How is the "ultra-conservative" Salafi movement compatible with autodidacticism?

From the paper *Is Islam Easy to Understand or Not?: Salafis, the Democratization of Interpretation and the Need for the Ulema*, Jonathan A. C. Brown, Journal of Islamic Studies (2015) 26 (2): 117-144, we have: > Both in the modern period and historically, **Salafism has been associated with autodidacticism and an assertion that Islam’s scriptures are clear and accessible to ordinary Muslims without the mediation of the ulema.** This "democratization of interpretation" seems incompatible with the description of the Salafi movement: > The Salafi movement or Salafist movement or Salafism is an **ultra-conservative reform branch or movement within Sunni Islam**... -- Wikipedia **Question**: How is the "ultra-conservative" Salafi movement compatible with autodidacticism? My mental perception of Salafism is likely influenced heavily by Western media, which might be misleading.