The Narrative Construction of Generative AI Efficacy by the Media: A Case Study of the Role of ChatGPT in Higher Education

TL;DR

This study analyzes how U.S. news media construct narratives around ChatGPT's role in higher education, revealing predominantly positive portrayals but also highlighting concerns about employment and admissions impacts.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of media narratives about generative AI in education using topic modeling and sentiment analysis, grounded in Agenda Setting Theory.

Findings

Six key topics identified in media discourse.

Generally positive sentiment towards ChatGPT's educational use.

Negative sentiment regarding employment and admissions impacts.

Abstract

The societal role of technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), is often shaped by sociocultural narratives. This study examines how U.S. news media construct narratives about the efficacy of generative AI (GenAI), using ChatGPT in higher education as a case study. Grounded in Agenda Setting Theory, we analyzed 198 articles published between November 2022 and October 2024, employing LDA topic modeling and sentiment analysis. Our findings identify six key topics in the media discourse, with sentiment analysis revealing generally positive portrayals of ChatGPT's integration into higher education through policy, curriculum, teaching practices, collaborative decision-making, skill development, and human-centered learning. In contrast, media narratives express more negative sentiment regarding their impact on entry-level jobs and college admissions. This research highlights how media coverage can influence public perceptions of GenAI in education and provides actionable insights for policymakers, educators, and AI developers navigating its adoption and representation in public discourse.