The theme of this article is that television (TV) has a democratizing influence in our pluralistic society. The source of this influence is that groups who are disadvantaged in terms of print media and print-oriented schooling are advantaged in terms of access to and attitudes toward TV. Research results indicate that, by and large, various class and ethnic groups are equal in their ability to learn from TV – whose power as a teaching tool is discussed in relation to transmission of school-oriented concepts like letters and numbers, story content, and beliefs about society. The potential value of TV in the schools – not to replace print, but to enhance it – is also discussed.
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