Teacher Highlights Washington Post Conflict of Interest in Education Arena
A teacher who uses the name "chemtchr" has forwarded to me a column she had submitted in October of 2010 to Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews, who indicated he would publish it on his blog.
But it never ran. Six months later he wrote her saying "This has become not my story but a business story." He apparently sent it along to a reporter in the business section, and that was the last that was heard on the subject. The Washington Post Corporation has never made a disclosure of the extent of its financial involvement with corporate education reform. Although the corporate ties to Kaplan are well known to reform business interests, they are not considered relevant to coverage of education politics.
The Education Writers Association convenes at Stanford this week, with record attendance by journalists excited by the theme of "Creativity Counts: Innovation in Education and the Media." I hope there will be serious consideration given to the ethical dimensions of journalism, and the serious conflicts of interest when "innovations" intersect with our duty to report the news without favoring moneyed interests.
Here is the story as submitted more than two years ago. The broken links have been replaced with contemporary versions, and the Kaplan Virtual Education webpage is a screenshot. Given what we now know about the very weak coverage the Washington Post has given to the apparently rampant cheating that was unfolding under DC chancellor of schools Michelle Rhee at the time, one has to wonder if the financial interests of the Post had an impact on their coverage and editorial stance.
By chemtchr.
I am taking this opportunity to share my concern about the Washington Post Corporation's lack of disclosure of its heavy financial interest in elementary and secondary public schools, through its wholly-owned for-profit
But it never ran. Six months later he wrote her saying "This has become not my story but a business story." He apparently sent it along to a reporter in the business section, and that was the last that was heard on the subject. The Washington Post Corporation has never made a disclosure of the extent of its financial involvement with corporate education reform. Although the corporate ties to Kaplan are well known to reform business interests, they are not considered relevant to coverage of education politics.
The Education Writers Association convenes at Stanford this week, with record attendance by journalists excited by the theme of "Creativity Counts: Innovation in Education and the Media." I hope there will be serious consideration given to the ethical dimensions of journalism, and the serious conflicts of interest when "innovations" intersect with our duty to report the news without favoring moneyed interests.
Here is the story as submitted more than two years ago. The broken links have been replaced with contemporary versions, and the Kaplan Virtual Education webpage is a screenshot. Given what we now know about the very weak coverage the Washington Post has given to the apparently rampant cheating that was unfolding under DC chancellor of schools Michelle Rhee at the time, one has to wonder if the financial interests of the Post had an impact on their coverage and editorial stance.
The Washington Post Corporation's For-Profit Involvement in the DC Public Schools
By chemtchr.
I am taking this opportunity to share my concern about the Washington Post Corporation's lack of disclosure of its heavy financial interest in elementary and secondary public schools, through its wholly-owned for-profit
