Crime and Mass Media on The Death of Eric Garner in 2014
Media Coverage on the Death of Eric Garner, 2014
The media plays a massive role in creating the perceptions people will have towards different issues as they happen in society. The purpose of the media is to continually give information on a problem as it progresses. The disseminated information is typically based on variant opinions. If the media platforms propagate a particular notion, then it was for them to manipulate the audience by showcasing views in line with their agenda, and the latter will take it as the reality. Nonetheless, one cannot refute the fact that mass media is essential in knowing what is happening in the world. The death of Eric Garner in 2014 is one of these stories that garnered mass media attention mainly because of how it occurred. Eric Garner was a black male individual that was murdered by the New York Police in July 2014. The police were seen in video evidence using excessive force on the man through the magnitude of the police officer’s hand, as the former pleaded for it to stop with adequate seriousness. Unfortunately, he would pass on on the way to the hospital.
This paper intends to give a media report concerning the case of Eric Garner’s death. An analysis of various media products that related to the claim is to be done to illustrate the extensive media coverage done for this unfortunate occurrence. One of the main reasons for this was because of the fight against police brutality, which has affected American society for the longest time. The attention drawn to this event was at a national level since the conduct of the police does affect each individual in the United States. The arbitrary use of force is considered extremely unacceptable, especially since Eric Garner was not resisting the arrest. The police force is expected to protect the citizens, so when a video surfaced, showing them abusing their authority at the detriment of the citizens’ life, it will spark a lot of outrage.
Media Coverage on the Death of Eric Garner
The first media attention to Eric Garner’s death case was on July 18, 2014, in the New York Times article termed, “Man’s Death After Chokehold Raises Old Issue for the Police.” The report indicated that the death of Eric Garner had raised concerns about one of the longest-standing problems of police killings based on race. However, at this time, it was not yet known whether the death of Eric Garner was due to the use of a chokehold by the police or the series of health issues he had such as diabetes, sleep apnea and asthma. This crime occurred on July 17, 2014. According to the Charlotte article dated August 2019, at first, David Pantaleo was not indicted by the grand jury that listened to this case in December 2014. This led to protests and a renewed national outrage towards the death of Eric Garner. Pantaleo was never arrested, but he was suspended from the police duties. It was not clear whether he would still get his salary, but it illustrated the reluctance of the jury to offer justice to Eric Garner’s death.
From the onset of this crime, the media had termed this one of the cases of police brutality before it was later determined to be a homicide. These events had become commonplace, especially against the minority group of black Americans. While the media could not determine whether Eric Garner was innocent from the suspicions raised by the police, he was considered undeserving of the treatment he was subjected to by the police officer Pantaleo. According to Wemple (2014) in his Washington Post article in December 2014, the chasm in tone and emphasis that Garner exhibited in the video while he always pleaded with the police to stop as he could not breathe, illustrated the emotion of an individual tired of receiving the wrong treatment. Citing the media coverage of Ferguson, these actions of the police emphasize the complaints that African American individuals have been making against the mistreatment they receive from them consistently in their neighborhoods (Wemple, 2014). ABC’s article stated that the video evidence to Eric Garner’s death was one of the first proofs to capture minor interactions that occur with the police that typically sprawl out of control (Carrega, 2019). CNN’s article in December 2014, New York man dies after Chokehold by police, indicated that the New York mayor at the time stated that this video was a very troubling video to watch as a family had lost a close one (Bloom & Imam, 2014). Eric Garner was considered another black American male individual who is always at risk of police brutality in American society. The police, in this case, is typically the villain for failing to eliminate the use of excessive force while handling the suspects, which generally will happen with members of minority groups in the country.
Apart from Eric Garner’s case, some other examples that followed this same formula included the deaths of Liquan McDonald in October 2014 and Tamir Rice”s death in November of the same year in Cleveland. These three cases illustrated a long series of unarmed civilians getting murdered during an incident in which the police were involved. Additionally, the video demonstrated its power and importance to highlight that the controversial interactions between these two parties are still in existence. In the case of Eric Garner, the stereotyping based on race was not very evident, considering that the issue raised national outrage across the board. The video evidence that was going around was enough to spark the news from each media platform even if they did not agree that it was a case of police brutality. While many of the media articles took the side of Eric Garner, Cranewoman (2019) highlighted the sentiments of the Police Benevolent Association that praised the decision which spared Pantaleo from prosecution. The union’s president, Patrick Lynch, indicates that even though the demise of Garner was an undeniable tragedy, Pantaleo was not causing of this, he was a kind and honorable officer doing his job in a way he thought right is just using him as a scapegoat and will not heal the wounds that have arisen from the vent. Nonetheless, the use of Chokehold was at the time illegal hence the media indicated that its utilization was going against the law.
