Indecent
Exposure:
How Global Media
Exploits the Gifted
Betty Meckstroth, Kathi Kearney, &
Annemarie Roeper
NAGC • Charlotte NC • November 2006
Copyright © 2006 Kathi Kearney
Gifted Children & Privacy
» “Those who test above 180 IQ are
characterized by a strong desire for
personal privacy. They seldom volunteer
information about themselves. They do
not like to have attention called to their
families and homes. They are reluctant to
impart information concerning their plans,
hopes, convictions, and so forth.”

Hollingworth, L. S. (1942). Children above 180 IQ. Yonkers-on-Hudson: World
Book Company. (p. xvi)
Copyright © 2006 Kathi
Kearney
100 Years of the Media’s
Great Prodigy Story:
A One-Note Song
» Child is usually male
» Child demonstrates an astonishing achievement
or a clever trick or gimmick
» Story either portrays child’s negative qualities, or
goes overboard to demonstrate that in all other
ways, the child is “just an ordinary kid”
» Emphasizes the sensational
» Stories about the same children are recycled
over and over
» Mass marketing strategies determine the story’s
perspective
Copyright © 2006 Kathi
Kearney
The William James Sidis Example:
A Cautionary Tale
Copyright © 2006 Kathi
Kearney
Copyright © 2006 Kathi
Kearney
Remember the Media’s Roles
» Journalism
 Telling all sides of a story
 Balance
 Interpretation within a factual realm
» Protection of a free press
» Marketing & selling their product
Copyright © 2006 Kathi
Kearney
Why Do Parents of Gifted
Children Talk to the Media?
» “Educator Parents”
 Genuine desire to help the public understand
giftedness
» “Stage Parents”
 Publicity seekers
» “Scholarship Parents”
 Belief that media exposure will help a lowerincome child secure a scholarship
» “Clueless Parents”
 Those who talk without weighing the issues
Copyright © 2006 Kathi
Kearney
Why Do Schools Talk to the
Media About Gifted Children?
» Showcasing a school or program
» Taking credit for a child’s
accomplishments
» Winning an academic or arts
competition
» Defending an adminstrative, policy,
or educational decision
Copyright © 2006 Kathi
Kearney
Dangers of 21st Century
“New Media”
» Newspapers’ Internet presence makes local
stories global ones
 “All news is global”
» Newspaper & magazine “talk back” or
“comment” features, blogs, & podcasts allow
anyone in the world to say anything publicly
» Mapquest, Google Earth, & 411.com give
stalkers a direct route, complete with maps &
photos, to the child’s home and school
» Archival features are instantaneous and
probably forever
Copyright © 2006 Kathi
Kearney
» Archives, search engines, databases, etc. can
be combined to yield even more information
» MySpace & other social networking sites allow
the individual to compromise his or her own
privacy
» New media tends toward the sensationalistic
» 21st century technologies mitigate against
privacy even for those who never have press
coverage
» New media allows governments & others to
easily conduct surveillance
Copyright © 2006 Kathi
Kearney
How to Talk to the Media
» Remember that you can always say no
» Ask for time to consider whether or not to
do the interview
» Understand the media’s role
» Think before you speak
» Treat everything you say as if it is on the
record
» Always respond to the “fact checkers”
Copyright © 2006 Kathi
Kearney
Responding to Negative or
Inaccurate Media Accounts
» Consider carefully if the best response is
no response
» Contact the editor personally
» Word carefully any letters to the editor
» Ask for op-ed space
» Issue a press release or call a press
conference
» Consider the ramifications of any “spin”
you try to use
Copyright © 2006 Kathi
Kearney
Working with the Media
» What you CAN do:
 Educate the reporter
 Build an ongoing
relationship with a
reporter
 Refer the reporter to
other people
 Control access to a
desired interviewee,
event, or setting
 Set parameters for an
interview
 Attempt to correct errors
during the fact-checking
phase
» What you CAN’T do:
 Read the story before it is
published (usually)
 Control the headline,
photos, or cover
 Control any comments
made in online forums
related to the story
 Control release of the
story to other media or
publications
 Control access to your
own personal information
(including unlisted phone
numbers)
 Predict public response
Copyright © 2006 Kathi
Kearney
When in Doubt. . .
» Take Nancy Reagan’s advice:
“Just say no!”
Copyright © 2006 Kathi
Kearney