New Yorker Staff Writer Nicholas Lemann

Most Students Underestimate the Importance of Reliability

Nicholas Lemann is the Joseph Pulitzer II and Edith Pulitzer Moore Professor of Journalism and dean emeritus of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. He is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of numerous books, including The Big Test: The Secret History of the American Meritocracy. Before moderating a Zócalo event asking “Is There Still Merit in a Merit-Based System?,” Lemann told us about his most meritless quality, why he’s (maybe) Team Pete Davidson, and the reason he prizes reliability over talent.