“Unbiased”: A Fake Word in Higher Education News

As an education publication, this is how The Hechinger Report describes itself:

The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers

Sometimes, I cite The Hechinger Report for its “reporting,” but it’s difficult for me to call their reporting “unbiased.” Maybe a long time ago, but not today. Because when it comes to higher education, The Hechinger Report continues to spin a negative (and often misleading) story.

Some Data Is Best Left Unsaid

The Hechinger Report’s latest concoction is Jon Marcus’ article “A trend colleges might not want applicants to notice: It’s becoming easier to get in.”[1] It doesn’t deserve a full read because right off the bat, it tries to to pull the wool over your eyes:

As enrollment in colleges and universities continues to decline — down by more than 2 million students, or 10 percent, in the 10 years ending 2022 — they’re not only casting wider nets.

Continues to decline? There appears to be a hole–a big one–in this reporting. Why stop at…