Greg Wyman explains why telling our story in public education matters so much. He starts by reminding us that most of the media landscape is now owned by just five companies.
The focus of this week’s newsletter is to examine how this changing media landscape impacts the ability of traditional K–12 public schools to tell their stories. It is essential that educators, leaders, and advocates pay close attention to these shifts and develop intentional strategies to ensure that the positive, accurate story of traditional K-12 public education continues to reach communities.
Why is telling “your” story, and “our” story so important? The impact of this changing media landscape is already being felt here in Arizona. The Nexstar–Tegna merger directly affects outlets such as Channel 12 (KPNX) and The Arizona Republic, both owned by Tegna. Recently, reporter Craig Harris published an article detailing misuse of taxpayer dollars within the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, noting that approximately 20% of purchases raised concerns.⁴ (And if you are reading this outside of Arizona, it may be worth asking: who owns the major news outlets in your community?)
The response to that reporting was expected. The Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction publicly challenged the claims. Shortly thereafter, the Heritage Foundation published an op-ed in The Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos, defending the ESA program. and calling for a retraction of the original reporting. The Heritage Foundation stated, “KPNX owes the public a retraction. Their stories have spread misinformation that could jeopardize the ESA program’s future.”
These developments raise an important question: in an environment where ownership, political influence, and messaging are increasingly intertwined, will journalists and outlets feel pressure, subtle or otherwise, to shift their coverage? Will Channel 12 and Craig Harris be pressured to stop reporting on the problems associated with the ESA program? And if so, what does that mean for the public’s understanding of complex issues like education funding, accountability, and student outcomes?
The recent situations involving Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, the purchase of CBS by Paramount and the holding of major news stories all demonstrate the impact of control of stories for political agendas. The Paramount deal will mean the Ellison family would control CBS, CNN, Paramount+, TNT, TBS, HBO, Showtime, Warner Brothers, DC studios and other stations and studios. The pattern of behavior suggests that the support of school choice and the attack on traditional K-12 public education will only continue.
This brings us back to the central idea: when you tell “your” story, you are also telling “our” story. The word “our” lives within “your,” and that connection matters. While it is important to celebrate the successes of your individual school or district, it is equally important to connect those successes to the broader work of traditional K–12 public education. By doing so, you elevate not just your local narrative, but the profession as a whole.
This also means actively countering misinformation and disinformation. It means ensuring that when inaccurate narratives emerge, they are met with clarity, context, and truth. It means recognizing that silence is not neutral, it creates space for others to tell the story.