Vanity Fair's Schools for Scandal

A collection of in-depth journalism previously published in Vanity Fair, each piece exposing trouble at an elite university or prep school.Even the articles dating back a decade still seem timely, and most of them have been updated briefly at the end of the original text. In some ways, the monthly magazine is about high society and fashion, but editor-in-chief Carter (editor: Vanity Fair's Writers on Writers, 2016, etc.) has never wavered in his commitment to investigative journalism. Most of these articles carry the bylines of veteran investigative reporters, including Sarah Ellison, David Margolick, Nina Munk, Todd S. Purdum, Buzz Bissinger, and Alexandra Robbins. The targets of the investigations include the University of Virginia, Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Harvard University, St. Paul's School in New Hampshire, Duke University, the United States Air Force Academy, Yale University's Skull and Bones Club, and the shuttered and disgraced Trump University. Many of the pieces deal with sexual misconduct on campus, while others focus on financial malfeasance, racism, and athletics. The somewhat disparate themes are tied together brilliantly in an introduction by magazine editor Cullen Murphy, who illuminates the schools that offer such an important, attractive subject matter for journalists. They are usually easily accessible and familiar locales for almost every reporter and editor, as opposed to, say, corporate headquarters or government agencies. In addition, many journalists and their audience members carry high expectations for campuses, especially at elite colleges and universities. "We expect more from schools than we do from big business or big government," writes Murphy. "When it comes to standards of conduct, standards of honesty, and standards of care, schools represent a first line of defense. A breakdown here portends a breakdown everywhere else." While the book could have benefitted from value-added material, such as reflections by the journalists on their reporting and writing, this is a worthy collection. Solid material for Vanity Fair readers, fans of investigative journalism, and observers of higher education and its myriad problems.

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October 1, 2017

As Vanity Fair editor Carter explains in this book's introduction: "every school is a compact world unto itself," which makes them "natural targets of journalistic opportunity." The past decade has seen voluminous reportage on elite schools in crisis. In this volume, the author brings together a variety of such articles by Vanity Fair writers. The work is helpfully organized to highlight different but equally embarrassing "spots on the school tie": the shenanigans of secret clubs and fraternities (e.g., Yale University's infamous Skull and Bones Club); financial mismanagement at institutions with enormous endowments; and hard-to-categorize incidents such as the public vendetta waged against Fox's Family Guy by the Kent School headmaster. Although many readers will already be familiar with some of the scandals, there is much to be learned in these pages. For example, who knew that members of Oxford's Dangerous Sports Club--which was later involved in a bizarre "human catapault"-related death in 2002--were the inventors of bungee jumping? VERDICT A compelling collection that shows how tragedy too often results from hubris, lack of oversight, and the tendency of school administrators to protect their institution's reputation at all costs. Recommended for all types of libraries.--Seth Kershner, Northwestern Connecticut Community Coll. Lib., Winsted

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