This
annotated bibliography will analyse news stories surrounding the much-publicised
issue of asylum seekers and immigrants gaining entry to the United States of
America. Sources in the form of print and online news articles and a
videorecording demonstrate complementary and contrasting views on the issue,
through the perspectives of Brenda Bowser-Soder of “Human Rights First”, Rachel
Swarns from the New York Times and the Global Report’s Eamon Martin. As a tool to measure the
effectiveness of these news items, the work of academic Raymond Floyd will be
relied on. As Floyd notes, “[n]othing committed to a written form...can be
effectively executed unless, subject, audience, and purpose are clearly set
forth [and] considered in all aspects” (Floyd, R.E., 2006).
Floyd, R.E.
(2006). Effective Professional Communication. IEEE Transactions
On Professional Communication, 49(2), 208-
210. doi: 10.1109/TPC.2006.875085
The academic text is written by Raymond E. Floyd, currently a
senior member of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a highly
respected academic book reviewer. It is a deconstruction of a book on
professional communication originally written by Kenneth Rainey and Joseph
Davis.
Floyd notes that the theme of the book is set in the foreword with
this quote – “most experienced communicators possess and intuitive sense of
right and wrong...because they are sensitive to the problems that they
encountered,” (Floyd, R. E., 2006).
Floyd's analysis, gives an understanding of the depth and detail that
the initial writers put into their work - such as diagrams, personal
experiences and information sections to give further details on a topic or word
– all of which is divided into three parts and four appendices (Floyd, R. E.,
2006). The article’s theme is that there is a need for writers to understand
the situation they are addressing, and present their opinion with consideration
of the differences in various individuals thought processes and views on the
reported issue. The extensive use of citations, and the article's conclusion
with Floyd applauding the original authors for their efforts creating this
insightful book, lends this source credibility, as Floyd comes across as a
well-researched and selfless author (Floyd, R. E., 2006).
Bowser-Soder,
B. (2010, October 6). Human Rights First
Urges Fulfillment of Detention Reform Promises [Press Release]. Washington,
DC. Human Rights First.
In a press
release on behalf of “Human Rights First”, Brenda Bowser-Soder proposed an
overhaul in the handling of asylum seekers and immigrants. In 2009, Human
Rights First found that some asylum seekers and immigrants had been detained by
the U.S. in penal facilities for months, sometimes years. The report outlines key
recommendations, including stopping detaining
asylum seekers and immigrants in penal facilities, create nationwide
alternatives to detention, allow asylum
seekers and immigrants to wear plain clothes instead of prison jumpsuits,
visits with family and friends, outdoor recreation space and increased freedom
of movement in secure facilities. As a nonpartisan international human rights
organisation that remains independent as they accept no government funding, the
information given within the press release is established as credible and
trustworthy, especially when compared to a corporately controlled news source
like the New York Times (Human Rights First., 2012). As Floyd writes, authors need to understand the issue of
the piece they are writing, and it is undoubtedly clear that Human Rights First
understands the issues faces by asylum seekers and immigrants in the United
States of America (Floyd, R.E, 2006). Using a press release as a communication
medium allows information to be conveyed to the public in a more timely manner,
but it is not as reliable as other forms of communication medium as a press
release “lacks data” (Hoke, W. A., 2006).
Martin, E.
(2009, May 6). United States Imprisoning
Asylum Seekers [videorecording]. The United States of America. The Global
Report.
The Global Report, responsible for producing this videorecording, is
an independent non-profit multimedia news content provider, and can therefore be
trusted to give unbiased information relating to asylum seekers in the United
States of America (The Global Report Org., 2012). Through the use of
alternative news media landscapes, The Global Report can be found on local
public access stations in major U.S. cities and on social networking sites such
as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube (The Global Report Org., 2012). In the
videorecording it is revealed that since 2003 over $300 million has been spent
by U.S. authorities to detain over 48,000 asylum seekers and immigrants each
year, and the system is “inconsistent with America’s longstanding commitment to
protect those who flee from persecution” (The Global Report Org., 2012). The
‘Human Rights First’ organisation is referenced in this communication medium, supporting
the claim that it costs $95 per day of government and tax funded money to
detain each asylum seeker or immigrant, while some of these “human beings”
could be released into society at no cost to the government or tax payer (The
Global Report Org., 2012). The videorecording concludes with Martin stating
that some asylum seekers are detained for months, or years, even though they
have met the release criteria and present no risk to the public (The Global
Report Org., 2012).
