ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the media and public discussions about literacy and phonics. It focuses on newspapers and consider what they have to say about the teaching of reading and writing. It aims to provide an initial overview of the debates in the media. The chapter is divided into two parts: First, it comment on the tenor of the debates about literacy as represented in the media; Second, it takes a brief look at new social media, and it discusses phonics and the Phonics Screening Check on the parenting site Mumsnet. Literacy researchers have suggested that the literacy crisis was partly the result of policy makers and journalists joining forces to create a sense of failure that politicians could then draw on to suggest new policy interventions. Literacy is also a topic for TV news programmes. The chapter discusses a more systematic online search of news in the US, Australia, Scotland and England.
