Angling the truth : how sponsored content and media framing impact the charter school movement

Abstract

This research explores the influence of information and understanding by parents of school-aged children as it relates to the charter school movement in the St. Louis area. By examining this topic using the framing theory, the researcher conducted focus groups where 24 participants were asked to read two articles- one written by a journalist, one written by a sponsored content provider. From there, users were asked a series of semi-structured questions related to the articles in order to access the potential influence these two articles had on their understanding of the charter school movement in the St. Louis area. By diving into this unexplored area of study, the researcher identified that even though participants were able to decipher between journalism and sponsored content, they felt as though both articles in the study didn't give a complete picture of the issue and sparked more questions than answers when it came to their understanding of the charter school movement in the St. Louis area. Ultimately, the researcher discovered the inundation of information and the frames used in the articles led to misunderstanding and confusion when it came to the charter school movement in the St. Louis area.