Tax payers want to know that their tax dollars are used to the best advantage. However, the press and media reporting on every sensational event and issue, lose sight of the fact that the citizenry formulates opinions, beliefs and attitudes about education based on their limited television, press and media viewing. These attitudes and beliefs are critical in the formulation of the local educational initiatives. The perception of education today is negative, devalued and largely disrespected by the majority of the population.
There has been a long held belief that students in Vocational Technical schools are the slowest and lowest students in the district. Yet today, carpenters, plumbers and computer technicians earn more income that PhD’s. Also, the job skills of vocational students are more versatile and these students have a better chance of employment than doctoral graduates do. Whatever our perceptions of Vocational Technical students may be, the reality is that computer technicians are the fastest growing population of millionaires (Silicon Valley).
The media fails to understand the implications of its desire to sell sensational stories and enlarge circulation. The editorial staff acts as a filter, much like a coffee filter. When the information and beliefs of the editorial staff are clear and accurate, stories reflect the same. When the staff allows personal bias and perceptions in reporting, like muddying the water, the editorial filter shades the information. Translating this to the media, the opinions, assumptions and assertions of the reporter, especially the editorial staff which filters all information received become common, accepted fact to the readership. There is a basic naive trust in the transmission of information from the media to the individual. A trust that, for the most part, is undeserved.
MEDIA
Children learn from an early age through the media that rather than bonding to parents, clever campaigns fill the void with products- like the Pepsi generation. Mother is portrayed as a fool when, after a long week at work, she spends hours in the kitchen to prepare meals, color code them and order them for easy access, to have the family spend the weekend at the local fast food restaurant. A well-known crackers snack commercial has mom proselytizing the virtues of sharing as she eats the entire box of goodies from her young daughter. The Simpson’s are morons compared to their bright and intelligent children. These subliminal messages cut at the core of the American family values undermine parents and authority figures.
The media has an obligation to emulate careers that affect children’s lives. But it does not. A price tag of $3 million dollars for a little winning baseball sailing over a fence marking a significant homerun, a seven figure income for an individual who plays with a ball, a six figure income for a person who programs computers are more valuable in this society that ANY position relating to children (with the exception of medical professionals). Yet, if children place first then they must be considered our most valuable resource. In that case, those who are molding their minds should be the most highly trained and skilled AND the most highly paid. Yet, the media continues to portray the schools as places for gun shoot outs, sexual and physical violence and every other negative event that occurs. There is little or NO reporting of the good that occurs by students. What would the country value if instead of its sports pages (which for the most part are the only events valued to be reported by the media), debates, theatre productions, art and music shows, or a list of honor roll students is the highlight?
Focus is drawn by the very nature of calling attention to something. When purchasing a new car, a Toyota SUV for example, your attention is drawn to all of the other Toyota SUV’s on the road. You are amazed that you never noticed them. When the focus in this country is on all of the POSITIVE things that are happening in education today, discouraging the negative, more positive will come occur. ALSO, the subliminal message given to children is that the media promotes children who do not behave, follow social rules of order, achieve academic success, etc. Focused attention on the positive will breed more of the same.
A child from early stages of life learns that anyone can get into the evening edition of the news or on the front pages of the newspaper when a law is broken or anti-social behavior is performed in some extreme event like school. In a culture that has abandoned children and exchanged time-spent with them to time in front of the TV or computer, is it any wonder that our children keep trying to have ONE moment of glory? With a world full of children with low self-esteem, lacking in safety and security that is the logical end. The media send the message to children that Americans value not great education but sports heroes, grandstanding, bad behavior and the illness of the world. Rather than exploring our human frailties and weaknesses and making them immortal, let the media elevate our strengths and glorify our successes.
Authorities consider education as the number one priority in this country. The beliefs, attitudes and traditions of older cultures were passed from generation to generation with rights of passage. Non-existent in cultures of the past, the community looks to the media to design the current model. There are two distinct types of media: electronic (television, radio, computer) and printed (newspaper, magazine, flyers, billboards).
A closer view of a local newspaper reflects the priorities of that community. The agenda for the daily presentation is normally sex, violence and drugs, sensationalism covering the front pages. There is a section solely dedicated to sports. Another dedicated to business and classifieds. Where is the education section? Only in major cities, and for the most part only on Sunday, can an entire portion of space be dedicated to children and youth. The clear message to our children and community is- Sensationalism, antisocial behavior and sports are the important newsworthy events in our daily life. Good deeds and actions, excellence in intelligence presumably, does not sell newspapers.
In most local newspapers, reporters lack in depth knowledge of the educational issues being reported. For example, legislation on Title I, SOL’s or current educational terminology is merely submitted at face value without in depth research on the part of the reporter. There is not enough time allotted for in-depth understanding of topics. Consequently, the lack of knowledge on the part of the writer is reflected in the quality of the journalism. Leaving the reader, the public, missing important facts and details to make valuable and informed judgments and decisions about the quality of educational choices. Whatever the attitudes and beliefs of the reporter will be that of the article. Objectivity is devalued. If Jesus Christ himself walked down the street, the media would most likely report the event as a hippie dressed in sandals and robe, spouting blasphemy and crazed ideas came fumbling into town. To add to the sensationalism of the moment, photos of the crucifixion and death would be the highlighted event as it is in most churches.
Responsibility of the media is a critical element in changing the attitudes and beliefs of communities towards education. Highlighting positive, successful programs, events, functions, children, families will breed more of the same.