Contentious School Board Meetings: Implications for News Coverage and Board Turnover

You’re invited to join Erik Peterson, Assistant Professor in Political Science at Rice University, for an American Politics Speaker Series discussion sponsored by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and the Center for American Political Studies.

Registration is encouraged but not required. This event series will not be recorded.

This event is open to Harvard ID holders only. Lunch will be served.

Abstract

In recent years many school board meetings have been characterized by contentious interactions between the public and board members over public health measures, curricular material addressing race and gender, and more localized sources of conflict. How does the local media cover these meetings? What are their implications for the willingness of school board members to continue to serve in their roles? This project links a number of new data sources on local politics and local media to study these questions. We identify contentious meetings using a large collection of school board meetings on YouTube, evaluate whether and how they are covered by local newspapers and trace their consequences for turnover on local school boards.

About the Series

The American Politics Speaker Series (APSS) aims to bring together scholars who are doing research on these and other important questions. Hosted jointly with the Center for American Political Studies and chaired by Professors Benjamin Schneer and Justin de Benedictis-Kessner, each session will highlight a scholar whose research is at the forefront of the study of American politics.

Event Details

The Ash Center encourages individuals with disabilities to participate in its events. Should you wish to enquire about an accommodation, please contact our events team at info@ash.harvard.edu prior to the event.

Additional questions? Email the Ash Center events team at info@ash.harvard.edu.