[jamesliudotcc]

> According to a new Gallup poll, Americans are losing the thread with higher education. Confidence in college has taken a nosedive, with one out of three poll responders claiming they have “little or no confidence” in higher education. This contrasts sharply with a 2015 poll, when 57% of those surveyed claimed to to be fairly or “very” confident in the old hallowed halls.

This paragraph shows why. 1/3 having little or no confidence now compared to 57% fairly or "very" confident. Without knowing the magnitude of the middle choice, is this even comparable?

It doesn't help that this is two paragraphs down:

> 3) an unpromising job market with diminishing returns for un-STEM professions and 3) the many tortured varietals of “free speech” discourse.

Ok, it's probably a typo, but still, not confidence inspiring.

Also, why is "very" in quotes, but "fairly" not?

It's too bad they don't hire proofreaders anymore. That used to be a job you could get out of college.

[ryandrake]

You shouldn't even need a college degree to proofread mainstream news, which is written at, what, a 5th or 6th grade reading level? K-12 Schools also share the blame for not even remotely educating their students.

[jamesliudotcc]

No, of course not, but credentialism.

[readthenotes1]

I was going to object to the phrase "losing the thread", as if we are getting confused by an overly complex plot explication.

The article is merely self-referential.

[everybodyknows]

There's no budget for proofreaders, it's a shoestring org:

https://lithub.com/about-literary-hub/