A provocative new article has reignited America's fierce culture wars, alleging that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have systematically pushed young white men out of coveted positions in prestigious sectors like media, academia, and television.
The Core Claim: A 'Lost Generation'
Published last week in Compact magazine, Jacob Savage's article titled 'The Lost Generation' argues that institutional DEI practices, formalized in the US around 2014, have alienated young white American males. Savage contends that the focus on diversity has come at the cost of meritocracy, accelerating a perceived decline in industries like journalism and film. The piece quickly became a rallying point for major figures on the American Right.
US Vice President J.D. Vance endorsed the article on social media platform X, calling DEI "a deliberate program of discrimination primarily against white men." Donald Trump Jr. reposted Vance's message, adding supportive emojis. This comes as the Trump administration has issued executive orders targeting DEI programs in both public and private sectors.
The Data Cited: A Sector-by-Sector Breakdown
The article marshals specific statistics to paint a picture of declining representation for white men in elite professions:
News Media: Savage states that major outlets like The Washington Post and The New York Times became majority female by 2019. He cites The Atlantic's staff shifting from 53% male and 89% white in 2013 to 36% male and 66% white in 2024. For NPR, he claims 78% of new hires in 2021 were people of colour.
Academia: The article highlights a sharp fall in tenure-track hiring of white men after 2014, despite stable PhD numbers. It points to Harvard, where white men allegedly fell from holding 39% of tenure-track humanities positions in 2014 to just 18% in 2023, with DEI statements often used as screening tools.
Television & Film: Savage claims the proportion of white men among lower-level TV writers plummeted from around 60% in 2011 to about 12% in the 2024-25 season, sharing anecdotes of discouraged individuals leaving the industry.
Technology & Law: At Google, white men reportedly fell from nearly half the workforce in 2014 to less than a third by 2024. In Amazon's mid-level management, the share dropped from 55.8% to 33.8% in the same period. The article also notes a drop in white male law school entrants from 31.2% in 2016 to 25.7% in 2024.
Criticism and Counter-Arguments
The article's claims have faced significant pushback. Critics question its selective focus on arts and media. A think tank, the People's Policy Project, used US census data to show that white men still have the highest employment percentage in "arts, design, entertainment, sports and media" compared to other groups. It also noted that overall employment for white men in their thirties increased between 2014 and 2024.
Furthermore, diversity reports from 2024 show white males remain the largest single cohort in the overall workforce at both Google and Amazon. Many critics argue that framing DEI as "discrimination" ignores the historical context of slavery, segregation, and systemic racism against Black people in a nation where white people have long held dominant power.
Savage clarifies that his critique is not directed at women or people of colour who gained opportunities, but at an older, established white male leadership he holds responsible for implementing these policies while remaining untouched at the top.
As the debate rages, 'The Lost Generation' has solidified its position as the latest flashpoint in America's unresolved conflict over representation, merit, and social equity. With the political landscape deeply divided, this controversy shows no signs of abating.
