Public Communications in Education: Challenges and Strategies

Catalog description

If it’s not on social media, did it even happen? Does anyone other than grad students even read journal articles? Where do policymakers get their ideas? Our problem diagnosis begins with an assessment of the communicative gaps between education journalism, education research, education policymaking, and what happens in the classroom. We will explore the role of mass media in the public’s understanding of the field of education, and discuss strategies for bridging these gaps. Practically, students will learn to develop assets such as educational narratives, media outreach plans, policy memos, and social media campaigns for communicating on education issues, skills that are particularly useful for students interested in working in think tanks, local/state/federal education agencies, or education research centers.