa springs to mind – and then how she took ownership of the jokes, walking out on stage at the Conservative Party conference to Abba’s “Dancing Queen”.

In the House of Commons Labour MP David Lammy’s passionate question to then-home secretary Amber Rudd about the Windrush crisis will be remembered: “If you lay down with dogs you get fleas.”

Across the pond in the US, the hours and hours of live video coverage of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s senate confirmation hearings were a source of many unforgettable moments. The woman accusing him of sexual assault, Dr Christine Blasey Ford, breaking down in tears in front of the committee when describing why she went public with her claims. And Kavanaugh himself with a furious denial: “This is a circus!”

The moments that define the year span beyond politics though. Technology magnate Elon Musk sent a car into space in February, broadcasting the whole event live across the internet, and marking an important step forward in private companies and individuals’ involvement in space exploration.

For 48 hours in May the world was divided over a viral clip – some people hearing “laurel” and some hearing “yanny” in a one word piece of audio. The Independent waded in on this one and detailed how it’s possible for people to hear different words when identical audio is playing.

People around the world posted videos of natural disasters or devastating weather on their doorsteps this year. The camp fire in California, relentless volcano eruptions in Hawaii, Typhoon Mangkhut in Hong Kong, Hurricane Florence in North Carolina, Hurricane Michael in Florida, Typhoon Jebi in Japan... the list goes on.

Due to the way news is delivered and captured today, videos worth watching are hardly few and far between. It seems a new shocking or heartwarming or distressing or emotional video is broadcast every day; 2019 is likely to be similar, but as always we’ll keep looking out for those memorable events, moments that capture a mood or define a generation, and will be on hand to bring them to you, our readers, as they happen.

Yours,

Tom Richell

Head of video