Political Communication and Activism

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Joe Khan For Philadelphia District Attorney

Democrat Joe Khan is currently running for Philadelphia District Attorney. There are currently eight candidates running, including Khan, and seven are Democrats. According to Philadelphia Public Record (Hepler, 2016), the primary elections are on May 16 and because Philadelphia is predominantly Democrat, the Democrat primary winner will most likely be the city’s next district attorney. Along with Khan, Teresa Carr Deni, Tariq El-Shabazz, Lawrence Krasner, Rich Negrin, John O'Neill, Michael Untermeyer, and Beth Grossman, the sole Republican, are running for the position (Brennan, 2017).

According to his campaign website, Joe Khan was born in Northeast Philadelphia and was a federal prosecutor prior to running Philadelphia DA’s office. Khan’s campaign slogan is “It’s Time For A Fresh Start,” and he is running on a progressive platform that is similar to many of the other Democratic candidates. On his campaign website, Khan highlights only four specific issues he wants to focus on, which he titles “Kids First,” “Safe Streets,” “Reforming The System: Fighting Fair,” and “Restoring Integrity.”

Integrity and reform have been the focal points of Khan’s campaign message, which is most likely a reaction to the legal scandal involving current DA Seth Williams who was indicted on 23 corruption charges (Sasko, 2017).

Khan utilizes political rhetoric, symbolism, and layered messages in his campaign advertisements. There are specific images and personas that he has brought to the forefront of his campaign that have local and national significance. His social media posts, television advertisements, and literature mailings have all strongly focused on his ethnic background and his immigrant father, his public school education, and his opposition to President Trump.

Khan’s first television advertisement is a negative one and attempts to portray Democratic candidate Untermeyer as a flip-flopping millionaire candidate who lacks integrity. The advertisement opens with a cartoon elephant carrying an Untermeyer campaign sign with a narrator stating that Untermeyer ran for DA twice in the past as a Republican. Khan, who has tried to portray himself as the candidate with integrity, uses symbolism to paint Untermeyer as a fake Democrat, playing into stereotypes about scheming, rich politicians. At the end of the advertisement, Khan calls himself a “real democrat.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47DgXmOK-ko

There are also several other elements of Khan advertisement that are present in most of his other campaign messages. The narrator mentions that he is the son of an immigrant, attended Philadelphia public school, studied under Barack Obama at University of Chicago Law School, and was endorsed by former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.

Khan’s campaign literature has also featured his immigrant background and one of his mailings included a photo of his Pakistani father and Philadelphia-native mother on their wedding day with the statement “Only in America could this love story happen,” running above. 

The opposite side of the mailing featured a photo of President Trump with a red cross over his face and title stating “Trump. Wrong. Read the story that proves how wrong Donald Trump is about immigration in America” (Brennan, 2017). Khan heavily emphasizes his background as a way to connect with Philadelphia voters, who were overwhelming against Trump and his anti-immigration and anti-Muslim rhetoric. By emphasizing that he is a son of an immigrant, which is even mentioned in his twitter bio, Khan paints himself as the underdog who actively contradicts Trump’s America and is distinct from his white competitors.

Most Philadephia news publications have acknowledged Khan’s stance on Trump and have used it as the focal point when covering his candidacy. The Philadelphia Inquirer published an article in early May that addressed Khan’s strong sentiments against Trump and his integration of those beliefs into his campaign (Brennan 2017). However, Khan is still not viewed as a breakout, well-known candidate in the race. In an article in the Philadelphia Tribune, he is described as having a similar platform to Democratic candidate Krasner, who has an arguably more invigorating voter base (Jones, 2017).

Another incredibly important aspect of Khan’s candidacy is his endorsements. Although politicians and voters are integral actors within the political process, independent political associations, committees, and people can also be influential in the campaign process. Although endorsements from organizations such as the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Organization for Women are important, the support of Khizr Khan, the Muslim father of an American Gold Star veteran who spoke out against Donald Trump at the 2016 DNC, is more significant. On Khan’s twitter, Khan’s pinned tweet links to Khizr Khan’s letter of endorsement published on Joe Khan’s campaign Medium site. This endorsement is notable because it shows Khan’s solidarity with the Muslim community and his opposition to Trump’s administration.

