James Meigs, in his article for City Journal, discusses the changes in Scientific American’s coverage, where they began to focus more on social justice issues. The magazine started publishing articles with titles like “Modern Mathematics Confronts Its White, Patriarchal Past” and “The Racist Roots of Fighting Obesity.” While these articles had some connection to scientific topics, the magazine also delved into more social justice issues. In 2021, a controversial opinion essay was published titled “Why the Term ‘JEDI’ Is Problematic for Describing Programs That Promote Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.” The article criticized the expansion of the DEI acronym to include “Justice” and the use of Jedi knights from Star Wars as mascots for social justice, citing them as prone to white saviorism and toxic masculinity in conflict resolution.
Meigs questions the relevance of these social justice topics to the field of science. He addresses the evolution of Scientific American’s coverage and the inclusion of more social justice issues in their articles. Meigs is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a City Journal contributing editor, cohost of the How Do We Fix It? podcast, and the former editor of Popular Mechanics. His insights shed light on the intersection of science, social justice, and media coverage.
Meigs’s analysis provides a critical examination of how scientific publications are addressing social justice issues and the impact of this approach on their content. Through his work, he highlights the need for a balanced perspective and a focus on scientific integrity in journalism and media coverage.