Findings
  • Finding 1→
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    Teachers and parents believe that media coverage affects teachers.
  • Finding 2→
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    Newspapers rarely discussed teachers in depth or included teachers’ voices.
  • Finding 3→
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    Newspapers covered non-academic factors that affect learning more than any other topic.
  • Finding 4→
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    National newspapers started covering evaluation less and quoting teachers more around 2015.
  • Finding 5→
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    Both local and national newspapers most often portrayed teachers engaged in the work of teaching. National newspapers more often portrayed teachers being evaluated than local newspapers did.
  • Finding 6→
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    Depictions of teachers being evaluated in national newspapers began declining after 2015, while depictions of professional development and compensation began increasing.
  • Finding 7→
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    In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, depictions of teachers changed more in national newspapers than in local newspapers.
  • Finding 8→
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    From 2009 to 2020, newspapers rarely depicted teacher shortages, lack of classroom resources, or lack of diversity in the profession.
  • Finding 9→
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    Depictions of teachers involved in illegal activity were rare, but spiked modestly in certain years.
  • Finding 10→
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    Teachers believe it is important for the news media to cover student poverty, lack of classroom resources, and teacher shortages.
Summary of Findings→
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Implications Interviews Methodology
Findings
Summary of Findings→
Implications Interviews Methodology
teachers

Public Agenda asked K-12 public school teachers and education journalists to reflect on how the news media covers teachers and teaching.

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Why is it important to include teachers’ voices in coverage of education?

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How does media coverage affect teachers?

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How does the news media portray teachers?

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How has coverage of teachers changed during the pandemic?

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How would you like education journalism to develop in the coming years?

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Why can it be challenging for journalists to include teachers’ voices?

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Why did coverage of evaluation start to decline around 2015?

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Why doesn’t diversity in the teaching profession get covered more often?

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Why is it important for journalists to cover student poverty?