This sentiment is further carried through in a tweet Khan sent out following Trump’s Muslim Ban.

Again, this tweet further ensures that Khan is viewed as a legitimately progressive candidate and enables him to connect with an electorate that is largely diverse and of color. Like his public school education, the tweet also emphasizes Khan’s Philadelphia roots and pride for the city.

In an article from Philadelphia Public Record published right after Khan announced his candidacy, Cassie Hepler (2016) focused on Khan’s sense of loyalty to and pride in Philadelphia. Similar to his campaign messaging, the article also focused on his father’s immigrant status, his public school education, and his focus on integrity.

Khan has not been painted as the underdog in this election, however. In an article published by Salon, Abraham Gutman (2017) described the race for District Attorney as a “microcosm for the anti-Trump resistance.”  In the article, Gutman characterizes Khan as one of the “establishment” candidates, similar to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential elections. According to Gutman, Khan is running on a platform that centers around reform, but only within the realm of traditional Philadelphia politics.

In the chapter “Digital Politics As Usual,” in Digital Activism Decoded, Rasmus Kleis Nielson (2010) makes the point that digital technologies lack the capacity to completely reinvent political norms, a sentiment that is contradictory to much of the literature on the future of digital activism. It is clear that much of the race for Philadelphia’s District Attorney office is “politics as usual,” beholden to money, political connections, and in-person outreach.

According to NewsWorks, campaign money is crucial to a local election that will likely receive low voter turnout. Because of this, older campaign strategies, such as television and radio ads, direct mail, and canvassing efforts nearing election day (Davies, 2017). Although Khan has utilized digital platforms to generate support, much of his campaign funds will be directed towards non-digital strategies.

Khan has amassed a little over $500,000 to fund his campaign, which includes a $54,000 personal loan. However, he is competing with several other candidates that significant financial advantages (Davies, 2017). Democratic candidate Krasner was just recently endorsed and financially backed by billionaire George Soros, who has funneled $1.4 million into an independent political action committee called Philadelphia Justice and Public Safety that has put out several advertisements endorsing Krasner. So far, Krasner has been able to raise more funds than any other candidate in the race (Tanenbaum, 2017). Democratic candidate Untermeyer, a self-made millionaire, is also a major contender for DA because of his $700,000 campaign, the majority of which is personally funded (Davies, 2017).

It is clear that new technologies and strategies have not created an equal playing field for the politicians vying for office. Even though Khan has access to free or inexpensive digital tools and resources, money is still a large factor in the campaign process. Khan is obviously conscious of the advantage candidates like Untermeyer has and has utilized some of his campaign funds to try to remain competitive and aggressive. In his first television advertisement, he attacked democrat Untermeyer for not being a “real democrat.”

Although only the three candidates have released television advertisements so far, most of the other candidates have not been as successful with raising money. According to City & State Pennsylvania (Salisbury, 2017), a news firm dedicated to Pennsylvania state and local government, the candidates will most likely release more television and radio advertisements as the primaries approach.

References

Brennan, C. (2017, May 4). Joe Khan's pitch to be Philly's next DA: 'Only in America.' Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved from http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/city/Joe-Khans-pitch-to-be-Phillys-next-DA-Only-in-America.html

Davies, D. (2017, April 5). Untermeyer, Khan lead Philly DA field in money race. NewsWorks. Retrieved from http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/off-mic/item/102814-untermeyer-khan-lead-da-field-in-money-race

Gutman, A. (2017, April 17). The Philadelphia spring: One city’s wide-open DA race is a microcosm of the anti-Trump resistance. Salon. Retrieved from http://www.salon.com/2017/04/17/the-philadelphia-spring-one-citys-wide-open-d-a-race-is-a-microcosm-of-the-anti-trump-resistance/

Hepler, C. (2016, September 24). Joe Khan Seeks Pride in Philadelphia as District Attorney. Philadelphia Public Record. Retrieved from http://www.phillyrecord.com/2016/09/joe-khan-seeks-pride-in-philadelphia-as-district-attorney/

Nielson, R. K. (2010). Digital Politics As Usual. In Mary Joyce, Digital Activism Decoded: The New Mechanics of Change. (pp. 181-196). New York, NY: International Debate Press.

