The Perception of Postsecondary Education’s Value in the United States: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract In this critical discourse analysis, we examine how conservative media framed the value of a college education in the United States. Drawing on a sample of 70 articles from right-leaning news websites, we analyzed conservative media’s discourse surrounding higher education in the U.S. and how harmful ideologies shaped the text itself. Our analysis addresses modern ways conservative media may attempt to influence beliefs by weaponizing the media with the intent of impacting policymaking. Guided by the theory of moral panics, we discuss how right-wing actors weaponize media discourse to position higher education as a modern-day folk devil. Our primary findings highlight how the right-wing media frames higher education institutions as poorly governed entities with ballooning budgets, places where dangerous leftist political ideology is reproduced, and as promoting costly degrees offering little to no value to the individual, while providing few recommendations for addressing these perceived issues. We provide implications and recommendations for understanding and counteracting the tools and tactics used to delegitimize higher education by right-wing media.