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

EXPLORE THE FINDINGS

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Public Agenda’s nationally representative survey finds that most teachers and parents believe that media coverage has a substantial impact on how much communities value teachers, on government policies that affect teachers, on how teachers feel about their jobs, and on how many people pursue teaching careers.

79

%
OF TEACHERS

71

%
OF PARENTS

believe the news media substantially impacts how much communities value K-12 public school teachers

Tooltip

Percent of K-12 public school teachers and percent of parents of K-12 students who say how much of an impact the news media has on how much communities value K-12 public school teachers. Base: Teachers, N=702; Parents, N=706.

77

%
OF TEACHERS

69

%
OF PARENTS

believe the news media substantially impacts government policies affecting K-12 public school teachers

Tooltip

Percent of K-12 public school teachers and percent of parents of K-12 students who say how much of an impact the news media has on government policies that affect K-12 public school teachers. Base: Teachers, N=702; Parents, N=706.

65

%
OF TEACHERS

61

%
OF PARENTS

believe the news media substantially impacts how K-12 public school teachers feel about their jobs

Tooltip

Percent of K-12 public school teachers and percent of parents of K-12 students who say how much of an impact the news media has on how K-12 public school teachers feel about their jobs. Base: Teachers, N=702; Parents, N=706.

64

%
OF TEACHERS

54

%
OF PARENTS

believe the news media substantially impacts how many people pursue teaching careers

Tooltip

Percent of K-12 public school teachers and percent of parents of K-12 students who say how much of an impact the news media has on how many people decide to pursue careers as K-12 public school teachers. Base: Teachers, N=702; Parents, N=706

Teachers and Journalists Respond

Hear how other teachers and journalists respond to these findings.

Youtube Video

79% of #k12 #publicschool #teachers believe that media coverage impacts how much communities value teachers, according to a @publicagenda survey.

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