Talking Past Each Other: The Debate Over College‐Level Prison Education As Represented in New York Print Media, 2013–2020

Abstract

The debate over higher education in prison serves as a prime example of a contentious socio‐political issue that frequently divides public sentiment. Newspapers establish a public record of how such issues are debated and discussed. This study examines how the debate over higher education in prison is represented in the media, providing a thematic content analysis of 243 articles printed in six New York‐based newspapers from February 2013 to January 2020. Grounded in New York, a state on the forefront of higher education in prison policy, the time frame covers a full year prior to Governor Cuomo's failed 2014 attempt to develop a statewide higher education in prison initiative, to four full years after the success of his 2016 Right Priorities plan. The federal 2016 Second Chance Pell Program was also implemented during this time, allowing for analysis of both federal and state policy debates within the media. The study finds that news media outlets employ framing mechanisms that largely ignore or obscure salient civic arguments, instead favoring instrumental framings related almost exclusively to recidivism and taxpayer savings. These findings are discussed within broader contexts of how media coverage tends to oversimplify social policy issues of crime and justice.

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