The reason for the extensive attention given by media platforms towards Eric Garner’s case was due to the racism issue that is prevalent in American society. There were also several concerns regarding the policies and training done for law enforcement officers, especially those in the New York City Police Department. Additionally, it raised questions on how accountable police can be for their actions while in the line of duty. The media platforms would take the initiative to address these issues as they are continually happening. The life of black Americans has been noted to be devalued for a long time since the days of slavery (Patton & Leonard, 2014). It is worsened when the police officers are not prosecuted, which is empowering white supremacy. It is the role of the media to bring to attention these issues as it pushes the key stakeholders to take the required action (Grady & Hussein, 2019). This is illustrated by the Chronicle article, which indicated that two days after the protests to have Pantaleo fired, an administrative judge ruled that the latter needs to be fired (Chronicle, 2019). It is the pressure that arose from both the activist and media that led to Eric Garner’s case is a priority in discussing the misconduct and brutality of the police. Nonetheless, there is still a long way to go as Pantaleo was not criminally charged in consideration of federal civil rights.
Notably, the attention from the different media platforms is significant in ensuring that the victims know that their issues are being heard, and the villains are learning to be on the watch out as they carry out their activities. The criminal justice system also needs to see this kind of media attention and take action to understand the fact they will be receiving both positive and negative criticism. Failure to have these sectors looked into, and critiqued could easily have some of them choose to do malicious actions. It will be challenging to hold them accountable and responsible for any of the actions they take. For instance, the New York mayor and a criminal justice administrator accepting the fact that Pantaleo was wrong through a media platform was important so that the audience realizes the fact that the issue has been prioritized in the principal offices.
Most of these media platforms first remitted the unfolding of these events from the video that was circulating, showing the arrest of Eric Garner. However, they would later take in reports from the heads of the police department, the justice system, and even the family involved. A BBC article in August 2019, indicated that the firing of Daniel Pantaleo over the death of Eric Garner had rubbed the president of the Police Union wrongly who stated that the decision was rudderless and frozen. He indicated that critical leaders had abandoned the police officers with no form of backups in the line of operations. On the other hand, the Reverend AL Sharpton suggested that this decision was five years late for a family that has lost so much (Benner, 2019). The article also highlighted the different laws that states such as California are implementing in regards to the police force. Assembly Bill 392 was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, whose main objective is reducing police shootings. The police have been directed to use deadly force only when the circumstances require them to do so. The information from the different officers informed this BBC article.
According to Uberti (2014), the commentary and the analysis given to the case on Eric Garner have received a different kind of attention compared to Michael Brown, a Black Missouri teenager that was murdered by the police officer Darren Wilson, a police officer in Ferguson who also evaded indictment. The differences in the case lie in the case details. Media platforms that are liberal framed the news with a narrative of institutional racism. On the other hand, those with conservative views would chastise the efficiency of the criminal justice system and enforce what they consider to be bad laws. The article cited Sean Davis, a commentator on the Federalist which is a conservative platform which stated that there is an American for the individuals that kill for no legitimate reason and are held to account and another one where homicide is considered not to be a big deal as long as one will play with the right team. Eric Garner was believed to come from second America, hence the media attention he received. Generally, Unbert;’s article pointed out the challenge in covering race in the different media platforms considering several journalists who are already in the game. The various sources used in informing the media products on this issue were used continuously since they were all critical in handling their issue, considering their different pertinent stands on the subject.
Considering the fairness of the coverage offered to the case, it will be prudent to indicate that the media did a reasonably good job. The constant discussions on the issue for the five years as they followed up on what was happening in the case is what I believe that helped in the family gaining justice even if it was delayed. Nonetheless, in terms of the balance in the reporting, it was not perfectly achieved as some would claim that the black man caused his death. One of the Vox articles illustrated that Garner caused his death by resisting arrest and leading Pantaleo to use the choke hole against him (Lockhart, 2019). They stated that Garner was aware of his health conditions; thus, he should have remained still to avoid situations that could exacerbate the situation. The Vox article was not trying to support the conservationist ideas but just give the two sides of the story. The Federalist website that spoke of implementing stringent laws that would impede the black individuals was what was biased reporting based on race. Nonetheless, while watching and listening to the video, it is evident that the police were wrong in this case. This is because Garner was continually claiming that he could not breathe, but they chose to ignore (Baker, Goodman & Mueller, 2015). He also stated that the police were always on his neck, yet he had done nothing to create suspicion. The police were just abusing their authority against an unarmed civilian.