Salisbury, G. (2017, March 7). Joe Khan's quest to return to the District Attorney's Office – as DA. City & State Pennsylvania. Retrieved from http://www.cityandstatepa.com/content/joe-khans-quest-return-district-attorneys-office-%E2%80%93-da

Sasko, C. (2017, March 23). Gold Star Father Khizr Khan Endorses Joe Khan in D.A. Race. Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.phillymag.com/news/2017/03/23/khizr-khan-endorses-joe-khan-philly-d-a-race/#BkSv56GchsUG1kBI.99

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Am I Reading Fake News?

Social media sites have become one of the main places people find and share news. Although social media can foster healthy exchanges of information and ideas, it also makes it very easy to spread inaccurate news. Millions of websites have popped up in recent years that turn a profit by selling advertisement space and accruing clicks. To draw in vulnerable news consumers, these websites produce stories with dramatic, emotional headlines and photos that are either manipulations or complete fabrications of the truth. There are several easy ways news consumers can evaluate the credibility and accuracy of a news story and its source.

I recently came across a news article shared on Facebook titled “Depopulation Test Run? 75% of Children Who Receive Vaccines in Mexican Town Now Dead or Hospitalized” from a website called Awareness Act. First, I analyzed the story itself, including the content, the page layout, and the corresponding hyperlinks. Then I went on to analyze the actual website and looked at Awareness Act’s other stories, their website design, and their website information.

According to the article, two infants died and 37 were hospitalized in La Pimiento, Mexico due to vaccines administered to protect them from Hepatitis B, rotavirus, and tuberculosis. The article goes on to state that some people “believe it was a test run for depopulation.” The article then continues to list the dangers of vaccines and cites a CDC scientist that proved vaccines were connected to autism. 

There are several glaringly obvious grammatical and writing style issues that should immediately lead readers to question the credibility of the article. First, neither a date nor an author is provided with the article, two components that all credible news sources include. The format and headline of the article also lead the viewer to believe that it is a news article. However, the content, regardless of its level of accuracy, is clearly opinionated and activist-driven. Lines such as “Everyone should know not to trust politicians, so why are we trusting them with the lives of our children?” and “The bottom line is, never trust the vaccine industry!” are not only unprofessional but are also obvious sentences designed to sway reader opinion. 

The grammar and style of this article should also serve as a warning for readers. Although not all online publications adhere to official journalism writing standards, publications that use exclamation points, contractions, and words like “gonna” or “okay” should be immediately questioned. In this article, the author uses “there” when it should be “their” and “to” when it should be “too.” Credible and objective news sources should also not be using the second person point of view. In several instances, the author uses the word “you” or “we” to tell the reader to do or not do something. 

Also, the first photo in this story depicts two infants receiving medical care. Although the photo has the Associated Press’ copyright symbol in the corner, the image is not captioned and looks like a screenshot. When I searched the image on Google, I found that it came from a story from 2014 that investigated sabotaged measles vaccinations given to infants in Syria. This photo was completed unrelated to the story in Mexico but was used as a way to evoke an emotional response from readers. 

However, some fake news stories are better at mimicking professional formats and styles than others. Therefore, doing background research on the topic or event the article discusses is another easy way to determine the credibility of a source or story. When I looked into this vaccine story more, I found that it held some level of truth. Vaccinations in a rural town in Mexico were reported to have harmed several infants in 2015 and the story was reported by several credible news sources including The Guardian, CNN, and a story in the Washington Times from the Associated Press. However, the Awareness Act article got several key facts wrong and distorted others. According to the Associated Press, only 31 infants, not 37 as reported by Awareness Act, were hospitalized and the town was La Pimienta, not La Pimiento. The Mexican Institute for Social Security reported that the vaccines themselves were not dangerous but were contaminated with bacteria that caused the death and hospitalization of 33 Mexican infants. However, Awareness Act did not report on this statement but instead blamed the actual vaccine. Although these falsities or mistakes seem rather minor, they distinguish credible news sources from fake ones. Awareness Act’s claims of “depopulation efforts” were also completely unfounded and not supported by any other credible news source. 

