Sociotechnical Imaginaries of ChatGPT in Higher Education: The Evolving Media Discourse

TL;DR

This study analyzes U.S. news media framing of ChatGPT in higher education from 2022 to 2024, revealing a focus on institutional responses and a shift toward cautious optimism, shaping societal perceptions of AI in education.

Contribution

It provides a longitudinal analysis of media discourse on ChatGPT in higher education, highlighting evolving narratives and framing patterns over two years.

Findings

Media focus on institutional responses and policy changes

Shift from uncertainty to cautious optimism in coverage

Negative sentiment toward ChatGPT in college admissions

Abstract

This study investigates how U.S. news media framed the use of ChatGPT in higher education from November 2022 to October 2024. Employing Framing Theory and combining temporal and sentiment analysis of 198 news articles, we trace the evolving narratives surrounding generative AI. We found that the media discourse largely centered on institutional responses; policy changes and teaching practices showed the most consistent presence and positive sentiment over time. Conversely, coverage of topics such as human-centered learning, the job market, and skill development appeared more sporadically, with initially uncertain portrayals gradually shifting toward cautious optimism. Importantly, media sentiment toward ChatGPT's role in college admissions remained predominantly negative. Our findings suggest that media narratives prioritize institutional responses to generative AI over long-term, broader ethical, social, and labor-related implications, shaping an emerging sociotechnical imaginary that frames generative AI in education primarily through the lens of adaptation and innovation.