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I haven’t had time to do more than goggle at the horror of the blogging trainwreck that is Naomi Schaefer Riley. A pro-tip: when you want to write a post entitled “The Most Persuasive Case for Eliminating Black Studies? Just Read the Dissertations,” it is a good idea, at the very minimum to, you know, actually ‘just read’ the fucking dissertations yourself. Whiney follow-up posts explaining that “it is not my job to read entire dissertations before I write a 500-word piece about them” and that “there are not enough hours in the day or money in the world to get me to read a dissertation on historical black midwifery,” might lead the enquiring reader to suspect that you’re a lazy, incompetent hack. Actually reading the posts in question might lead the aforementioned reader to suspect a variety of other things too. I suspect that Ms. Riley has a bright future awaiting her, involving victimization claims, think tank fellowships and other wingnut welfare goodies. But I wonder what the Chronicle (which isn’t what it was, but is still something) thinks it can possibly get from association with her brandname, and why the hell some editor (they do have editors, right?) didn’t spot this quite repulsive piece and spike it before publication.
[Cross-posted at Crooked Timber]
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paul on May 04, 2012 1:46 PM:
Centuries ago, in internet time, I did a gig for Lingua Franca (remember them?) writing about people's dissertations. And yes, for a few-hundred-word piece I expected (as did my editors) that I would read every damn page.
The Case for Eliminating the House Conservative Slot gains another piece of evidence.
Russell B on May 04, 2012 4:18 PM:
What I don't understand is how this woman became an "authority" on higher education in the first place. From what I gather from The Almighty Google, she's got a B.A. There's nothing wrong with a B.A. mind you, but it's hardly an indicator of special insight into the academy. It looks to me she's just another Wingnut Welfare Queen who discovered Fun and Profit to be made in attacking the education system.
Bob Johnson on May 05, 2012 2:37 PM:
As with being given a scripted letter to "personalize" and send to one's local newspaper, the conservative Volkssoldat needs neither facts nor research, simply the proper, unwavering perspective and enough skill to avoid clear accusations of bigotry, religious intolerance,and personal animosity to any socio-economic theories other than capitalism and jingo democracy. If God could die, he/she/whatsit would be twirling.
richard on May 07, 2012 2:27 PM:
Clap, clap, clap...well played, Mr. Farrell, well played.