Awareness Act also uses several hyperlinks in conjunction with some of their misleading or false statements. By clicking on just a few them, it is clear that they either link to equally inaccurate information or to studies that in no way defend what the article claims. The first sentence of the article, “Vaccine producers have crossed every line imaginable” is hyperlinked to a completely unrelated journal article from the University of Pennsylvania comparing the diversity of the pharmaceutical industry in the United States to other country’s industries. The sentence “Vaccines today are filled with toxic ingredients such thimerosal or formaldehyde” is hyperlinked to publichealth.org, which does say that vaccines contain thimerosal and formaldehyde but also goes on to say that they present in levels that are not harmful. They also include a statement from the Chiapas Health Secretariat about the hospitalizations that was said to be given in an interview conducted by Fox News. However, the hyperlink brings the reader to an article with the exact same headline as the Awareness Act article from a website called “Government Slaves.” 

Finally, readers can also analyze the actual website design to determine if the article is credible. Awareness Act has no “About” page discussing the purpose and history of the website, while most authentic news sources do. Also, when readers go to Awareness Act’s Privacy Policy listed on the bottom of the page, the site provides a single Gmail account as their only contact information. Credible sources like the New York Times will have many different ways to contact them and even have their own email listing. Also, by analyzing Awareness Acts other stories, it becomes clear that all of their stories deal with highly emotional topics and have equally misleading and dramatic headlines. 

References 

Depopulation Test Run? 75% of Children Who Receive Vaccines in Mexican Town Now Dead or Hospitalized. Awareness Act. Retrieved from http://awarenessact.com/depopulation-test-run-75-of-children-who-received-vaccines-in-mexican-town-now-dead-or-hospitalized/

Danzon, P. M., et al. (2005). “Vaccine Supply: A Cross-National Perspective. Health Affairs, 24(3). 706-717. 

Adams, M. “75% of Children Who Receive Vaccines in Mexican Town Now Dead or Hospitalized.” Government Slaves. Retrieved from http://govtslaves.info/75-of-children-who-received-vaccines-in-mexican-town-now-dead-or-hospitalized/

Understanding Vaccines. Public Health. Retrieved from http://www.publichealth.org/public-awareness/understanding-vaccines/goes-vaccine/

Mexico says bacteria contaminated vaccine blamed in 2 deaths. (2015, May 13). The Washington Times. Retrieved from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/13/mexico-says-bacteria-contaminated-vaccine-blamed-i/

Chulov, M. Beals, M. (2014, September 17). “Measles vaccination mix-up leaves 15 infants dead in northern Syria.” The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/17/measles-vaccination-mix-up-syria-15-infants-killed

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Wangari Muta Maathai

Wangari Muta Maathai was born in the highlands of Kenya, more than twenty years before the country gained independence. Through her lifetime, she experienced British colonialism, national rebellions, independence, the growing women’s movement, undemocratic government, and the country’s first free and fair elections. Although Maathai accomplished many things during her time as an activist, she was most well known for founding and leading the Green Belt Movement, a campaign that organized local farmers to plant millions of tree seedlings in Kenya. She also championed efforts that fought to preserve Kenya’s natural resources and park reserves, ameliorate tribal infighting, increase women’s rights, and challenge Kenya’s authoritarian and violent government. Wangari Maathai, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in 2004, was an internationally renowned figure whose philosophies of environmental health and social justice have helped transform Kenya into the democratic state it is now (“Biography”).

Maathai was born in 1940 in Nyeri, a rural agricultural village looking onto Mt. Kenya (Frängsmy, 2004). She grew up in a large Kikuyu family that depended on farming native crops. Although she was one of the only girls in her village to receive an education, she has stated that her time spent helping her family cultivate their crops was what influenced her to study science and advocate for Kenya’s forests as she got older (Maathai, 2007). She attended a Catholic school established by British colonizers and eventually received a scholarship to study in the United States. Maathai earned a degree in biology from Mount St. Scholastica College located in Kansas and continued to get her masters degree in Pittsburgh. She returned to Kenya in 1966 and earned her doctorate from the University of Nairobi. She was the first woman in all of East and Central Africa to get a Ph.D. She stayed at the University of Nairobi for several more years and became the chair of her department (“Biography”). Maathai’s academic accomplishments were already groundbreaking in the still heavily sexist Kenyan society, however, her work that followed was what brought her international attention and prestige.

