University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Communication Communication 2016 DO BLACK LIVES MATTER IN AMERICAN MAINSTREAM NEWS MEDIA? TWO CASE STUDIES OF POLICE-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS OF BLACK MEN EXPLAINING A RACIST MEDIA ENVIRONMENT Alfred J. Cotton III University of Kentucky, [email protected] Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.13023/ETD.2016.402 Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Cotton, Alfred J. III, "DO BLACK LIVES MATTER IN AMERICAN MAINSTREAM NEWS MEDIA? TWO CASE STUDIES OF POLICE-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS OF BLACK MEN EXPLAINING A RACIST MEDIA ENVIRONMENT" (2016). Theses and Dissertations--Communication. 52. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/comm_etds/52 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Communication at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Communication by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained needed written permission statement(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine) which will be submitted to UKnowledge as Additional File. I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless an embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. I understand that I am free to register the copyright to my work. REVIEW, APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of the program; we verify that this is the final, approved version of the student’s thesis including all changes required by the advisory committee. The undersigned agree to abide by the statements above. Alfred J. Cotton III, Student Dr. Elisia L. Cohen, Major Professor Dr. Bobi Ivanov, Director of Graduate Studies DO BLACK LIVES MATTER IN AMERICAN MAINSTREAM NEWS MEDIA? TWO CASE STUDIES OF POLICE-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS OF BLACK MEN EXPLAINING A RACIST MEDIA ENVIRONMENT DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Communication and Information at the University of Kentucky By Alfred Johnson Cotton III Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Elisia L. Cohen, Professor of Communication Lexington, Kentucky 2016 Copyright © Alfred J. Cotton III 2016 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION DO BLACK LIVES MATTER IN AMERICAN MAINSTREAM NEWS MEDIA? TWO CASE STUDIES OF POLICE-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS OF BLACK MEN EXPLAINING A RACIST MEDIA ENVIRONMENT This dissertation examines two cases of fatal police-involved shootings of Black men in order to expose the power structures perpetuated through racist media narratives assuming the officers’ behavior was justified and the unarmed men the officers killed somehow were complicit in their death. In reporting on police-involved shootings, mainstream media practices that privilege elites and officials as primary sources of information may produce a dominant media narrative that masks the marginalization and mistreatment of minorities at the hands of these officials and their institutions. The two cases under consideration here examine the “floating signifier” of race in media coverage of (1) the shooting death of Walter Scott at the hands of North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager in North Charleston, SC on April 4, 2015 and (2) the off-campus shooting of Samuel Dubose at the hands of University of Cincinnati Police Officer Ray Tensing on July 19, 2015. Using critical discourse analysis, the purpose of this dissertation is to offer critical inquiry into these media narratives as a necessary tool for dismantling these hegemonic media structures. The dissertation analyzes the narratives of these cases as presented in mass media to show how, if left unchecked, allowing elites and officials (particularly when they are representative of the individuals in the case) to define the narratives of such events can lead to misrepresentation of the narrative of the events. Only when video evidence disputing the police officers’ version of events did mainstream journalists begin to question the veracity of the officers’ claims their decisions to shoot these men were justified. The analysis examines the shifting discursive positions of the police, public officials, and media representatives over time in response to new (video) evidence and argument from the #BlackLivesMatter social protest movement members. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of the implications of this media environment and its semiotic practices on those groups concerned with seeking change around issues of police violence and abuses of power. For social movements like Black Lives Matter, a sympathetic or alternative media space that gives publicity to counter narratives is necessary to challenge mainstream media hegemony. KEYWORDS: Mass Communication, Case Study, Media Representation of Race, Police Brutality, Critical Discourse Analysis Alfred J. Cotton III August 26, 2016 Date DO BLACK LIVES MATTER IN AMERICAN MAINSTREAM NEWS MEDIA? TWO CASE STUDIES OF POLICE-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS OF BLACK MEN EXPLAINING A RACIST MEDIA ENVIRONMENT By Alfred Johnson Cotton III Dr. Elisia Cohen Director of Dissertation Dr. Bobi Ivanov Director of Graduate Studies August 26, 2016 To my mother, Frenchella Strickland Acknowledgments First and foremost, I would like to thank my dissertation chair and advisor, Dr. Elisia Cohen, who was instrumental in helping me find my voice and say what I wanted to say. Dr. Cohen’s advice, patience, and the example she sets as an academic were some of the biggest motivations for me while finishing the project. I am also grateful to my dissertation committee members Dr. Shari Veil and Dr. Derek Lane who decided they would work with me on very limited notice. I also would like to acknowledge Dr. Karen Tice whose insight has helped me grow as a scholar both with her help on my dissertation and what I learned in her classroom. Thank you to my colleagues and former classmates at the University of Kentucky. My friends Nicole Staricek, Adam Parrish, Joshua Hillyer, Katy Head, Rachel Price, Kelley Cowden, Rachael Record, Nick Iannarino, Lisanne Grant, Bob Zuercher, Anna Kerr, Ben Triana, Alex Huebner, and Raj Gaur all provided me much needed emotional and intellectual support during my time at UK. My family has been the foundation of my entire being and I would not be anywhere without them. To my sisters and my mother, your support of me and confidence in me has pushed me to become who I am and will continue to push me even further. Stephanie, my heart, thank you for the putting up with the late nights, the canceled plans, and the dates that became study dates and writing dates. You inspire me. iii Table of Contents Acknowledgments .........................................................................................................iii List of Tables ................................................................................................................vi List of Figures ...............................................................................................................vii Chapter One: Introduction ............................................................................................1 Rationale .................................................................................................................5 Race and Social Movements in the U.S. News Media .....................................7 Representation and the Racial (Racist) Status Quo in News Media .................14 Explanation of Cases ...............................................................................................17 Summary and Overview of Chapters ......................................................................20 Chapter Two: Literature Review ..................................................................................23 The Process of Framing Social Reality through Mass Media .................................24 Critical Problems in Race and Representation ........................................................26 Archetypes of Black Men and Stuart Hall’s Process of Primary Definition ....28 Alternative Media and the Potential for Organizing .........................................35 Social movements as producers of alternative media .......................................37 Social Media are a Platform for Social Activism .............................................39 Primary Definition of Black Male Criminality in U.S. News Media .....................43 Chapter Three: Methodology ........................................................................................45 Critical Discourse Analysis of Media