http://www.statenews.com Pamela Whitten, dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, requested Thursday the resignation of Jane Briggs-Bunting, director of the School of Journalism and president of the State News Board of Directors, MSU spokesman Terry Denbow said. Whitten was recently appointed as the dean of the College and assumed her new position yesterday. “As Whitten assembles her new team, she has requested Jane Briggs-Bunting steps down,” Denbow said. No decisions have been finalized about a replacement for Briggs-Bunting. “Dean Whitten looks forward to working with Briggs-Bunting and all of the School of Journalism faculty to optimize an efficient transition,” Denbow said. For more on this story, check Monday’s edition of The State News and statenews.com for updates. en-us Gryphon 2.2.3b-tsn (woodward)/Foundry5 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:02:29 -0400 webmaster@statenews.com http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41599 I’m sorry to hear it. Jane is at the top of a long list of people who made my graduate education worth while. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:59:36 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41599 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41601 This is shocking and horrible. The news was broken on TWITTER of all places, and the college refuses to explain itself. It’s disgusting and shameful. Jane has taken the J-School leaps and bounds forward. Whitten is making a huge mistake, and Denbow’s comments are nothing but PR fluff. The students of the J-School deserve a proper explanation. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:03:48 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41601 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41602 I am saddened to hear of this. Jane Briggs-Bunting is a great friend of scholastic journalism, and of the student press rights movement. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:06:01 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41602 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41603 Perfect. The one person who should be asked to step down is asking others to step down. Whitten — you didn’t deserve this position, don’t abuse it before the chair is even warm. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:09:08 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41603 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41605 That’s sad and frustrating to hear. She was moving the curriculum in a direction that helped students be prepared —- and in some cases more advanced —- than the working world they’re stepping in to. I was very thankful for her leadership and advice when I was a student. Her efforts helped me be ready for the work I now do. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:18:07 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41605 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41606 I too am very disgusted about the situation. I found out through Twitter when as a being a top ranked Communications College I should have been informed of this decision. I believe the choice to give Whitten the position was a mistake and an even bigger mistake for her to force Briggs-Bunting to resign. Ive been a part of the School of Journalism for four years and must say that Jane has done a amazing job with the students within. Not only has she had an affect in guiding some amazing future journalists but those same students love and respect her as it was evident at this springs graduation. I count myself lucky that I was apart of Janes goal and feel sadden that future J-School students will not be lead under her direction. As for the University not informing its students about this matter it is completely unexcusable and they have lost some respect from the students. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:18:22 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41606 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41607 I call bullshit! Pam Whitten calls herself the Dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences? How? When she has not been communicating she deserves to get her title revoked, not Jane Briggs-Bunting. Look at what this has stirred! JBB is obviously doing something right if former and current students are using their journalism instincts to get to the bottom of this story. F U Pam Whoretten! Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:29:06 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41607 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41608 I’m shocked and disappointed to hear this. Jane helped me make an important decision when choosing between internships. She was excellent and always available to J-school students. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:29:51 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41608 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41609 Gotta love the hypocrisy of those at the top of the profession of journalism. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:30:59 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41609 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41616 Jane should leave MSU and start her own college. I would leave MSU to attend JBBU. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:51:47 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41616 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41617 This news has came as a total shock yesterday afternoon. Since then CAS has refused the answer any inquires or even return calls. There has been a lively discussion on Twitter regarding the news, but it appears that the the college is too disconnected from the changing world of communications to be bothered with a 24-hour news cycle. It is beginning to look like the new leadership is unprepared to teach students about the future. Case in point: CAS cannot or has refused to use social media to respond to concerns and instead hides behind the comments University Relations. Regardless of your personal opinions of Jane Briggs-Bunting the true question is: What is the future direction of the School of Journalism? What is the status of the new curriculum set to launch in 2010? There have been rumors that the program will shift to becoming a research institution as opposed to preparing students for a digital landscape. In order to stay competitive the curriculum must change and CAS must confirm that they school is moving forward in a direction that benefits students. