The Politics of Public Education

The Role of the Media

Federation Sue Simpson introduced three prominent members of the Sydney media who spoke about how teachers can use the media and the role of the media in the recent salaries campaign.

Federation Sue Simpson introduced Gerard Noonan of the Sydney Morning Herald, Maralyn Parker of the Daily Telegraph and Gareth McCray of radion station 2KY. The journalists addressed the conference and answered questions from delegates.

Gerard Noonan is a journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald and a member of the Press Council.

Mr. Noonan described the importance of education to newspapers. It is a subject directly affecting many thousands of students, parents, teachers and other education workers.

Maralyn Parker is a former principal and writes for the Daily Telegraph. Ms. Parker described the Daily Telegraph as the paper with the greatest political clout. In addition to writing a column for the Daily Telegraph, Maralyn Parker also works on the Internet activities of the paper. She has written her column for seven years.

Ms. Parker describes a process she calls ?death by press release.? The media receives up to seven press releases from Dr. Kemp?s office in one day, some of them up to twelve pages long.

Ms. Parker said, ?Education has never been so underfunded.? She urged the Federation to make this the major education story. She told of letters she receives describing appalling conditions in schools due to underfunding.

Gareth McCray is a broadcast journalist for 2KY who has worked as a teacher and lecturer. ?The media doesn?t necessarily go out of its way to abuse, it does it by default.? Mr. McCray spoke strongly about the importance of public education.

Mr. McCray said, everyone hears radio even if it is in the supermarket. ?It is the most personal of all media, it is also the most immediate of all media.?

If you are going to use the media and not be abused by the media you must understand it. Individual radio stations focus on particular groups of people. Teachers should not waste their time chasing the wrong station. Teachers were urged to learn the newsroom number of 2KY as its news goes out to 145 stations across New South Wales.

Mr. McCray advised that radio stations like news in bits, 75 words or 30 seconds. Press releases should never be longer than one page. Teachers should organise themselves to ring in to radio stations. Set the agenda for the radio station by having an avalanche of calls. When speaking on the radio, speak to only one person.

Probing questions were asked by Conference delegates on a range of issues including media bias, editorial policy and the attack on teachers by the Daily Telegraph. In response to a question as to how teachers should have responded to attacks by the Daily Telegraph, Mr. McCray urged teachers to use the telephone and ring talk back radio programs.

Sue Simpson thanked the journalists for their contribution and praised them for ?charming? a difficult audience. Sue went on to launch the Federation?s Public Education fund. The fund will raise almost one million dollars per year which will be used to promote public education.

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