[Pounds head on keyboard] There's a new crop of experts opining to the press about everything from sovereign citizens to the Oath Keepers and they have no idea what they're talking about. [/Pounds head on keyboard]
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Parallel problem: A reporter writes one or two stories on an extremist group and no longer contacts experts for input because the reporter now considers himself/herself as knowledgeable as any expert.
And because so many academics see their work as a form of political activism, it's really easy to find ones who are happy to get the press attention.
And while I'm bitching aloud, reporters shopping for academic/experts to find one that will cater to the reporter's preconceived notion of what a story should be about yields slanted/erroneous coverage.