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Endangered Values: Framing Education’s Moral Crisis in the Media
In the midst of growing patriotic fervour following the horrific events of September 11, the London bombings and the recent Cronulla riots, values in education was either identified as the source or solution to the problem. Alongside politicians and spokespersons calling for stronger Australian values in schools, the media framed a profound conflict between the special values of the ‘other’ versus the broad interests of all Australians.
The media colonized the space of fear and horror over Islamic education or the alleged problem of value-neutral schools. Globally, media reactions post-9/11 blamed the Islamic ‘madrasa’ system for propagating terrorism. This was furthered domestically by uncertainties over the curriculum and values of Australian Islamic schools. Similarly, the aftermath of the Cronulla riots has further reinforced the need for Australian patriotism in schools to curb racial tensions.
Despite the seemingly comprehensive debate over values in education, as outlined in the “Values Education in Australian Schools Framework,” reporters continually reject the macro issues, but force lines of connection between ‘values education’ and specific ‘media events’ (such as the 9/11 attacks, the Cronulla riots, or the court trial over Intelligent Design in the classroom). According to some scholars, the series of media reports on crises have left a distinct imprint on contemporary values. If so, then it is questionable if such has extended to the reporting of values in education and more importantly, whether the media has acted within the public interest.
This paper questions whether the media has framed ‘values education’ into a morality play of mythic dimension and whether such is sparked by certain ‘media events’. Accordingly, this essay touches on the theoretical underpinnings of the media and reporting education, themes of conflict, patriotism and multiculturalism, and coverage and treatment of the following issues:
(1) Terrorism and Australian values in schools (i.e. aftermath of London bombings)
(2) Islamic education
(3) Aftermath of the Cronulla riots and compulsory patriotism in schools
The main purpose of this essay is to highlight the media construction of identity (i.e. Australian values) through moral panics and gain an overall picture of framing values and education in the media. For that reason, recent debates over Intelligent Design and Voluntary Student Unionism will be also taken into consideration.
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WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY (ANNOTATED)
Apple, M. W. 2004, Ideology and Curriculum, Routledge Falmer, New York
A fresh socio-political perspective on education following the events of 9/11. Apple critically analyses the US education landscape of today with particular reference to democracy, patriotism and the politics of labelling. By stressing the ideological power of educational institutions, Apple argues that conservative reforms in recent years has increased social control of schools and furthered the indoctrination of children. The theoretical keystones of this book will assist in painting an overall picture of education reform in recent years and allow for connections to be drawn with the media.
Burns, L.S. 2002, Understanding Journalism, SAGE Publications, London
The comprehensive and clear-cut work of Burns lays down the process and environment in which news is produced. It explores concepts such as objectivity, the public interest and ethics by stressing the strategic role of the journalist in ‘constructing’ news. Burns provides a step-by-step model for ‘journalism as decision making,’ which critically appraises the tasks and priorities involved in news making.
Cottle, S. “Rethinking News Access”, Journalism Studies, Vol 1 No3, pp. 427-448
A sociological take on news access and production, encompassing cultural processes of myth, narrative and ritual. Cottle stresses on the politics of representation by discussing who gets in the news and accordingly, which voices are marginalised. By uncovering the patterns of everyday news, the comprehensive and compact work of Cottle lays the foundations for further research into the cultural/ sociological paradigms of representation.
Critcher, C. 2003, Moral Panics and the Media, Open University Press, Buckingham
The work of Critcher stresses the agenda-setting function of the media and its corresponding ability to manufacture moral panics. Its concise practical and empirical case studies transcend a range of social issues, based on key theoretical models that may be of use to explore the key dimensions of this essay. Critcher’s book particularly demonstrates the similarities and differences between social issues using his three-dimensional moral panic model.
Giroux, H. A. 2003, The Abandoned Generation: Democracy Beyond the Culture of Fear, Palgrave Macmillan, New York
Compared to Michael Apple’s renowned work Ideology and Curriculum, Giroux documents recent education reforms in more practical and broader terms, also incorporating critiques of various media reports. He suggests that the manufacturing of fear following the 9/11 attacks, increased national security, and the accelerated media practice of racial profiling has generated patriotic concern over children and schools.
Hill, B. V. 1991, Values Education in Australian Schools, Australian Council for Educational Research, Victoria
Despite having written his work in a pre-9/11 era, Hill takes an in-depth look at ‘values education’ in an Australian context, embracing topics of morals, religion, and multiculturalism. Hill’s work is considerable in understanding the underlying issues of values education and its history.
Norris, P., Kern, M. and Just, M. 2003, Framing Terrorism: The News Media, the Government and the Public, Routledge, New York
A range of scholars contribute to this book which explores the immediate and long-term media reactions to 9/11. The works explore the relationship between of terrorism and the media in three dimensions – the construction of terrorism frames, the comparison of terrorism frames between ‘us’ and the ‘other’ and more importantly, the shaping of public opinion and response. Through the works of the contributing authors, it can be argued that media framing of terrorism transcends different contexts, including education. National worldviews (e.g. Australian values), as shaped by the media, are key to the interpretation of such contexts.
Starck, N. 1994, “The case for Intellectual Journalism”, Australian Journalism Review, Vol 16 No 2, pp. 11-24
Starck discusses the power of culture and its troubling implications on the journalistic practice. He argues that there is a natural vulnerability to prejudice, stereotypes, intolerance, bias and ethnocentrism as a result of culture and values, implying that journalists ought to acknowledge such and go beyond the normative process of simply gathering and reporting the news. Sensitivity to the ideological implications on journalistic values and practices is particularly necessary when reporting on cross-cultural issues or the ‘Other’.
