Want More Info? Check out my bibliography

Look for the Annotated Bibliography: Media link on the right rail . . . or click here to go to this page. Check back to see what new sources I have found and reviewed.

Watch for other annotated bibliography pages, too. The Resources link will combine the citations for them all.

At least, that's the plan.

:-)

The In's and Out's of this Study of Second-tier News Media and Education Policy: Part One

From Microsoft Gallery

What's In and what's Out in this exploration of second-tier news media and their role in disseminating information about education policy?


Before answering that question, let's look briefly at the tangled web of news media ownership.  Many people and organizations, such as Free Press, are concerned the vast majority of our news media outlets ultimately are owned by six mega-corporations, listed in order of 2009 reported revenues: General Electric, which founded NBC TV and still owns a large share of the company; Walt Disney Company, which owns ESPN and ABC TV; News Corporation, which owns FOX Broadcasting Company and the Wall Street Journal; Time Warner, which owns CNN and Time magazine; Viacom, which owns MTV and Nickelodeon (don't discount either as news sources); and CBS Corporation, which owns CBS TV. Many of the major book publishers are owned by these corporations, as well.

Even smaller weekly papers and local radio and television stations may be owned by conglomerates. And just because an outlet lists Company UVW as owner, that doesn't mean that Company UVW isn't itself owned by Conglomerate XYZ.  Broadcast news outlet CNN, for instance, is owned by Turner Broadcasting System, which is a Time Warner company.

The main concern is the obvious conflict of interest involved when a non-news media parent corporation owns a news media outlet and other non-news media businesses.

Dr. William A. Hatchen noted in his 2005 book, The Troubles of Journalism, "Communications companies in recent years have ingested many news organizations, yet these same companies are involved in lobbying government and seeking government favors. In a recent election campaign, the communications industry was the sixth largest contributor to candidates, giving almost $10 million to political action committees" (62-63).

One not-so-subtle manifestation of this tangled web can be seen at the end of many local newscasts, when local anchors report on the latest Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, or Survivor developments. A generation or two ago, this would have been anathema in the world of news journalism. Today, these infomercials for the entertainment industry blend so smoothly into the evening news that most people don't think twice about their presence.

What about news outlets such as BBC, PBS and NPR? There is potential for conflict there, too. After all, when the BBC operates under the terms of a Royal Charter and when NPR and PBS receive even a small portion of their funding from the government, it could be argued there is an implicit political threat to the continued existence and/or impartiality of these outlets.

With that cautionary caveat, stay tuned for Part Two to learn what's In and what's Out for this particular exploration of second-tier media and education policy.

Second-Tier News Media and Education Policy Discussions

Say 'news media' and most people think of the biggies: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, etc. People living in the Tampa Bay area of Florida might think of the St. Petersburg Times, the Tampa Tribune, and various local television stations.

But those news media organizations are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Floating just under the surface of instant name-recognition status are a larger mass of smaller news outlets. Some of them are owned by the same companies that own the biggies. Tampa Bay Newspapers, for instance, which publishes several weekly newspapers covering mid-Pinellas County, is owned by Times Publishing Co. Others, like Creative Loafing, cater to other types of audiences.

Still others are not official news outlets at all, but they still serve to disseminate information and to provide a forum for discussion. Often, these types of sources, such as Saint Petersblog, are online blogs.

Then there is a third type of news source that studies news in general, such as Poynter.org, or that comments on news coverage about a particular topic. The Media Bullpen, operated by The Center for Education Reform, critiques education coverage by media around the nation. Poynter.org, by the way, is produced by the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, which owns Times Publishing Co., which owns the St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Bay Newspapers and a few other publications.

And who funds and runs The Center for Education Reform?

Good question.

That and other questions about the role second-tier news media outlets play in discussions about education policy will be the topic of the next few postings -- with maybe a random post or two thrown in for good measure.

Stay tuned.