Generally, the reporting done by the media platforms from the onset until 2019 when the verdict on the police officer was given has been the same. The reporting was concerned with the loss of life due to police brutality and how this challenge is always affecting American society. At first, the reporting centered on Garner’s case events, explicitly describing the video, pointing out the statements given by the police department and the governors, listening to the sentiments of the affected family, and comparisons to other similar cases together with their outcomes. As time progressed, the reporting centered on the verdicts given by the criminal justice concerning Pantaleo. For each decision that was given, criticism accompanied the story, and also, the protests that were happening due to the case were highlighted. By the time it was 2019, the reporting centered on the final verdict given on Pantaleo, who was finally fired from the police department (BBC, 2019). These sentiments concerning the different stakeholders such as the family, the police department, the governor, and views from both liberals and conservationists were highlighted. The verdict was seen to be a win for Eric Garner, even though the decision was made after a very long time. The media also indicated that all cases involving black people need to take the same course so that justice is finally served.
On reading the distinct media products on the case, it is evident that the tone does not change. The same vigor that started on fighting for Eric Garner is similar until the end. This case sparked a national outrage against police brutality with several protests being held across the country. The main call was for justice. Therefore, a considerable percentage of the media platforms were seeking this justice, which was to be in favor of Eric Garner and implication for David Palanteo for his misconduct. Eric Garner, therefore, remained an innocent victim who had his rights infringed by a police officer who abused his authority. The tone of having the key stakeholders ensures that the officers on the ground are adequately trained as the lives of many people depend highly on their conduct. The treatment of the offender thereby did not change as it was clear he was on the wrong and was an illustration of what could be illegal in the police departments.
Currently, on media covering themselves, it is rare to find them critiquing what they do. However, an article in the Columbia Journal review indicated the differences in reporting of the Garner case in regards to who is a conservative or a liberal and using their platforms to rate their views (Uberti, 2014). For instance, the Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano, who is a conservative, concentrated on the sale of untaxed cigarettes when reporting on the Garner case. Hre indicates that this was a moral equivalent that Garner should not have been arrested but taken to a street corner and warned of the behavior. Leon Wolf, a writer at RedState, indicated that the event illustrated a lack of accountability in the government. He states that the police have earned an automatic and unjustifiable trust in the minds of many that it is challenging to ensure criminal justice will provide proper oversight. The article indicated that there had been distinct interpretations of what was wrong during the events. The differences illustrate the challenges faced in the system, especially in trying to prove that race played a role in the death of the victim and the response that followed after the event.
Conclusion
Media has played a significant role in keeping the audience up to date with information concerning the Eric Garner case. How the different platforms handled the situation was almost similar as they fought against police brutality.
References
Baker, A., Goodman, D., & Mueller, B. (2015, June 14). Beyond the Chokehold: The Path to Eric Garner’s death. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/nyregion/eric-garner-police-chokehold-staten-island.html
BBC. (2019, August 19). NY officer fired over ‘I can’t breathe’ death. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49399302
Benner, K. (2019, July 16). Eric Garner’s death will not lead to federal charges for NYPD Officer. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/nyregion/eric-garner-case-death-daniel-pantaleo.html
Bloom, D., & Imam, J. (2014, December 8). New York man dies after chokehold by police. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/20/justice/ny-chokehold-death/index.html
Carrega, C. (2019, July 16). Five years after Eric Garner’s death, a look back at the case and the movement it sparked. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/US/years-eric-garners-death-back-case-movement-sparked/story?id=63847094
Chronicle, C. (2019, August 12). Cop who killed Eric Garner on video finally closer to being fired after five years. Retrieved from https://www.charlestonchronicle.net/2019/08/12/cop-who-killed-eric-garner-on-video-finally-closer-to-being-fired-after-five-years/
Crane-Newman, M., Tracy, T., Parascandola, R., Rayman, G., & McShane, L. (2019, July 16). Feds finally announced no civil rights charges against the NYPD officer in the 2014 chokehold death of Staten Island man Eric Garner, leaving his family reeling in outrage, pain. Retrieved from https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-feds-decline-to-prosecute-pantaleo-20190716-is7jrqkubnfkfffdf4dpffijwm-story.html
Goldstein, J., & Schweber, N. (2014, July 19). Man’s death after Chokehold raises an old issue for the police. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/19/nyregion/staten-island-man-dies-after-he-is-put-in-chokehold-during-arrest.html
Grady, M., & Hussein, R. (2019, October 30). White supremacy is thriving online, despite prevention efforts. Retrieved from https://www.voanews.com/extremism-watch/white-supremacy-thriving-online-despite-prevention-efforts
Lockhart, P. (2019, June 7). Eric Garner died during a 2014 police encounter. An officer-involved might lose his job. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/5/17/18629673/eric-garner-daniel-pantaleo-trial-chokehold-nypd
Patton, S., & Leonard, D. J. (2014, December 8). Viewpoint: Black victims unfairly blamed. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30340632
Uberti, D. (2014). Media raises criticism in the Eric Garner case. Retrieved from https://archives.cjr.org/behind_the_news/eric_garner_i_cant_breathe.php
Wemple, E. (2014, December 3). Cable news outlets come out of the gate, united on Eric Garner’s case. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2014/12/03/cable-news-outlets-come-out-of-the-gate-united-on-eric-garner-case/
