The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) is set to release a new documentary titled "Lockdown Dissidents" next week, focusing on the Great Barrington Declaration, the "Twitter Files," and broader dissent surrounding COVID-19 policies. Journalist David Zweig announced the upcoming release via a trailer on his social media, stating, > "TRAILER: New documentary from @WSJ on Great Barrington Declaration, Twitter Files, and Covid dissent! Full doc dropping next week."
The documentary is expected to delve into the origins and impact of the Great Barrington Declaration, a controversial open letter from October 2020 that advocated for "focused protection" of vulnerable populations while allowing others to achieve herd immunity through natural infection. This approach stood in stark contrast to widespread lockdown measures implemented globally. The declaration was co-authored by Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford University, Dr. Martin Kulldorff, formerly of Harvard Medical School, and Professor Sunetra Gupta of the University of Oxford.
Furthermore, the film will explore the "Twitter Files," a series of internal documents released by Elon Musk's Twitter (now X) from late 2022 into 2023. These files, some of which were reported on by Zweig himself, purported to reveal how the social media platform handled content moderation related to COVID-19, including allegations of suppressing dissenting medical opinions and information. Zweig's previous reporting on the Twitter Files focused on the alleged censorship of scientific viewpoints that challenged established public health narratives.
David Zweig, a journalist and author, has extensively covered the COVID-19 pandemic, often challenging conventional responses to public health measures. He was present at the drafting of the Great Barrington Declaration and has written numerous investigations into the science behind COVID-19 mitigations, such as mask mandates and school closures. His work has frequently positioned him as a critic of stringent lockdown policies and a proponent of open debate on pandemic strategies.
