There’s one news outlet that has been very unsympathetic to the striking teachers and staff in Chicago, to say the least. Fox News has been blasting the Chicago Teachers Union since the strike began; host Greta Van Sustern proudly proclaimed that “CHILDREN LOSE!” on her blog as teachers began their actions.
But in its spree of teacher-bashing, there’s one very serious conflict of interest that Fox News has failed to disclose.
Let’s start in 2010. That’s when Fox News’s parent company, News Corporation, acquired the education technology company known called Wireless Generation by purchasing a 90 percent stake in the company. Soon afterwards, former New York City schools chief Joel Klein — who had a history of warring with unions — became head of the education division at News Corp.
News Corporation’s involvement in a hacking scandal eventually lost Wireless Generation its planned contract with the state of New York.
But in May of 2012, the education technology company found another willing buyer — the city of Chicago. The Board of Education of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) — the district Ai?? that CTU is striking against — approved the purchase of education technology services from Wireless Generation. Here’s a snapshot from the Board’s agenda meeting:
If you click on the two agreements listed, you’ll see that they’re for $1,700,000 each.
We contacted Wireless Generation to see if they have any other contracts with CPS, but we have yet to get a response.
Americans want to trust the media and hope that it can provide thoughtful and accurate information that is uncorrupted by secret conflicts of interest. Fox News is betraying that trust.
Why am I not surprised!
The collusion between Fox News and the educational company goes beyond just money and contracts. Considering the biased propaganda that Fox News spews out as “news,” its arm in the Chicago school system is likely to be “indoctrinating” children instead of teaching them — a charge some people have levelled at public schools.
This is just the sort of thing I expected from Rahm. He will privatise everything weather we want it or not. He is indeed the most republican democrat there ever was.Rubbing elbows with the Koch bros., is it that much of a stretch that FOX would be far behind? This really is a bad turn for the parents & children of Chicago. Being the most liberal city in the midwest,. I’m sure FOX is dying to indoctrinate the children. Terrible.