New Study Finds
Ommissions in California Media Coverage of Proposition 227
Reporters didn't visit classrooms or evaluate the effectiveness
of bilingual education
For Immediate Release: April 14, 1998
Contact: Andrea Buffa (415) 546-6334 x309
SAN FRANCISCO -- A new study of media coverage of bilingual education conducted by Media Alliance and funded by the San Francisco Foundation documents that California's opinion-leading newspapers are failing to provide the California public with the information needed to understand Proposition 227. "The public relies on the media to explain ballot initiatives like 227. Journalists need to take that responsibility seriously and provide answers to tough questions about whether or not bilingual education or the proposed English-only method are effective," says Andrea Buffa, Executive Director of Media Alliance.
The study analyzed all the news and feature stories about bilingual education or Proposition 227 that were published in the Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, and San Francisco Chronicle between November 1, 1997 and January 31, 1998. Problems pinpointed by the study include:
- None of the stories was about successful or failed educational programs -- bilingual, "sheltered English immersion," or other. None of the stories included a visit to a classroom.
- Two thirds of the stories failed to include any definition of bilingual education.
- None of the stories examined or evaluated the effectiveness of bilingual education in teaching children English or other subjects.
- None of the stories examined the academic research on bilingual education.
- One third of the direct quotes were by campaign spokespeople. The groups of people who will be most affected by Proposition 227-- teachers, students, and the parents of students -- were under-represented among those people quoted. Only one quote in the entire sample was by a student.
- What is the effectiveness of the program to be eliminated (bilingual education)?
- What is the effectiveness of the replacement program (sheltered English immersion)?
- How can the programs be explained in terms that will allow them to be understood by the general public?
- How valid are the claims of both sides (pro-227 and anti-227)?
- Who are the people that will be most affected by the initiative if it passes? Their voices should be included as sources in news and feature stories.
- Who are the backers of the initiative and what is their track record on this issue?
- Where is the money funding the initiative campaign coming from?
Methodology of study
Media Alliance staff analyzed all the news and feature stories about Proposition 227 and/or bilingual education published in the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Sacramento Bee from November 1, 1997 thru January 31, 1998. The total number of stories analyzed was 33: 14 from the LA Times, 7 from the SF Chronicle, and 12 from the Sacramento Bee.Acknowledgements
Study team: Manisha Aryal, Andrea Buffa, Akilah Monifa, and Marcia Ochoa of Media Alliance; Hunter Cutting of We Interrupt This Message. This study was made possible by a grant from the San Francisco Foundation.Contact Information
Andrea Buffa, Media Alliance, 814 Mission Street, Suite 205 San Francisco, CA 94103 tel. (415) 546-6334 x309
Executive Summary
In an effort to ascertain how the media is covering bilingual education, in light of the upcoming vote on Proposition 227, Media Alliance conducted an analysis of California opinion-leading media outlets' coverage of the topic. Media Alliance staff analyzed all the news and feature stories about bilingual education or Proposition 227 that were published in the Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, and San Francisco Chronicle between November 1, 1997 and January 31, 1998. We found 33 news stories: 14 in the LA Times, 12 in the Sacramento Bee, and seven in the San Francisco Chronicle. In our analysis, we looked at story topics, sources quoted, and how well bilingual education and Proposition 227 were put into context and explained to readers who are new to the topic.Story Topics
Media Alliance found that most of the stories that could be categorized
were "horserace" stories about the initiative. Those stories covered signature
gathering for the initiative, qualification of the initiative for the ballot,
and endorsements and announcements of opposition to the initiative. Twelve
out of 33 stories fell under that category. None of the stories were
"program "stories, that is, stories about successful or failed educational
programs -- bilingual, "sheltered English immersion," or other. Not one
of the 33 stories included a visit to a classroom.
Context
Many of the stories ommitted important information that would have
put bilingual education and Proposition 227 into context for readers who
are new to the topic.
- Two thirds of the stories -- 22 stories -- failed to include any definition of bilingual education. The San Francisco Chronicle provided an exception in this regard. Five of the Chronicle's seven stories did define bilingual education.
