A recent viral article in Compact Magazine has reignited debate over race, representation, and hiring practices in elite American professions, with journalist Batya Ungar-Sargon arguing that the sharp decline of young white men in white-collar and creative fields was not accidental but the result of deliberate policy choices.

The discussion centers on an article by Compact Magazine writer Jacob Savage, which compiled demographic data showing a steep drop in the share of white men entering or holding positions in professions traditionally considered white-collar or creative.

According to the figures cited, white men made up a shrinking percentage of medical students, law school graduates, television writers, academic faculty, and media editorial staffs over roughly the past decade.

Trump's Sovereign Wealth Fund: What Could It Mean For Your Money?

Ungar-Sargon said the findings challenge a long-standing narrative that claims of discrimination against white people are unfounded or inherently racist.

“For a long time, the idea that there is reverse racism against white people was treated as a racist canard, but a new viral article in compact magazine by writer Jacob savage found that young white men have vanished from white collar and creative professions,” Ungar-Sargon said.

The data cited in the discussion shows that in 2014, white men accounted for 31 percent of American medical students.

By 2025, that number had fallen to 20 percent. Law schools showed a similar trend, with white men declining from 31 percent of graduates to 25 percent. In the entertainment industry, the change was even more pronounced, as white men dropped from 48 percent of lower-level television writers to just 12 percent.

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

Media institutions and academia were also highlighted.

According to the figures discussed, The Atlantic’s editorial staff shifted from being 53 percent male and 89 percent white to 36 percent male and 66 percent white. At Harvard University, white men reportedly held only 18 percent of tenure-track positions in the humanities.

Ungar-Sargon argued that these changes did not occur by chance or through organic shifts in interest or qualification, but through intentional diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

“This wasn’t by accident. It was by design,” she said.

“DEI design to overcome what had been admittedly terrible discriminatory practices that kept out women and people of color.”

She acknowledged that past discrimination against women and people of color in professional and academic settings was real and damaging, but said the response went too far in the opposite direction.

“White Collar industries simply reversed the discrimination and aimed it at white guys,” Ungar-Sargon said.

“It’s really appalling, because all racial discrimination is appalling.”

WATCH:

For a long time, the idea that there is reverse racism against white people was treated as a racist canard. It turns out, it’s true: There’s been a purge of white men in white collar and creative professions. It’s appalling. pic.twitter.com/4zTLMJuLoU

— Batya Ungar-Sargon (@bungarsargon) December 21, 2025

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of DrewBerquist.com. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.