Nicole Hannah-Jones at UNC, tenure (lifetime contracts) and "academic research"

Really interesting article by Jack Stripling in the CHE, at least if you're into "inside baseball" in academics, on the NHJ tenure case at UNC.

To me, the academic part of this is simple: she's not an academic; she hasn't done academic research; and beyond that, her work isn't particularly "academic". So, she might be hired as a lecturer or a relatively high-paid adjunct. But granting her a high-paying lifetime contract makes *no* sense, esp. if you're a "research institution". (With her record, she wouldn't receive a single vote in favor of tenure at a "3/3" "teaching > research" institution such as the IUS School of Business.)

UPDATE: The author of the article answered my query and said that's the usual role of these positions. That's news to me-- and ought to be explained, so that other academics and non-academics might (better) understand.