As British colonizers began to take control of Africa and the region that is now Kenya, they also started to destroy the natural infrastructure of Kenya’s highlands and forests. They introduced non-native cash crops and commercial trees, cleared forests and converted them into arable lands, and further disrupted the integrity of the once fertile land (Maathai, 2007). This profit-driven mindset was soon taken up by native tribes as well which led to serious environmental issues. Maathai recognized that these new farming strategies were not sustainable as erosion polluted waters, exhausted the soil, and used up the people’s sources of firewood (“Our History”). Maathai believed that by counteracting the destructive techniques used by farmers out of desperation, the country could be relieved of its high levels of poverty, malnutrition, and political displacement (Maathai, 2007).

Maathai believed that replanting native trees in the areas that had been deforested would not only relieve some of the serious environmental issues Kenya was experiencing but also bring communities together. Although the Green Belt Movement was born in 1977 when Maathai began transporting seedlings in her own car to rural areas, it has turned into an internationally recognized organization that has planted over 51 million trees (“Tree Planting”). Since its formation, GBM has held a grassroots structure, with locals creating and tending to their own nurseries and serving as leaders in their community. Maathai used trees also as a way to symbolize peace and positive growth, two things that Kenya was lacking at the time. GBM inspired support by paying the Kenyans that planted and tended seedlings, giving struggling farmers another source of income (Maathai, 2007). However, the GBM also strives to engage locals in their communities and show them that their vitality was connected to the health of the land.   

During her work through the Green Belt Movement, Maathai also began to get heavily involved in other politically charged movements. Maathai was an instrumental actor in saving Karura forest, a place that was home to several rare plants and animals located North of Nairobi, from being cleared for commercial development. In 1996, Maathai and the growing Green Belt Movement held protests, raised awareness, questioned politicians, and even began a nursery within the forest (Maathai, 2007, p. 262). However, leading up to the Karura Forest protests, Maathai had been experiencing serious political backlash for her activism. Both Maathai and the Green Belt Movement were condemned by the Kenyan government because they were outspoken about the corrupt and abusive practices of government officials. Because of this, Maathai was arrested and jailed multiple times and even went into hiding at one point in 1993 (Maathai, 2007, p. 247).

Maathai began to join and lead efforts to reform government corruption and speak out against the violent tactics the government was increasingly using against civilian activists. The government also began wrongfully imprisoning people who were trying to institute democratic government reform. In 1992, Maathai, along with several mothers of some of the men who were jailed, began a year-long protest against the government in hopes of freeing the political prisoners (Maathai, 2007, p. 217). The movement staged several protests in highly public areas, which were violently disbanded by government officers, and eventually went on a hunger strike. The movement ended a year later when the government agreed to release all of their political prisoners.

Because of Maathai’s local and international reputation, she was also able to successfully organize a movement that advocated for a more democratic government and fair elections. The 2002 elections were the first free and fair elections Kenya has seen since it first gained independence in 1963. They marked the end of President Moi’s corrupt, 24-year reign (Maathai, 2007, p. 288). Maathai, who ran for Parliament, also won the seat at the age of 62. Maathai had received countless international awards and recognitions prior to the elections and, in 2004, she was given the Nobel Peace Prize. Wangari Maathai died of ovarian cancer in 2011 at the age of 71 (Biography).

Wangari Maathai faced an incredible amount of obstacles and oppression during her long life as an activist. She fought against severe gender discrimination, financial setbacks and a hostile government intent on destroying her reputation. What led her to become such a consequential and revered figure in Kenya and eventually around the world was her unyielding perseverance. Her traditional upbringing and early connection to the earth developed into philosophies about the environment and social justice that transformed Africa and inspired the rest of the world.

References

“Biography.” Retrieved February 24, 2017, from http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wangari-maathai/biography

Frängsmy, T. (2004). Wangari Maathai - Biographical. Retrieved February 24, 2017, from http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2004/maathai-bio.html

Maathai, W. M. (2007). Unbowed: A Memoir. London: William Heinemann.

“Our History.” Retrieved February 24, 2017, from http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/who-we-are/our-history

“Tree Planting and Water Harvesting.” Retrieved February 24, 2017, from

http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/what-we-do/tree-planting-for-watersheds