The Power of the Press: A Content and Discourse Analysis of the United States History Standards as Presented in Selected Newspapers

This study uses ethnographic content and critical discourse analytic methodologies to examine how the voluntary national U.S. history standards contained in National Standards for United States History: Exploring the American Experience were presented in selected U.S. newspapers. Our analysis indicates that most newspapers presented a fragmented picture of the history standards, that criticism of the standards was highlighted, and that the nature and scope of the standards were inflated. Additionally, we found that newspaper articles tended to frame the controversy surrounding the history standards as a political, rather than educational debate. The article concludes with a description of the significance of this study for social studies teachers and suggestions for future research.