media & education

Topic 3: Media Perception of (Local) Education

EPA4192

Semester 2, 2008-09

Goal

1. To understand how mass media talks about the local education

2. To examine the possible impacts on the ways of reporting on various actors in the educational system

Mass media Printed media (e.g., newspapers, magazines) Electronic media (e.g., TV, radio) Internet (e.g., YouTube, Xanga, Facebook)

What we need to know

Develop an understanding of media1. What interests media

Issues, crises, problems…

2. What influences media Government, political parties, pressure/interest groups, business

sector…

3. What is their knowledge level about education Expertise/professional? Outsiders?

4. What are their sources of information Information: documents, press release, consultation papers, research

reports, seminars,… government officers, professionals, front liners, parents, students,…

5. What is the local/global/regional presence/affiliations/networking of media. E.g.,

PTU = Democratic Party = pan-democratic media (e.g., Apple Daily)

In order to manage perception

Media perception

Positive- students’ results (in the

public exams)- excellent performance of

stakeholders (in terms of learning capacity)

- Reforms (strive for excellence)

Negative- Misconducts (teachers

/students)- Poor performance/capacity (e.g.,

zero points of candidates in public exam, low level of “language teachers” in the Language Proficiency Assessment)

- Deforms (regressive)- Strives/demonstrations

(undermine the societal interests and social order)

5

Observation [1]Politics of scapegoat The introduction to, and the implementation of the

new policy, is mainly attributed to the erratic and/or dubious practices of stakeholders. E.g.,

Language Benchmarking Assessment (Language Proficiency Assessment) maintaining (questioning?) the language competence of teachers

School-based management school democratization? Strengthening accountability (but accountable to whom?)

6

Observation [2] The nature of the politics of scapegoat:

(1) cover up the covert intentions of the government (manipulative and hegemonic approach);

(2) influence the public opinion that sides with the official stance;

(3) aim at the powerless/excluded group (being attacked and discriminated)

(4) avert the threat to the educational bureaucracy in case of blunder

Teacher’s stress [1]






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Teacher’s stress [8] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suqRFlOOOeo [ 學生

粗口串 Miss 香港教育成功的例子 ( 字幕版 )] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiiI0P6bxBo [ 學生跟

老師鬥串 ] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXapuBiAq6c [ 課堂

唱粗口歌如開狂野派對中學生欺女教師網上熱播 ]

Reminders for Critical Reading

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1. Heading (Sub-heading): eye-catching and colorful remarks/wordings

2. Information Homogenous or divergent accurate and updated? Official or non-official Using figures or statistics, what purposes? Using table or point form to summarize/simplify the content, be

accurate or relevant?

3. View Sole or multiple/different Objective or subjective/exaggerated/biased Any sound evidence to support?

Reminders for Critical Reading

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4. Editorial Affirmation or negativity

5. Commentaries/forums Affirmation, negativity, or both

6. Illustrations (e.g., political cartoon)

7. If you were an ordinary reader, what do you feel about the reporting? Do you think such readers are being affected by the reporting?

Media perspective

1. Reflect or distort the public views?

2. The social / cultural reconstruction of reality

3. Serve as a mouthpiece of the public / the government?

4. Professional in reporting and commenting on the critical educational issues?

Knowledgeable Objective (avoid misinformation, disinformation and

misinterpretation) Truth