Running Head: Genre Analysis

Genre Analysis
Ashley N. Jacquez
University of Texas at El Paso
RWS 1302/ Tuesday

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Genre Analysis

The tragic death of Eric Garner has sparked a national debate regarding police conduct
and has many people questioning the ethics of the jury system. While the cellphone video of the
confrontation between Eric Garner and New York City police officers has answered many
questions about the arrest and subsequent death of Eric Garner, the court case and the grand
jurys decision not to indict New York City police officer, Daniel Pantaleo, has left the nation
more confused and disappointed. The analysis of two different genres will aid in understanding
why the grand jury chose not to indict Officer Pantaleo and the public reaction to this decision.
The NBC News video reported by Brian Williams, No Charges Against NYPD Officer in Fatal
Chokehold Case, shows the cellphone video that was taken by a bystander of the fatal
confrontation as well as the public reaction of the news that Officer Daniel Pantaleo would not
be indicted for his actions. Patrik Jonsson of Christian Science Monitor, also published an article
about the Eric Garner tragedy, How Minor Crime Questioning Led to Chokehold Death of Eric
Garner, which details the death of Eric Garner and another man for which the NY ban on
chokeholds was established for. The analysis of different aspects of each of the two genres will
show that the NBC News video was in fact more effective in clarifying the grand jurys decision
not to indict Officer Pantaleo.
Audience and Purpose
The NBC newscast which first aired December 3, 2014, as reported by Brian Williams,
No Charges Against NYPD Officer in Fatal Chokehold Case, was intended for those people who
may have not seen the video of the confrontation between Eric Garner and the NYPD officers.
The NBC News audience knows there are national protests and demonstrations that are taking

Genre Analysis

place, but they are not aware of the magnitude of the situation. The NBC News video show clips
of protests that are happening all over New York City; there are protests demonstrations taking
place at Grand Central Station, Rockefeller Center, and Time Square. Due to the sheer volume of
media attention Garners case is attracting, the audience wants to know what type of impact his
death has made in regards to policy change of the grand jury system or police conduct.
The main audience that the Christian Science Monitor article is intended for are those
people who want to be well versed in the Eric Garner case and the ongoing protests in New York
City. The article is also meant for those people who may not know the history and controversy
surrounding the chokehold maneuver that was used to subdue Eric Garner. The Christian Science
Monitor audience knows the highlights of the Eric Garner case which is that a man, Eric Garner,
was subdued by police officers using a chokehold and as a result Eric Garner died by the actions
of the NYPD. The audience may want to know the reasons why Eric Garner was originally
approached by the officers and why the grand jury chose not to indict the NYPD.
Ethos
The credibility of the NBC newscast is established due to the fact that NBC utilizes a
large group of analysts and fact checkers to authenticate the report being televised. The video
goes further by adding the professional opinion of Eugene ODonnell, a professor at John Jay
College of Criminal Justice. The Christian Science Monitor article is able to establish credibility
by including commentary of NYPD Commissioner Bratton as well as Professor Eugene
ODonnell. Having both men add commentary to the article lends itself to being a more credible
source of information. "Chokeholds are prohibited by the New York City Police Department and
most departments," Commissioner Bratton said at a news conference Friday (Jonsson, 2014). By

