Affirmative action devastates those it would benefit, journalists say

By A.J. Liebling
Media Editor

Affirmative action has had a devastating effect on some of America’s most important institutions, not to mention many unqualified op-ed columnists.  That’s the claim made by an increasing number of young liberal journalists who have been rejected by the op-ed pages of some of the largest newspapers in the country in favor of incompetent “diversity” hires.

“Time and time again, we have seen highly qualified writers and editors held back because major newspapers have chosen to promote less competent reactionary ‘journalists’ to fulfill the newspaper’s goal of ‘diversity’ in its columnists,” said Rachel Weinstein, a columnist at the Attleboro Sun.

Ms. Weinstein pointed to the otherwise inexplicable success of third-rate hacks such as Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe.  “His most recent column was simply a mindless rehash of an amicus brief filed in the Fisher case, which was utterly discredited by an opposing brief filed on behalf of real social scientists,” she said. 

Poor Jeff Jacoby shows the effects of affirmative action hiring by elite institutions

“Even five minutes’ perusal of the opposing brief would have persuaded any moderately competent journalist that in fact minorities are not held back by affirmative action,” she said.  “But Jeff was apparently too lazy and shiftless to do the work needed to produce a first- or even second-rate column.”

The “diversity” craze is plaguing other great newspapers as well.  Eli Rosenbaum, assistant editorial page editor of the Albany Times-Union, said that he had been turned down three times by the New York Times, in favor of unqualified “diversity” hires like Ross Douthat.

“Ross might be qualified to write editorials for the Syracuse Diocesan Newsletter,” said Rosenbaum. “But come on, he’s got no business appearing on the same page as Gail Collins and Paul Krugman.  Even Tom Friedman must be embarrassed by this guy.”

Echoing a concern expressed by Justice Nino Scalia, Rosenbaum said promoting weak lazy writers like Douthat beyond their level of competence leads to a “mismatch”: “He’d be a lot better off at a less-selective newspaper, where he wouldn’t burdened by competing with the legacy of Tom Wicker and Tony Lewis.  I’m sure he would agree that he’d be happier at the Poughkeepsie Journal.”

Weinstein had a similar suggestion for Jacoby:  “He’d really do better and feel more at home at a lesser paper like the Boston Herald, where he would surrounded by fellow hack reactionaries with nothing original to say.”

“Actually, you know where he would really fit in?  I hear they are hiring at the Athol Daily News.  No mismatch there.”