Typically when the narrator uses information that you could probably find somewhere trustworthy, like a textbook and goes on to give specific information that you would need to know for a unit or group of tests. For example, if the passage says "Christopher Columbus didn't actually mean to find the Americas, I guess you could say it was a happy mistake." That would be academic.
What I think he means is that the bystanders knew what was happening but didn't stand up for it. They didn't fight for the Jews rights. But in my opinion that statement is wrong since anyone who stood up or defended the Jews would be killed.
