The Educational Research and Expertise that Reaches

the Public via the News Media:

Who Produces it and How it Gets There

Holly Yettick

Need for the Study

• Dearth of previous research

• Rapid changes in the news media

• School choice, ballot initiatives increase, broaden the public’s need for high-quality information on education

Research Questions

1. What are the primary institutional characteristics of the organizations and individuals producing the research mentioned in news media coverage of K-12 education?

2. How do writers select research or experts mentioned in education news coverage of K-12 education?

What do you mean by “research?”

Evidence relevant to making decisions about education.

NOT purely anecdotal statements

What is an “expert?”

1. A researcher

2. A non-research-conducting observer commenting from the sidelines.

Methodology, WHO produces the research?

Random samples represent January through June 2010

CodesInstitutional affiliations of research(er)Topic of item“Item” type Outlet subtypesThree categories of outlets

Daily Newspapers

• America’s News (≈ 650 newspapers, 395 of which mentioned research/experts in ed coverage)• Despite search terms, skimmed

40,000-plus items• 1 “constructed week” = 6 months of

coverage

Online-Only Outlets

• 86 education-related online-only outlets monitored regularly by Alexander Russo, This Week in Education. • 2 constructed weeks ≈ 6 months• Outlets searched by hand, no search

terms

Education Week

• Seven randomly-selected weekly editions ≈ 6 months of coverage

• Edweek Blogs classified as online-only outlets

• Skimmed every item, no search terms

Percent of Education-Related Items that Mentioned Research and/or Experts: 1/1/10-6/30/10

Daily Newspa-

pers

Online-Only Outlets

Education Week

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

Analysis of Sampled Items

• Simple categorical comparisons using X2 test of statistical significance

• Multinomial and binomial logistic regression

Methodology: Interviews

• Purposively selected 33 people who wrote sampled items

• Conducted open-ended interviews (20 minutes to 2 hours apiece)

• Coded interview transcripts based on type of influence on “gatekeeping”

FINDINGS

WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY INSTITUTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS PRODUCING THE RESEARCH MENTIONED IN NEWS MEDIA COVERAGE OF K-12 EDUCATION?

RQ 1:

Government dominates

• Government experts and/or research mentioned in 1/2 of all coded items• Government is newspapers’ favorite

source• Confirms past research• Not unique to educational research

University Research

• University experts are more popular than university research

• Past research suggests science writers prefer peer reviewed studies

• Peer-reviewed research is virtually absent from the sample (3%), even from professors’ own blogs

Among Articles that Mention Research: Percent that Mention Research From Peer-

Reviewed Journals

Daily News-papers

Online-Only Outlets

Education Week

0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%

Field Citations

Economics 1

Education, Including Ed Psych

10

Medicine and Health

19

Psychology 4

Think Tank Research, Expertise

• Newspapers ignore it, consign it to op-eds

• Online-only outlets love it

• Almost all of it is associated with advocacy-oriented think tanks

• Right-leaning think tanks dominate think tank expertise

Other Organizational Influences

• “News media” research, expertise prominent for online-only outlets (top source research)

• Education Week loves its associations (6 X more likely than newspapers to mention association research)

• Education Week is most likely to run articles focused on research

RQ2:How do writers select research or experts mentioned in education news coverage of K-12 education?

Individual Influences: General

• Lack of education (Aligns with past research)

• Lack of desire for further formal training (Pride in being “self-taught,” learning on the job)

• Personal interests (mainly bloggers, columnists)

Individual Influences: Cognitive

• Gut instinct • Risk avoidance (Importance of

TRUST)• Information overload–Skipping research/expertise–Writing about studies you haven’t read–Relying on dial-a-quote experts

Level 2: News Norms

• The tyranny of LOCALISM

• Local research, experts

• Local news, national issues

A Journalist on Localism

I think where research comes in handy is when you are actually looking at issues. At papers this size, you are looking at politics, breaking news …That’s why you might not see as much of it [education research]… In bigger markets -- let’s talk about social promotion, let’s talk about literacy. They are looking at issues versus some of this crap … less meaningful content.

Other Influential News Norms

• Objectivity• Timeliness• Shortness/simplicity• Authority• Elitism• Individualism

Organizational Forces

• Specialist reporters answering to generalist editors/bosses creates role strain

• Editor disinterest in research and the social media/blogging ghetto

• The “competitor colleague” relationship

• Tunstall’s 1971 research still applies

Social Institutional

• Audience: as mirror • Sources: Prefer those who

frequent reporter stomping grounds, act as personal tutors• Government: Local is better

Social Institutional, Continued

• Academia: Respected but….What is peer reviewed research? What is AERA?

• Think tanks: Are viewed as non-objective; “dial-a-quote”

• Public relations: Can increase likelihood that a study will be covered

• Money-markets: More duties, less staff, more non-profit support for reporting

Real-World Recommendations• Foundations: – Fund “educational research reporter” positions

• Journalists: – Get journalism students in the habit of consulting

research– Hire/seek statistical consultants for on-the-fly

professional development• Academia: – Mention peer reviewed studies in professor blogs– Invest in public relations