Curious to track the progress of this foundation-led initiative, I have charted the career paths of 72 US education journalists. To be sure, it is not a scientific sample. The complex employment structure of US journalism does not lend itself to such.
Nonetheless, I have tried to represent a full range of media outlets across the political spectrum. My selection leaned toward print (including online) media, K–12 education coverage, and journalists who write on education research or policy for a national audience. Some media outlets (e.g., Newsweek) do not clearly designate anyone in this way. It would appear that “right-leaning” outlets are more likely to employ an education specialist, whereas “left-leaning” outlets seem more likely to borrow from education-only publications as needed, or to rely on non-journalist stringers (e.g., The Progressive).
You may find the product of my research here.
One overarching trend dominates the results: a migration en masse from traditional independent news outlets to education-only publications heavily subsidized by the Gates and allied foundations (hereafter called “Gates+”). Only two of the younger journalists began their careers at an organization sponsored by Gates+. By the end of their careers, however, 57 of the 72 were so employed.
Just within the past twenty years, Gates+ money has incubated several new education-only media outlets, such as Chalkbeat, EdReports, EdSurge, Education Next, Ed Post, FutureEd, and The 74. Gates+ money has also substantially boosted the efforts of preexisting education-only media organizations, such asEdSource, Education Week, the Education Writers Association, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, and the Hechinger Report. All told, this accounts for almost all large-audience, US, K–12-education-only print media outlets, other than those tied to the traditional public education establishment.