Since publishing “The Lost Generation”, a common response has been some version of: “Sure, there were excesses during Peak Woke, but things have normalized, why are you even bothering.” And maybe they have normalized— a little. But I’m not sanguine much will change in the near term.

Here are the actual judging criteria for the 2026 American Society of Magazine Editors awards. Part 2 requires publications to disclose “the overall size of the full-time staff as well as its composition by gender and ethnicity,” and explicitly states that “judges are authorized to use this information when choosing finalists and winners.”

This is one reason American culture feels so astroturfed. Are these really the best magazine pieces? Or just the best that fit within a relatively narrow ideological frame? Would something from “First Things” or “Compact” even be considered?

(For the record: ASME’s Next Award, which honors 5 journalists under 30 each year, has honored zero straight white men since 2022).