JOUR1111: Annotated Bibliography

Calabrese, A. (2010). Sending a message: violence as political communication. International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, 6 (1), 109-114. Retrieved from: http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com/deliver/connect/intellect/17408296/v6n1/s8.pdf?expires=1319523724&id=65115906&titleid=75007581&accname=University+of+Queensland+-+St+Lucia&checksum=0DC1661C61D71C2541D7D0246ABCEAA9

Andrew Calabrese, a professor and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at the University of Colorado, mainly focuses on the relationship between communication media and citizenship.

In the article, 'Sending a Message: violence as political communication', Calabrese shows violence and communication being very closely connected when it comes to political communication. Calabrese refers frequently to Hannah Arendt and some of her work. He uses data from her essay 'On Violence', “violence undermines power, and power relies on communication”, my interpretation of this is 'people with power have to communicate with people below them to stay in power or they will be overruled.'

There are many acts of violence that we can see as examples in this article of people trying to communicate or 'send a message' of political communication. Calabrese addresses the issue that some people think narrowly of political violence, so far as to think only the government's opposition are capable of committing acts of violence. Calabrese explains by using Arendt's words, political violence is used 'to dramatize grievances and bring them to public attention.'

Violence is the main tool people use to express political communication and how power is communicated.

(2011, September 25). 80 Arrested in Wall Street Protest. ABC News. Retrieved from: http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/80-arrested-wall-street-protest-14601915

The author is unknown, but is clearly an employing of ABC News. The story is reported by Marcy Gonzalez and another unnamed reporter. The two reporters are covering the story on Occupy Wall Street and how the protests are turning violence. However, it's not the protesters themselves who are being violence, it is the police. The reporter starts off by say that dozens of activist have been arrested after 'their' protests got out of hand, but when you see the videos of the arrests it doesn't look at all as though it was the protesters' fault it got out of hand. The reporter goes on to say that many of the arrests were uploaded to youtube, this can be seen as 'sending a message'. The police are the ones creating the violence and sending a message of political communication. The story is then passed onto Marcy Gonzalez where she continues by saying what the protesters are protesting and they are speaking out against the arrests of fellow protesters. Protesters and onlookers said the police were overly aggressive and used excessive force towards protesters. Police used tear gas and pepper spray on the harmless protesters.

Arendt's quote “violence undermines power, and power relies on communication,” very much applies to this situation. As Christina Gonzalez an activist at the protest says “look at all the people out here now, the whole world is seeing this, everyone is seeing what's going on. We did nothing today, we did not deserve this. There is real crime going on out there and they're [police] ignoring it and it's really disappointing.”

McVeigh, K. (2011, October 17). Occupy wall street: second senior NYPD office faces investigation. The Guardian. Retrieved from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/17/occupy-wall-street-cardona-investigation

The author Karen McVeigh, a senior news journalist for The Guardian, applies legal experience, a spokesperson from New York City Cilivan Complaint Review Board, and a former NYPD office has sources for the story on the police investigation. McVeigh acquires the New York CCRB's view of the situation as confirmation on the allegations. The spokesperson for the CCRB said they could not name the officers, but did confirm they were investigating the alleged assault along with several others. The victim's lawyer Ron Kuby, specialises in cases of alleged police brutality and demanded a completely investigation on the incident.

The author has gotten sources from both sides of the incident, a police spokesman Paul Browne comes back with a statement saying that the victim was wanted for questioning for allegedly provoking a confrontation with a police officer by trying to elbow him. McVeigh also quotes Gene O'Donnell, a former NYPD office and prosecutor and is now a professor of law and police studies at the City University of New York. McVeigh uses O'Donnell's justification of what the police have to injury as an excuse for the police officer's actions.

Daily Mail Reporters (2011, October 18). 'This is not a warzone!': The moment a marine called Thor confronted NYPD during Times Square occupation. Daily Mail. Retrieved from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2050347/Occupy-Wall-Street-Iraq-veteran-confronts-NYPD-Times-Square-protest.html

A number of authors from the Daily Mail wrote this article, no names were given. The piece addresses the Occupy Wall Street protests and to be more exact Marine Corp Sergeant Shamar Thomas's speech to a crowd of New York police officers. Thomas was berating the officers as he thought they were being too aggressive with the peaceful protesters. Sergeant Thomas served in the Marine corps for four years before being honourably discharged. During his time he earned himself a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Thomas has credibility for his actions. The authors obtained two videos of Shamar Thomas, one from the actual event and the other where Sergeant Thomas is interviewed by Keith Olberman on his show Current TV.

The authors's point of view has clearly been stated by them saying that Sergeant Thomas 'lashed out' at a group of about nine officers. The connotation of the words 'lashed out' is usually negative and would imply the event was a violent act, when he did not use any violence towards the officers. Sergeant Thomas was just clearly communicating is frustration with the NYPD with words, not violence.

Reference List:

Calabrese, A. (2010). Sending a message: violence as political communication. International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, 6 (1), 109-114. Retrieved from: http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com/deliver/connect/intellect/17408296/v6n1/s8.pdf?expires=1319523724&id=65115906&titleid=75007581&accname=University+of+Queensland+-+St+Lucia&checksum=0DC1661C61D71C2541D7D0246ABCEAA9

Daily Mail Reporters (2011, October 18). 'This is not a warzone!': The moment a marine called Thor confronted NYPD during Times Square occupation. Daily Mail. Retrieved from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2050347/Occupy-Wall-Street-Iraq-veteran-confronts-NYPD-Times-Square-protest.html

McVeigh, K. (2011, October 17). Occupy wall street: second senior NYPD office faces investigation. The Guardian. Retrieved from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/17/occupy-wall-street-cardona-investigation

(2011, September 25). 80 Arrested in Wall Street Protest. ABC News. Retrieved from: http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/80-arrested-wall-street-protest-14601915