Reading Proficiency Scores from National Center for Education - Read them and weep.
From CNBC an article titled “Newspaper bane: Nobody reads the stories”, speaks to the problems facing newspapers today – lack of readership in the most realistic terms. The article cites the Gallup Poll’s confidence in institutions polls, where only 1 in 4 American’s trust newspapers(CNBC) However, one might also point out that few trust broadcast news, which is actually now tied with lack of trust (Gallup).
What the article does speak to, rather than the fact that No one is reading a newspaper, is the fact that few are reading CNBC’s web articles – past the 3rd paragraph – and mention the process of skimming, rather than reading. Perhaps what might be the problem is the lack of reading skills nationwide due to the amazing public schools system – the majority of students in grades 4 to 8 are at below proficient or basic reading skills, with few at advanced according to the National Center for Education Statistics. When one understands that 79% of the 8th graders in Chicago Public School Systems cannot read, (CNS News), the writing is one the wall, so to speak, as to why newspapers, or any printed material, online or otherwise, is getting a pass by most American’s.
As Broadcast and Prints speak to the development of the “low information voter” – it may behoove them to investigate why the public schools systems are so staggeringly lacking in the ability to teach students the basics of reading. Perhaps it is not the internet so much, but the fact that individuals cannot read proficiently. If one is looking to parents to read to their children, perhaps one might want to consider that the young parents are also lacking reading proficiency. The downturn in American Education and student performance began in the 1970’s – the first scores that were found to be underperforming and the decline of American’s education dominance globally.
Also consider, audio books, cliff notes, and all that jazz.
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