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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 0000-0001-8570-9681), Lauren Mena Shook (ORCID 0000-0001-8830-1403), Jaime Ramirez-Mendoza (ORCID 0009-0008-1754-748X), Christopher T. Bennett (ORCID 0000-0002-8910-8098)
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
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  Data: Race below the Fold: The Absence of Race in the News Media's Coverage of Student Loans
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dominique+J%2E+Baker%22">Dominique J. Baker</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8570-9681">0000-0001-8570-9681</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lauren+Mena+Shook%22">Lauren Mena Shook</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8830-1403">0000-0001-8830-1403</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jaime+Ramirez-Mendoza%22">Jaime Ramirez-Mendoza</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1754-748X">0009-0008-1754-748X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Christopher+T%2E+Bennett%22">Christopher T. Bennett</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8910-8098">0000-0002-8910-8098</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Educational+Evaluation+and+Policy+Analysis%22"><i>Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis</i></searchLink>. 2026 48(2):462-488.
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  Data: 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
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Loan+Programs%22">Student Loan Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Debt+%28Financial%29%22">Debt (Financial)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Racial+Factors%22">Racial Factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Race%22">Race</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Racism%22">Racism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22African+American+Students%22">African American Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mass+Media+Effects%22">Mass Media Effects</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mass+Media+Role%22">Mass Media Role</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Newspapers%22">Newspapers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Usage%22">Language Usage</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Institutional+Characteristics%22">Institutional Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Trend+Analysis%22">Trend Analysis</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.3102/01623737251324937
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  Data: 0162-3737<br />1935-1062
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  Data: 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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      – SubjectFull: Racial Factors
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