The study by Robinson (2019) looks at the use of legitimation strategies in journalism

regarding public storytelling about racial disparities. The study employs a combination of
textual analysis and in-depth interviews. This study examines the discourse to
comprehend the different narratives of the topic in relation to racism, journalistic
practice, and power dynamics. Additionally, to investigate the data, critical discourse
analysis requires adopting an analytical framework that focuses on legitimation
strategies, as put forth by the social-semiotics scholar Van Leeuwen (2007). Further,
insights from critical race theory are drawn upon to enhance the understanding of the
data. In this study, legitimation strategies involve providing explanations and
justifications for the essential parts of an institutional tradition. This is done to justify the
institutional order by attributing normative dignity to its practical imperatives. In addition,
Van Leeuwen (2007) demonstrated the occurrence of legitimation strategies through
narrative work, specifically moral evaluation, by researching education texts. Extensive
research has confirmed that journalists create their authority in order to enhance the
credibility of their information when reporting on the Madison Prep discussion. This
credibility is achieved through possessing relevant qualifications, being willing to
disclose their identity, and being accessible to these reporters. In seeking people
deemed "credible " and "expert, “reporters declined to look toward neighborhoods in
either White or Black neighborhoods. And by employing legitimation strategies such as
citing experts, providing firsthand accounts, reflecting on their role, telling stories, and
utilizing semantics such as "said", "according to" and "confirmed" and operating as an
"interpretive community” that standardizes journalistic methods.

This study examines the use of impersonal authorization in journalism, specifically the
common tactic of citing statistics and government reports as a form of expert
authorization. According to Comp (2012) this tactic is employed by reporters to establish
credibility in their coverage of the Madison Prep debate. However, it also reinforces the
dominance of White-dominated institutions that produce these reports. In addition, the
school board members were consistently mentioned as the primary sources in the
reports. Furthermore, most of the comments related to these officials emphasized that,
in their capacity as authorities, they represented the interests of all children:
We have some very important issues on the table currently, so we have to stay focused
on the 26,000 students we have to focused on the 26,000 students we're serving,”
[Board of Education member Ed Hughes] said. "I don't know if the timing is right for
Madison Prep."
Furthermore, within the category of mythopoesis, the prevailing narrative that emerged
was around the organization of society, conveying a moral lesson that any
transformation should occur inside the established power system. According to Defour
(2012) that all the anecdotes and details regarding the topic were presented in relation
to the major entities of authority engaged. The charter school, which has caused
disagreement, has been a subject of intense discussion in the community. And this has
led to the perception that the two School Board contests are a clash between the Urban
League and the teacher’s union, with the union opposing the school. For this research,
the participants were instructed to select a team, as exemplified by a Facebook post
from the Wisconsin State Journal in December 2011, when Kaleem Caire strongly
criticizes the Madison School Board. Which side do you support? In this context of
conflicting accounts, journalists establish two prominent narratives, as articulated in this
editorial by an editor:

that leads to what our other moral responsibility is, and that is to educate our students
the best we can. It is really a perfect storm, because we have more children in need
now than we've ever had before with less funding. (Fanlund 2012)

These strategies involve generating concise stories that can be completed efficiently,
participating in meetings where individuals are willing to associate their names with
comments, and engaging with influential figures who have already been approved, such
as the leader of the Urban League or Boys & Girls Club. These individuals comprehend
the time constraints of journalists, can provide succinct statements, and, most
importantly, are responsive.