Genre Analysis

having the commissioner go on record and reiterating that chokeholds are prohibited only adds to
the frustration about the lack of indictment against the officer. Both of the genres included
commentary from Eugene ODonnell, but the Christian Science Monitor had input from
Commissioner Bratton and Rev. Al Sharpton to establish their more credibility.
Pathos
The NBC video attempts to evoke emotion from the audience by showing peoples
reactions of hearing the news that the police officer in the Eric Garner case would not be
indicted; NBC also includes the cellphone video of the attack. A woman was interviewed by
NBC shared her thoughts on the matter: Its not fair. Im not surprised, but he should have been
indicted and, I feel really disappointed (2014). The video also shows the large number of
people demonstrating and protesting in the streets of New York City. The NBC newscast
attempts to evoke even more emotion by including an interview of Eric Garners widow and
mother as well as images of Eric Garners memorial. The overall emotion that was evoked by
watching this news segment was anger, frustration, sadness, and disappointment.
The Christian Science Monitor article attempts to evoke emotion from the audience by
detailing the confrontation between Eric Garner and NYPD officers. The article also details the
events leading up to his death and the reason behind why police officers had approached Eric
Garner in the first place. According to Patrik Jonsson this was how the encounter took place:
The encounter escalated to the point of a faceoff, whereupon one officer wraps his arm
around his neck even as Garner, now on the ground, pleads that he can't breathe. A few
minutes later Garner loses consciousness as the officer mashed his face into the sidewalk
-- the victim of a fatal heart attack (2014).

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Reading the details of the encounter evokes an emotion of anger and sadness for the victim
because in that moment he was helpless and needed protection from the very same people who
vowed to protect and serve.
The video and article both review the details of the Eric Garner case and the events
leading up to his attack. Although each of the genres both provoke emotions of anger and
frustration, each has its own unique way of provoking these emotions. Watching the video of the
attack and reading about the attack evoke different levels of emotion; being able to visibly see
and hear Eric Garner and the confrontation that took place were extremely difficult to watch and
ultimately evoked different and more intense emotions. The article was strategic in explaining
another mans death which resulted in the ban of chokeholds; the intentional maneuver was able
to evoke a more powerful emotion from the audience.
Logos
Christian Science Monitor included the death of a different man who was essentially the
driving force for the ban of the chokehold maneuver. According to Jonsson, In 1994, a year
after the city banned the tactic altogether, NYPD Officer Francis Livoti killed Bronx resident
Anthony Baez with a chokehold after Mr. Livoti's cruiser was hit by a football being thrown
around by friends (2014). Including this evidence in the article shows why the chokehold is a
controversial tactic. The NBC News video includes the grand jury panel statistics of the Eric
Garner case, The grand jury consisted of twenty-three community members, fourteen white and
nine non-white; the secret panel met for eight weeks and declined to indict Officer Pantaleo
(2014). Although this statistic does not answer why there was not an indictment against the
officer, it does give some insight into the people who were required to make that decision.

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Structure and Delivery

The NBC newscast opted to organize their information by showing the cellphone video of
the confrontation, then showing public reactions of people affected by the news of the decision to
not indict, including the reactions of Eric Garners widowed wife and mother, and finally the
video concluded by an interview with Professor Eugene ODonnell. The video is limited in the
content it could show on television; it is also subjected to a time constriction. The information in
the Christian Science Monitor article is organized by illustrating the day Eric Garner was killed
and giving vital details in the fatal confrontation. The article is also limited in the content it could
contain, but the article has more liberation in respect to time and space.
Conclusion and Synthesis
Each of the genres was able to share the same information using different techniques to
get their message across which made for a broader perception. The NBC News video was
ultimately more effective in clarifying the grand jurys decision not to indict Officer Daniel
Pantaleo due to the evidence that was shown. The NBC News video was more effective due to its
powerful use of pathos as well as its structure and delivery. Showing the commentary from
analysts like Eugene O Donnell who could contribute his professional opinion on the matter
aided in the effectiveness of the video. The addition of an interview with Eric Garners widowed
wife, mother and protestors made the video all that more compelling. The NBC News videos
structure and delivery was also convincing because by starting with the emotional appeals first
and then introducing the facts was strategic in grasping the attention of the audience. NBC News
has a larger audience to appeal to as opposed to the Christian Science Monitor article, which
helps keep more people informed.

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References

Jonsson, P. (2014). How minor questioning led to chokehold death of Eric Garner. Christian
Science Monitor, 1.
Williams, B. (2014, Dec 3). No charges against NYPD officer in fatal chokehold. Podcast
retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com