In the original American populistic dream, the omnicompetence of the common man was fundamental and indispensable. It was believed that he could, without much special preparation, pursue the professions and run the government. Many of those who have agreed to offer their expertise have seen their reputations swollen. In other words, success for a professor as an expert may mean acting quite unlike a professor.
Professors deliberate and spend their time understanding nuances.
Those qualities are not necessarily ones that get a person quoted. Ultimately expertise can get cheapened. Moreover, journalists tend to use experts in the wrong way. Rather than use experts to provide background and context, journalists too often ask for predictions. For Navasky, television is largely responsible for the deification of experts.