- None of the stories examined or evaluated the effectiveness of bilingual education in teaching children English or other subjects.
- None of the stories examined the academic research on bilingual education.
- Only two of the stories in the sample, both of them in the Sacramento Bee, included any information on the history of the bilingual education. The rest of the stories failed to mention any of the events and court battles that led Ronald Reagan, then governor of California, to sign legislation bringing bilingual education in public schools.
- Less than one third of the stories -- 7 out of 33 -- analyzed the motives of Proposition 227's backers. In this category also, the Chronicle was an exception. More than half of the stories in the Chronicle included an analysis of Ron Unz and Gloria Matta Tuchman's motives. Even fewer stories -- 6 out of 33 -- included information on who¹s funding the initiative. And still fewer stories -- 2 out of 33 -- mentioned who's funding the campaign against Proposition 227.
The stories surveyed over-relied on quotes by official spokespeople from either side of the campaign. One third of the direct quotes (46 of 186 quotes) were by campaign spokespeople. The groups of people who will be most affected by Proposition 227 -- teachers, students, and the parents of students -- were under-represented among those people quoted. 20 of the 186 quotes were by teachers. Most of the teachers' quotes were in one story in the LA Times which was a profile of celebrity teacher Jaime Escalante. Five of the 186 quotes were by parents. Only one quote in the entire sample was by a student.
Recommendations When covering ballot initiatives such as Proposition 227, journalists should make sure their stories answer the following questions:
- What is the effectiveness of the program to be eliminated (bilingual education)?
- What is the effectiveness of the replacement program (sheltered English immersion)?
- How can the programs be explained in terms that will allow them to be understood by the general public?
- How valid are the claims of both sides (pro-227 and anti-227)?
- Who are the people that will be most affected by the initiative if it passes? Their voices should be included as sources in news and feature stories.
- Who are the backers of the initiative and what is their track record on this issue?
- Where is the money funding the initiative campaign coming from?
Study Results
Content
Number of stories by story topic
"Horse Race Stories" Stories about programs Other stories* All papers combined 12 0 19 LA Times 5 0 9 Sacramento Bee 5 0 7 SF Chronicle 2 0 5 *Other story topics: LA Times: profile of bilingual ed advocate; state legislative proposal; Orange Co. gets bilingual ed waiver; profile of Jaime Escalante; protest; Wilson silent on 227; LA school board hearing/ Checchi on 227; debate. Sacramento Bee: what other states will do re. bilingual ed; debate; Orange Co. vote on bilingual ed; state legislative proposal (2); profile of Unz. SF Chronicle: forum on race issues; analysis of campaign antecdotes; Orange Co. vote; protest.
Stories that included poll results
Number of stories Percentage All papers combined 12 36% LA Times 5 36% Sacramento Bee 5 42% SF Chronicle 2 29% Stories that included a visit to a bilingual education or other classroom
Number of stories Percentage All papers combined 0 0% LA Times 0 0% Sacramento Bee 0 0% SF Chronicle 0 0% Stories that were about successful or failed programs
Number of stories Percentage All papers combined 0 0% LA Times 0 0% Sacramento Bee 0 0% SF Chronicle 0 0% Context
Stories which included a definition of bilingual education
Number of stories Percentage All papers combined 11 33% LA Times 3 21% Sacramento Bee 3 25% SF Chronicle 5 71% Stories which examined the effectiveness of bilingual education in teaching children English or other subjects
Number of stories Percentage All papers combined 0 0% LA Times 0 0% Sacramento Bee 0 0% SF Chronicle 0 0% Stories which discussed outside factors affecting bilingual education (e.g. funding and staffing levels)
Number of stories Percentage All papers combined 6 18% LA Times 5 36% Sacramento Bee 1 8% SF Chronicle 0 0% Stories which examined the academic research on bilingual education
Number of stories Percentage All papers combined 0 0% LA Times 0 0% Sacramento Bee 0 0% SF Chronicle 0 0% Stories which included any information on the history of bilingual education
Number of stories Percentage All papers combined 2 6% LA Times 0 0% Sacramento Bee 2 17% SF Chronicle 0 0% Stories in which Proposition 227¹s backers' motives were analyzed
Number of stories Percentage All papers combined 7 21% LA Times 1 7% Sacramento Bee 2 17% SF Chronicle 4 57% Stories which included information on how Proposition 227 is being funded
Number of stories Percentage All papers combined 6 18% LA Times 3 21% Sacramento Bee 1 8% SF Chronicle 2 29% Stories which included information on how the No on 227 campaign is being funded
Number of stories Percentage All papers combined 2 6% LA Times 0 0% Sacramento Bee 1 8% SF Chronicle 1 14% Analysis
Analysis of 227 backers' claim of a 95% failure rate in bilingual education programs2 stories in the sample included Unz's claim of a 95% failure rate in bilingual eduction (both in the LA Times). One of the stories included a counter-quote and the other story researched and rebutted the claim.
