Many people have asked about the recent Atlantic article and the various responses, so here is a short, if bloody scorecard.
In the November issue of the magazine and online (posted 19 October) was a six-thousand word article on niche sports (fencing, lacrosse, water polo and squash) and the parents who shepherd their children through them in order to gain admittance to selective colleges. Here is the article:
https://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/files/niche-sports-november-2020.pdf
A massive tempest ensued. Emails, texts and phone calls flew. US Squash and SEA issued a thoughtful, measured joint letter to the Atlantic: https://ussquash.org/2020/10/in-response-to-the-recent-article-in-the-atlantic/
Then holes in the story began to appear. Eric Wemple at the Washington Post pointed out a few critical faults in the article.
And a week later, after more Wemple digging:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/10/30/atlantics-troubled-niche-sports-story/
A discussion of the article came in a popular podcast, Hang Up & Listen:
After the Atlantic issued a first editor’s note on 22 October and then a second note on 30 October, Wemple responded a third time: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/10/31/editors-note-atlantic-claims-deception-by-ruth-shalit-barrett-niche-sports-story/
(Here, for your edification, is even an article about Wemple and the scandal):
The Atlantic ended up issuing a third, more complete editor’s note and retraction of the article:
The New York Times summed it up: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/01/business/media/atlantic-ruth-shalit-barrett.html
Lost in the discussion were the three stunning Pelle Cass images that accompanied the article: