Needed Improvements in Education News Coverage as Perceived by Media and Education Gatekeepers

Abstract

In a national survey, education writers (N=301) expressed their views on ways of improving the coverage of education news. They maintain that top priority needs are an increase in the number and salary of staff mem bers assigned to cover education in the mass media. They also suggest educational programs for education writers and school administrators, and expanded research. Survey data reveal that respondents perceive the news values of educators to be dramatically different from the news values of personnel who process education news. SYSTEMATIC studies are beginning to illumi nate the process of communication between school men, newsmen, and the community (1). Perspec tives on the role of the mass media in this process have been advanced by a survey of the state and problems of education reporting (7), a content analysis of sources and subject matter of educa tion news (10), and earlier reports in this jour nal (5, 12). Mass media content is the consequence of inter action of elements in social systems, principally the schools and the press. A number of individ uals and groups interact to formulate the news of education. Particularly lacking in research to date are investigations of the gatekeepers of education news?those processors of news who select from a large body of information a much smaller portion that is released to the public (2:220-221). Method A questionnaire was sent to 514 education writ ers, the entire membership of the Education Writ ers Association (EWA). A return of 59 percent (N=301) was obtained. The 8-page printed ques tionnaire consisting of sixty-eight questions was designed to elicit information on demographic characteristics of respondents; attitudes toward education writing, the media, and educational per sonnel and institutions; and suggestions for im provements in the field. The present report con centrates on those sections of the survey devoted to proposed improvements. Analyses of additional data are reported elsewhere (9, 11). Respondents included Media Gatekeepers, the active members of the EWA, and Education Gate keepers, the associate and affiliate members. Media Gatekeepers included education writers for news papers, press associations, magazines, and radio and television stations. The Education Gatekeep ers included personnel who process education news for universities, colleges, elementary and second ary schools, and regional and national education agencies.