Race below the Fold: The Absence of Race in the News Media's Coverage of Student Loans
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| Title: | Race below the Fold: The Absence of Race in the News Media's Coverage of Student Loans |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Dominique J. Baker (ORCID |
| Source: | Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. 2026 48(2):462-488. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 27 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Information Analyses Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Student Loan Programs, Debt (Financial), Racial Factors, Race, Racism, African American Students, Mass Media Effects, Mass Media Role, Newspapers, Language Usage, Institutional Characteristics, Educational Policy, Trend Analysis |
| DOI: | 10.3102/01623737251324937 |
| ISSN: | 0162-3737 1935-1062 |
| Abstract: | The media discourse on student loans plays a significant role in the way that policy actors conceptualize challenges and potential solutions related to student debt. This study examines language that explicitly indicates race and racism in student loan articles published in eight major newspapers from 2006 to 2021. We found that 18% of articles use any of this language, though use has accelerated since 2018. This increase appears driven by terms that denote groups of people instead of structural problems, with 8% of articles mentioning "Black" in a racialized context but less than 1% mentioning "racism." These findings emphasize the importance of treating the media as a policy actor capable of shaping the salience of racialization in discussions about student loans. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1505802 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | The media discourse on student loans plays a significant role in the way that policy actors conceptualize challenges and potential solutions related to student debt. This study examines language that explicitly indicates race and racism in student loan articles published in eight major newspapers from 2006 to 2021. We found that 18% of articles use any of this language, though use has accelerated since 2018. This increase appears driven by terms that denote groups of people instead of structural problems, with 8% of articles mentioning "Black" in a racialized context but less than 1% mentioning "racism." These findings emphasize the importance of treating the media as a policy actor capable of shaping the salience of racialization in discussions about student loans. |
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| ISSN: | 0162-3737 1935-1062 |
| DOI: | 10.3102/01623737251324937 |
