Findings
  • Finding 1→
    finding-01-hero

    Finding 1

    Teachers and parents believe that media coverage affects teachers.
  • Finding 2→
    home-image-01

    Finding 2

    Newspapers rarely discussed teachers in depth or included teachers’ voices.
  • Finding 3→
    finding-03-hero

    Finding 3

    Newspapers covered non-academic factors that affect learning more than any other topic.
  • Finding 4→
    finding-04-hero

    Finding 4

    National newspapers started covering evaluation less and quoting teachers more around 2015.
  • Finding 5→
    finding-05-hero

    Finding 5

    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→
    finding-06-hero

    Finding 6

    Depictions of teachers being evaluated in national newspapers began declining after 2015, while depictions of professional development and compensation began increasing.
  • Finding 7→
    finding-07-hero

    Finding 7

    In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, depictions of teachers changed more in national newspapers than in local newspapers.
  • Finding 8→
    finding-08-hero

    Finding 8

    From 2009 to 2020, newspapers rarely depicted teacher shortages, lack of classroom resources, or lack of diversity in the profession.
  • Finding 9→
    finding-09-hero

    Finding 9

    Depictions of teachers involved in illegal activity were rare, but spiked modestly in certain years.
  • Finding 10→
    finding-10-hero

    Finding 10

    Teachers believe it is important for the news media to cover student poverty, lack of classroom resources, and teacher shortages.
Summary of Findings→
hero-line-chart

Summary of

FINDINGS

Explore the

FINDINGS

Implications Interviews Methodology
Findings
  • Finding 1→
  • Finding 2→
  • Finding 3→
  • Finding 4→
  • Finding 5→
  • Finding 6→
  • Finding 7→
  • Finding 8→
  • Finding 9→
  • Finding 10→
Summary of Findings→
Implications Interviews Methodology

EXPLORE THE FINDINGS

summary 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

finding 1 of 10

prev next
finding-01-hero

Finding 1

Teachers and parents believe that media coverage affects teachers.

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.

79% of #k12 #publicschool #teachers believe that media coverage impacts how much communities value teachers, according to a @publicagenda survey. Click To Tweet Tweet This
  • Findings
  • Implications
  • Interviews
  • Methodology

Public Agenda is a nonpartisan research and public engagement organization dedicated to strengthening democracy and expanding opportunity for all Americans. To learn more about this project please email editorial@publicagenda.org.

Public-Agenda-Logo-White

1 DOCK 72 WAY # 6101
Brooklyn, NY 11205-1242
(212) 686-6610

Join the Conversation
© 2025 Public Agenda. All rights reserved.
Site by 3rd Edge
Photo credits

Photo Credits
First two photos on home page and photos on Findings 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 by Allison Shelley for EDUimages. Third photo on home page and photos on Findings 5, 8, 10 by Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages. Photo on Finding 9 by iStock.com/Goxy89. All other credits appear near photos.