The reign of the commonplace in education

The mass media contribution to education politics is explored through the application of a pluralistic theoretical framework to evidence connected with the making of an episode of a U.K. current affairs television program. The episode addressed a politically contentious educational issue but proved controversial in itself. Several sources complained that the program team had failed to operate with “due accuracy and impartiality” required in law and subsequently confronted them in a televised audience feedback program. The pluralistic theoretical framework is used to highlight contrasting interactions between the television program team and different sources in creating the episode that was transmitted. Frequent sources tended to be “media-wise” and so better able to realize their interest in positive portrayal than those occasional sources who were more “media-naive.” It is suggested that this case has wider implications for understanding the superficiality of much media output dealing with the politics of education.