In an era of propaganda, PR masquerading as reporting, and shrinking newsroom budgets, a small cohort of journalists continues to ask the difficult questions about U.S. higher education. These writers are the watchdogs, skeptics, and truth-tellers who probe the system's contradictions—exposing corruption, inequality, and the commodification of learning.
While many mainstream outlets have reduced their education desks or opted for click-friendly content, these journalists persist in a more thankless task: investigating the deeper structures that shape college access, affordability, and legitimacy. Their work is essential in this Digital Dark Age, where universities are marketed like tech products and student debt chains millions to futures they did not choose.
Current Watchdogs
-
Josh Moody (Inside Higher Ed)
Steady and detail-oriented, Moody explores enrollment cliffs, closures, and the survival of regional public colleges. -
Natalie Schwartz (Higher Ed Dive)
A sharp analyst of the robocollege sector, Schwartz highlights OPM contracts, predatory recruitment, and accountability gaps. -
Michael Vasquez (The Chronicle)
Known for hard-hitting investigations into for-profit schemes and enrollment deceptions. -
Stephanie Saul (The New York Times)
Tackles elite admissions, racial bias, and the mechanisms of legacy advantage. -
Chris Quintana (USA Today)
Examines the hidden costs of student debt, accreditation breakdowns, and federal oversight failure. -
Derek Newton (Forbes)
Unflinching in his critiques of online education scams, weak accreditation, and credential inflation. -
David Halperin (Republic Report)
Legal-minded and relentless, Halperin holds the Department of Education and the for-profit lobby to account. -
Jon Marcus (Hechinger Report / NPR / The Atlantic)
A veteran storyteller who humanizes systemic crises—affordability, public disinvestment, and policy drift. Rick Seltzer (Chronicle of Higher Education)
A seasoned reporter, Seltzer has focused on the intersection of state and federal policy, accreditation issues, and the financialization of higher education. His investigative pieces often highlight how policy shifts impact institutions serving the most vulnerable students, particularly in the community college sector. Seltzer’s ability to distill complex policy changes into accessible reporting has made him an essential voice in higher ed journalism.
Those Who’ve Left the Beat (But Not Forgotten)
-
Eric Kelderman (formerly The Chronicle of Higher Education)
Kelderman offered deeply researched policy analysis and was one of the few who bridged the world of federal education policy and on-the-ground campus effects. His departure leaves a vacuum in longform institutional memory. -
Katherine Mangan (formerly The Chronicle)
Known for profiling marginalized students and faculty, Mangan brought empathy and nuance to her reporting. Her stories exposed how abstract policies hit real people—and her absence is deeply felt. -
Jesse Singal (formerly The Chronicle / NY Mag)
Though now better known for controversial takes in broader cultural debates, Singal once wrote incisively about the psychology of higher ed policy and the unproven assumptions behind new academic models. -
Paul Fain (formerly Inside Higher Ed)
A go-to source for OPMs and workforce ed, Fain had a unique grasp of the tension between labor markets and academic missions. He now writes the The Job newsletter for Work Shift, with a narrower focus. -
Kelly Field (formerly The Chronicle / freelance)
Field’s reporting on federal financial aid and for-profit lobbying was some of the most thorough in the industry. Her exit reflects a broader trend: that deeply informed journalists are often priced or pushed out. -
Goldie Blumenstyk (semi-retired, The Chronicle)
A longtime chronicler of innovation narratives and public-private partnerships, Blumenstyk now writes occasionally but is no longer on the frontlines. Her absence from regular coverage marks the end of an era.
Why This Matters
Many of these journalists left not because they lost interest—but because media economics, editorial shifts, or burnout drove them out. The result? Fewer people holding institutions accountable. Fewer watchdogs sniffing out robocollege fraud. Fewer investigations into how DEI is dismantled under political pressure. Less public understanding of how tens of millions became student loan serfs.
In their absence, we see the rise of sponsored content, consultant-driven “thought leadership,” and university propaganda dressed as reporting.
At The Higher Education Inquirer, we believe journalism is not just about reporting the news—it’s about building public memory and resisting amnesia. That’s what these current and former reporters have done. And that’s why we honor both those still in the trenches and those who left with their integrity intact.
If this is truly the Digital Dark Age, then we owe everything to those who kept the lights on—even if only for a while.
No comments:
Post a Comment