Lyn Kuyper, the interim editor-in-chief of the popular science magazine Quest, leaves after she was discredited for her unscientific views. For example, she believed that corona would not be fatal and that rice molds faster when you call it names. Publisher Hearst made Kuyper’s departure known Friday. Her duties will be taken over by current managing editor Maartje de Gruyter until a successor is found.
The Volkskrant published one last week a reconstruction which showed that since Kuyper’s appointment there had been dissatisfaction with the Quest editors about her unscientific views. The editors expressed their concerns to the management, but they ignored the complaint. Despite her stepping down as editor-in-chief, Kuyper continues to participate in “various Hearst projects”, and Hearst thanks her for her “leadership and dedication”.
Of Quest, as with most magazines, things have been going badly in recent years. In 2010 Quest still had a circulation of more than 192,000 pieces, in 2021 there were just over 74,000. The titles Quest History and Quest Psychology were recently wound up, and thirteen of the nineteen employees were laid off, including all seven writing editors.