Swarns, R.
(2007, February 8). U.S. May Be Mishandling Asylum Seekers, Panel Says. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/08/washington/08asylum.html
Washington based reporter,
Rachel Swarns, reflect on the vulnerable position of asylum seekers due to the
Government’s “zeal to secure the nation’s borders” (Swarns, R., 2007). Asylum
seekers are subjected to strip searches, shackled, kept in prison-like
confinements and at times deported back to their original country without a
hearing before an immigration judge. This unfair and inhumane treatment of
immigrants when appealing for asylum has not changed even after a report and
recommendations was issued in 2005 by The United States Commission on
International Religious Freedom, which is in charge of assessing asylum regulation
(Swarns, R., 2007). The New York Times,
a privately owned corporation chaired by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. since 1997,
is “dedicated to the highest standards of quality journalism” (The
New York Times Company., 2011). These high standards of journalism have a 40% liberal political
view, saw a reporter retire after controversy surrounding her stating
inaccurate facts in the lead up to the Iraq War, and saw another reporter
forced to resign after he was caught fabricating and plagiarising elements of
his column (Barry, D., Barstow, D., Glater, J.D., Liptak, A., & Steinberg,
J., 2003). The New York Times may be a leading global multimedia news and
information company designed to enhance society to creating but its credibility
cannot be guaranteed (The New York Times Company., 2011). When compared
to Human Rights First, the New York Times is not an entirely reliable source.
Professional communication has expanded over the past years to
encompass many new and contrasting mediums of information. This expansion of
forms of news has not seen the loss of the credibility of information, or the
loss of engagement with an audience. When discussing asylum seekers and
immigrants in the United States of America, Human Rights First, the Global
Report and the New York Times adhered to the professional communication
standards referred to and outlined by Raymond Floyd.
_________________________________________________________________
References
Barry, D.,
Barstow, D., Glater, J.D., Liptak, A., & Steinberg, J. (2003 May 11). Correcting the Record; Times Reporter Who
Resigned Leaves Long Trail of Deception. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/11/us/correcting-the-record-times-reporter-who-resigned-leaves-long-trail-of-deception.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
Bowser-Soder,
B. (2010, October 6). Human Rights First
Urges Fulfillment of Detention Reform Promises [Press Release]. Washington,
DC. Human Rights First.
Carter, E.L., &
Clark, B. (2007). “Membership In A Particular Social Group”: International
Journalist and U.S. Asylum Law. Communication
Law and Policy, 12(3), 279-312. doi: 10.1080/10811680701338581
Floyd, R.E.
(2006). Effective Professional Communication. IEEE Transactions
On Professional Communication, 49(2), 208-
210. doi: 10.1109/TPC.2006.875085
Hoke, W. A. (2006).
Jack shafer: Media critic, slate press box. The Quill, 94(6), 18-19. http://search.proquest.com/docview/219790432?accountid=14723
Human Rights First.
(2012). Human Rights First – Nonprofit
Status and Ratings. Retrieved from http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/about-us/nonprofit-status/
Martin, E.
(2009, May 6). United States Imprisoning
Asylum Seekers [videorecording]. The United States of America. The Global Report.
Swarns, R.
(2007, February 8). U.S. May Be Mishandling Asylum Seekers, Panel Says. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/08/washington/08asylum.html
The Global
Report Org. (2012). News From The Front
Lines. Retrieved from http://theglobalreport.org/
The New York Times
Company. (2011). The New York Times
Company – Social Responsibility. Retrieved from http://www.nytco.com/social_responsibility/
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