How media shapes literacy debates: ‘reading crisis’ narratives examined
Author: Dr Damon Thomas, University of Queensland
New research published in the Education Policy Analysis Archives journal used critical discourse analysis and SFL to examine narratives of a “reading crisis” in Victoria by analysing three newspaper editorials and public responses.
The study found that in editorials like these, media outlets construct a sense of urgent failure with the use of emotionally charged language and selective data to critique government policy.
The research revealed that the editorials framed synthetic phonics as the only scientific solution while portraying balanced literacy as an inadequate approach. However, the authors also noted that Victorian NAPLAN results actually showed strong performance, challenging the media’s negative portrayal of existing teaching methods.
The paper highlights how media outlets can privilege quantitative measures like randomised controlled trials while sidelining qualitative insights and the practical expertise of teachers. This creates a simplified binary that may not reflect the complex reality of effective classroom instruction.
For educators, these findings emphasise the importance of maintaining professional judgment in the face of literacy crisis narratives often presented in the media. The research suggests that a more inclusive dialogue involving diverse forms of evidence, including classroom-based research, could help reduce the polarisation of ongoing debates about the best ways of teaching reading and writing.
Read the full study: Discursive Constructions of a "Literacy Crisis" in Australian Newspaper Editorials by Hyejeong Ahn, Helen Cozmescu, and Marc Yi Fei Yeo. Access the paper here.
About the author
Dr Damon Thomas is a Senior Lecturer in Literacy Education in the School of Education at the University of Queensland. His research interests include the development, teaching, and assessment of writing, argumentation, and dialogic pedagogies. Before starting his academic career, Damon was a primary school teacher in Launceston, Tasmania.