Does anyone actually value the journalistic contributions of the U.S. News & World Report to our general society beyond these rankings? If not, why do we GAF about how they rank schools?

Like, I remember growing up that it was a HUGE deal for local businesses to be ranked in any New Times "Best of Phoenix" categories. As I got older, I realized that the New Times was just some local rag filled with smoke shop ads that peddled mostly in "Gotcha!" conspiracy theory "journalism".

Nobody takes the publication seriously beyond these stupid rankings, so why care about who they say is the "Best of Phoenix" in anything?