Summary
How is police violence framed in emergent forms of social documentation (i.e., news media and social media documents) and has this process altered the understanding and communication surrounding specific cases? This study uses qualitative media analysis (QMA) to answer the proposed research problem. In order to accomplish this, two video recorded, Canadian case studies were selected: Mr. Buddy Tavares and Mr. Robert Dziekanski. First, news media documents were analyzed. Secondly, a progression between news media and social media platforms was noted. This led to the identification of user-generated content (UGC), a result of social media interaction. The social media platforms selected for analysis, CBC news and YouTube, allow users to comment/respond to videos and online news media articles. Overall, the findings suggest that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) provide the initial framing of each case in the news media documents, which establishes parameters for how each case is to be understood and discussed. This is evident in both the RCMP claims referenced in the news media documents and the UGC. Furthermore, the data suggests that the online users reject the RCMP frame, through the identification and resistance to specific claims made by the RCMP in the news media documents and portrayal of events in the videos.