Is the Framing of an Issue Critical to Agenda-Setting? The Role of Newspapers on School Vouchers in Detroit.

In an ideal democratic society, public education should be the means to provide everyone with opportunities to receive a quality education that prepares them to be productive, competent adults. For the last decade, issues of equality and quality have become more questionable, particularly in large urban areas. During the 2000 election, a state-wide ballot issue to support school vouchers in failing school districts became the focus of media attention. The intent of school vouchers was to provide equal access to private and parochial schools, especially for families who could not afford this privilege. This controversial issue divided the public based on their view of public education and the role of the state in supporting private and religious schools. The purpose of this study was to explore how journalists working for the two largest newspapers in the Detroit Metropolitan Area framed and interpreted the school voucher issue during the national presidential election year 2000 to determine how their roles affected this issue. Specifically, this study seeks to answer the question of whether journalists and newspaper editors act as objective observers or political activists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]