Analysis of 227 backers' claim that studies of bilingual education are biased
4 stories in the sample included Unz's claim that studies of bilingual education have been biased. Three of the stories let the claim go unchallenged and the other story included a counter-quote. None of the stories analyzed the studies themselves.
Sources
Direct quotes by source type
Total of 186 direct quotesSummary:
46 direct quotes were by Unz and Prop 227 official spokespeople
19 direct quotes were by No on Prop 227 campaign official spokespeople
65 of 186 (1/3rd of) direct quotes were by official campaign spokespeople
23 direct quotes were by politicians and their spokespeople
17 direct quotes were by school administrators
5 direct quotes were by parents
20 direct quotes were by teachers
1 direct quote was by a student
12 direct quotes were by experts/academics
6 direct quotes by advocates in favor of Prop 227
19 direct quotes by advocates opposed to Prop 227
18 direct quotes were by other kinds of sources
Stories in the LA Times, Sacramento Bee, and SF Chronicle between 11/1/97 and 1/31/98 included 186 direct quotes. The table above shows who was represented among those people quoted.LA Times
10 direct quotes were by Unz and Prop 227 official spokespeople
3 direct quotes were by No on Prop 227 campaign official spokespeople
13 of 72 direct quotes were by official campaign spokespeople
12 direct quotes were by politicians and their spokespeople
11 direct quotes were by school administrators
2 direct quotes were by parents 16 direct quotes were by teachers**
1 direct quote was by a student
1 direct quotes were by experts/academics
3 direct quotes by advocates in favor of Prop 227
9 direct quotes by advocates opposed to Prop 227
4 direct quotes were by other kinds of sources
**The LA Times number of quotes by teachers was much higher than the other papers, primarily due to one story in which celebrity teacher Jaime Escalante was interviewed and quoted 11 times.Sacramento Bee
29 direct quotes were by Unz and Prop 227 official spokespeople
13 direct quotes were by No on Prop 227 campaign official spokespeople
42 of 85 (1/2 of) direct quotes were by official campaign spokespeople
9 direct quotes were by politicians and their spokespeople
5 direct quotes were by school administrators
2 direct quotes were by parents
2 direct quotes were by teachers
0 direct quote was by a student
8 direct quotes were by experts/academics
3 direct quotes by advocates in favor of Prop 227
4 direct quotes by advocates opposed to Prop 227
10 direct quotes were by other kinds of sourcesSF Chronicle
7 direct quotes were by Unz and Prop 227 official spokespeople
3 direct quotes were by No on Prop 227 campaign official spokespeople
10 of 29 (1/3rd of) direct quotes were by official campaign spokespeople
2 direct quotes were by politicians and their spokespeople
1 direct quotes were by school administrators
1 direct quotes were by parents
2 direct quotes were by teachers
0 direct quote was by a student
3 direct quotes were by experts/academics
0 direct quotes by advocates in favor of Prop 227
6 direct quotes by advocates opposed to Prop 227
4 direct quotes were by other kinds of sources
