Excellent thread.
I'm very glad there's a scholarly piece now, extensively sourced, analyzing how Steven Pinker's media access allowed him to sway reporting on the petition to the LSA to take him off its distinguished fellows and media expert list. 1/
I'm very glad there's a scholarly piece now, extensively sourced, analyzing how Steven Pinker's media access allowed him to sway reporting on the petition to the LSA to take him off its distinguished fellows and media expert list. 1/
It highlights the network behind Pinker that allowed him to make this not an issue for his professional community of linguists to consider but an issue that, that, rather irrelevantly, called on free speech, bemoaned "cancel culture," and cultivated a view of him as a victim. 2/ 
The implications of Steven Pinker's access to media, and the way journalists faithfully listened to him but not to linguists who had written the letter, reach far. 3/
Some of Steven Pinker's repeatedly issued public claims about the letter bent, or falsified, facts in his favour.
When he said he only recognized one named linguist on the letter, what he's really saying seems to be that he's lost touch with the field of linguistics. 4/
When he said he only recognized one named linguist on the letter, what he's really saying seems to be that he's lost touch with the field of linguistics. 4/
Many of the moves Steven Pinker uses to protect his political views from criticism within academia and by other academics tend to be rather sly. He claims, indirectly, to be a victim of cancel culture. But what is cancel culture, Steven? 5/
Other examples that I've commented on in recent years: In the midst of accusations of racism, Steven Pinker subtly signals his white nationalist leanings by promoting a race scientist who lost his position in the course of a thorough investigation. 6/
You doubt Steven Pinker's generosity towards white nationalists? Read my analysis of extensive comments he made in a panel discussion that was called "Unsafe Space Tour." 7/
Forgot to include the link to the document I'm screencapping in the earlier tweets above. Here it is. 8/
ling.auf.net/lingbuzz/005381
ling.auf.net/lingbuzz/005381
Not that it matters much, but I have been blocked by Steven Pinker. A distinguished fellow and media expert of the Linguistic Society of America, he is not always interested in receiving criticism from language studies scholars nor in engaging with non-fans on social media. 9/
Aaah! 10/
