Thanks Houlahound,
Introduction:
Yes, you will find that physicists often use different "models" to think about the Universe.
Quantum Mechanics talks about "Wave-Particle Duality". Matter, (electron included) may behave like a particle or a wave.
The photon IS a "thing". It has the following quantities: Momentum, Energy, Spin, Polarisation... but it is a "thing" born from the acceleration of charged particles and it must travel at the speed of light... so it appears to behave like a messenger or a consequence (It rarely stands around with nothing to do!).
It MUST carry the message (Momentum, Energy, Spin, Polarisation) from the charged sender particle to the charged receiver particle but it does not have the "pen" (charge) to write a message of its own.
Description:
If you are talking about accelerating electrons, at a right-angle to the "flight path of the radiation beam, photon or wave" then the electric field vector and light's wavelike nature is what may be more important to you. This is what happens in antennas. The electrons "ride the electrical component of the electromagnetic wave" and stay in the antenna. Typically; radio-waves to infrared wavelength radiation are implied here.
Imagine a space with three axes within it: horizontal (x), vertical (y), and depth (z). Let's assume that a first electron floats in space and we move a second electron in the z-direction. We have accelerated the second electron and it will radiate electromagnetic waves in an ALMOST spherical volume. In fact, the volume will resemble an apple or doughnut with radiation weakest in the z-axis but strongest in the x-y plane or equator...
{Experiment:
Imagine pinching the z-axis or north and south poles of a sponge-ball; see the shape you'll make?}
...Description Continued:
The first electron (previously at rest) will also accelerate in the z-axis direction! This is because the electric field component of the radiation from the second electron is z-axis "polarised".
Note that this is the due to the wave produced by the acceleration of a SINGLE electron (moving in a single direction). Most light sources are made up of numerous charged particles traveling in several random directions.
Each photon (particle or "wavelet" or ripple) has an electric field component pointing in one particular direction (and moving at right angles to that direction!). However, an electromagnetic wave consists of SEVERAL photons, wavelets or ripples! So on average, the photons will have different electric field directions from one another and the wave (as a whole: A collection of photons and wavelets or ripples) will look like it has no NET or overall electric field direction. Its like throwing a hand-full of dice on the table and expecting them all to have "six" facing upwards. This is unlikely as the die are "unbiased" - just like the light is "unpolarised"
When one looks through polarising film (sunshades) one notices that the light has been dimmed. This is because only oncoming light "vibrating in one direction" (electric field vibrating or oscillating in one direction) can pass through the sunshades. The other part of the light is blocked and that's how the shades keep the glare off ones eyes.
***Abstract & Further reading (Not immediately relevant, but just in case you wonder)
If you are talking about knocking electrons OUT OF the antenna (ionising radiation), then the electrons may be scattered away from the antenna by visible light to gamma-ray wavelength radiation. The photoelectric effect and Compton scattering highlight photon energy and momentum transfer processes respectively (See first paragraph)****
Don't hesitate to ask again if this doesn't suit!
Best Regards
Dr QUAW