“Blackfish” alleged that orcas are harmed by captivity, forcing SeaWorld to fight a public relations campaign that continues more than two years later. “CitizenFour” won the 2014 Oscar for Best Documentary for revealing the story of NSA leaker Edward Snowden and his flight from the United States. “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst” is credited with spurring an arrest in a 14-year-old murder case earlier this year. What do these three high-profile documentaries have in common? All owe much of their impact – and in some cases their existence – to television. “Blackfish” was a highly touted but lightly distributed movie when CNN got a hold of it in October 2013.

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