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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finding 7 of 10

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In 2020, national newspaper articles that mentioned teachers depicted them engaged in teaching far more often than in previous years. This includes portrayals of teachers planning and delivering lessons, managing classrooms, and working individually with students, both online and in person.

Compared to previous years, national newspapers in 2020 also more often portrayed teachers dealing with student poverty and behavioral factors that affect learning and portrayed them dealing with administrative decisions that negatively impact students. Portrayals of teachers needing or negotiating for higher salaries continued to decline in national newspapers.

Compared to national newspapers, local newspapers’ portrayals of teachers were relatively unchanged in 2020 compared to pre-pandemic years, with modestly more local newspaper articles than in previous years showing teachers dealing with student poverty and behavioral factors that affect learning or dealing with administrative decisions that negatively impact students.

71

%
of National Newspaper Articles

64

%
of Local Newspaper Articles

about education mentioned COVID-19 in 2020

Tooltip

Percent of news articles about K-12 education in the U.S. in 2020 in which COVID-19 is specifically mentioned in two or more paragraphs.

24

%
of National Newspaper Articles

19

%
of Local Newspaper Articles

that mentioned teachers in 2020 portrayed them dealing with COVID-19

Tooltip

Percent of news articles about K-12 education in the U.S. in 2020 that mention teachers twice or more in 2020 that portray them dealing with or discussing health concerns or risks related to COVID-19, including safety protocols, trying to avoid infection, becoming infected, or expressing views about the pandemic.

How did portrayals of teachers change during the pandemic?

Tooltip

Changes in six portrayals of teachers in news articles about K-12 education in the U.S. that mention teachers twice or more, 2009 to 2020. Portrayals are not mutually exclusive.

Teachers and Journalists Respond

Hear how other teachers and journalists respond to these findings.

Youtube Video

In 2020, when the #COVID-19 pandemic began, national newspapers included far more portrayals of #teachers engaged in teaching, in the classroom or virtually, than in previous years, according to @publicagenda research.

In 2020, when the #COVID-19 pandemic began, national newspapers included far more portrayals of #teachers engaged in teaching, in the classroom or virtually, than in previous years, according to @publicagenda research. Click To Tweet Tweet This