James W. Carey describes two ways of understanding communication: the transmission model and the ritual model. The transmission model describes communication as the sending of information in order to control and create a specific outcome. It focuses on authority, influence creating a power imbalance. The ritual model shows communication as something that brings people together through shared practices, meaning, and participation. Ritual communication reinforces community and collective values. Leanne Betasamosake Simpson adds to this through the concept of sintering. This frames communication as a relational practice that holds connections. Sintering is not just about sharing meaning, but about holding people together through ongoing acts of support and obligation.
Minnesota Proved MAGA Wrong from The Atlantic illustrates how these two logics of communication clash in the context of ICE enforcement in Minnesota. While the state relies on transmission-based communication to produce fear and compliance, local communities respond through ritual practices of mutual aid and collective protection. This allows those communities in Minnesota to create cohesion and resilience. In Carey’s transmission model, communication functions as a tool of power. This logic is highlighted in how federal authorities executed immigration enforcement. Reporters highlighted that protests against ICE’s enforcement in Minnesota continued into corporate settings. Employees and activists were calling out local businesses’ responses to federal actions (BBC News, 2026). The ICE surge was not only a physical one but also one that was meant to intimidate communities into silence. The state controlled the narrative of who was being targeted by withholding names, providing vague charges, and selectively releasing information. Political voices reinforced this by framing activists and detainees as “the worst of the worst.” These labels were not true and used as tools to justify violence and discourage resistance. Surveillance further supported this transmission logic. Information became weaponized through text chains and leaked screenshots.Rather than building understanding, communication was used to manage perception and instill fear. In this model, power operates through opacity, messaging, and intimidation rather than relationship.
In contrast, Minnesota communities practiced communication as ritual. Churches became places where food, diapers, and supplies were delivered. It was not as a one-time charity, but an ongoing support. There were safety plans added to communities like calling families before approaching homes to build trust and prevent the deception ICE was known to have. Groups like ICE Watch organized collective presence through honking, whistles, and big movements. These were not simply alerts but communal rituals that turned their fear into shared action. Many felt very alone, so communities used signs, chants, and protective gatherings to connect and show support to their communities.
The message of this resistance was not just verbal. It was shown through caring for each other, showing up, and protecting one another. This reflects Carey’s ritual model where communication sustains social bonds rather than transmits commands. Simpson’s concept of sintering highlights this point even more. In Resource B, mutual aid is not distant but rather a relational commitment to each other. Volunteers stayed in contact with families in hiding, provided rides, delivered supplies, and helped children attend school. These were not just symbolic gestures but acts of responsibility that continued human connection even under immense threats. The idea of neighborism”also shows how care was not conditional on citizenship, background, or if they were even friends. Communication was built through trust and courage.
Carey’s ritual model emphasizes shared meaning whereas sintering emphasizes shared responsibility. Together, they show how communication can become a form of survival. It highlights holding communitiestogether when formal institutions attempt to hurt them. Resource B shows that communication is never neutral. The state used transmission logic to intimidate and control narratives. Minnesota’s ritual communication built real relationships that sustained life rather than preying on engagement. Therefore, the article suggests that community is not just a feeling. It is something created through practice. Communication becomes powerful when it builds trust and collective responsibility.
Works Cited
Carey, James W. (2009). A cultural approach to communication (pp. 13–23). In Communication as Culture (Revised ed.). Routledge.https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203928912-9
BBC News. (2026, February 5). Why Target is under fire over Minnesota ICE raids. BBC.
Simpson, Leanne Betasamosake. (2025). Theory of water: Nishnaabe maps to the times ahead. Haymarket Books.
This is a really interesting blog post that you've made and I especially like how you've used the conflict in Minnesota to contrast the types of communications being used. I think you really hit the nail on the head for the communal aspects in sintering as well. However, I wonder if you could apply the ritual communication to the ICE movement as well. It might help show reasoning why these agents feel willing to do inhuman acts. I think that that would help to capture the larger cultural conflict currently undergoing.
ReplyDeleteYour post clearly puts into perspective Carey's transmission model/ritual model, through the lens of the main ideas about the article. You mentioned how ICE was a tool of enforcement to dissent rebellion upon the masses and from the ritual model, local Minnesota communities came together through communal efforts to show their supports. I strongly agree with your last statement as communication is a tool that can not only reinforce power narratives, but can also bring about feeling of responsibility and belief in togetherness.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you showed that communication isn't neutral, especially in the way the article described ICE withholding names and using labels like "the worst of the worst" to shape perception. It made it clear how transmission logic can create fear, not just enforce policy. I also found it interesting how the article showed people organizing quietly which supports your point about ritual communication being about sustained presence rather than spectacle. The contrast between intimidating and everyday acts of care strengthened your post.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really strong post. I like how you clearly explain Carey’s transmission and ritual models and then connect them to what is happening in Minnesota. Your discussion of how the state uses communication to control narratives and create fear fits well with the transmission model, while the examples of mutual aid and community organizing show how ritual communication can build solidarity. I also think your use of Simpson’s concept of sintering adds an important layer by showing how relationships are maintained through ongoing acts of care and responsibility.
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