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:52:39 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41617 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41620 W-T-F is the CAS doing?! Flushing down known expertise for… what? Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:34:29 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41620 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41621 regardless of the decision, the true problem here is that TWITTER broke the news. isn’t there traditionally a formal process involved in communicating this sort of decision? whitten isn’t winning any fans here.. 1- COMMUNICATION is bad, didn’t take proper steps to inform everyone 2- JOURNALISM no press release? let’s leak it to twitter! we are keeping up with the times (no you’re buying into a trend) 3- PR is horrible, what kind of face are you saving by not discussing a largely controversial decision as your first act as newly appointed dean? just sayin. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:38:03 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41621 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41622 Ahh, finally some time to breathe and reflect on a decision to move forward. Let’s recognize that change is the only constant in the journalism business. It’s been that way since the 35 words of the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution were authored in the 1700’s. While the current journalism landscape has been affected by social media technologies, trust me, Facebook and the 124 characters allowed on Twitter do not a journalist make. I am a 40-year veteran and observer of the journalism industry and I can say without reservation that when an industry is dying on the vine, as 100 year-old newspapers are doing, a new business model is needed— and a new model for training journalists is long overdue. So instead of writing your comments from the perspective of emotion, write, as you were trained to do, from the perspective of fact. With regard to Ms. Whitten’s decision, let us breathe for a moment and consider that a change in leadership may actually be an opportunity to move the J-school forward. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:54:49 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41622 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41624 To be clear the story was not leaked to Twitter. It appears that CAS was attempting to keep it quite until a formal release could be drafted. Disseminating the information via Twitter is not buying into a trend, but it instead illustrates that we operate in a landscape that makes it extremely difficult to keep things of this nature under wraps. I do agree the College of Communication Arts and Sciences looks extremely unprepared after the fiasco that has ensued. Carlos, I do agree that this could provide an opportunity to move forward, but the curriculum that Briggs-Bunting was working on implementing in fall 2010 was extremely forward looking. There is no guarantee that these plans will come to fruition under new leadership. The new curriculum was not focused on social media in any way, but instead sought to train journalists to think in platform agnostic terms. We must divorce ourselves from looking at it as an issue about the employment of one individual and instead look at this as a crucial junction in the future of the School of Journalism. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:33:38 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41624 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41625 I just graduated from Michigan State with a degree in journalism and personally disliked JBB, but I always respected her vision and never felt she was leading the department in the wrong direction. I’d like to know the real reason she was ousted. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:34:07 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41625 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41626 And, here’s something else to consider. Journalists, in my opinion, need to couple, and decouple, their passion for discovery and fact-finding with a realistic view of organizational management. While journalists are to be applauded for their passion for discovery of fact, they also need to reconcile that passion with a broad view of organizational goals. Organizations such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, the L.A. Times, etc. “tip-toe” around this fundamental issue everyday. I champion their investigative efforts, but there should be a realistic view of the monetization goals of the organization as they ply and nurture their craft. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:42:54 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41626 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41627 Aaron— There exists a significant difference between “forward looking” and “forward successful”. In addition to working as an executive for four broadcast new organizations, I am also a veteran of academe’. I can tell you that the goals of an organization, whether institutional or corporate, are based primarily on the contribution to said organization. Like it or not, we live in a world where investigative discovery is typically secondary to the goals and expectations of a given organization. Oftentimes a re-org of a curriculum is viewed as rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Thoughtful and meaningful curricular redesign is as the result of a totally new and innovative perspective toward educational outcome. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:10:17 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41627 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41628 Did anyone think it might have been more than simply wanting to take the J-School in a new direction? Asking someone to resign usually results from a bit more than mere ideological differences. And based on what I’ve heard, there have been several instances where people have questioned her decisions and how she carried them out, in more settings than just the J-School. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:25:20 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41628 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41629 The new J-School curriculum Jane was seeking to implement was not driven just by her. In fact, leading faculty members (not including Jane herself) worked for months to create a whole new curriculum that would teach students the skills they need to succeed in a digital, multimedia-based journalism world. In April, the faculty had a chance to see the proposed curriculum and make comments or suggest changes. Then, in May, the faculty UNANIMOUSLY approved the new curriculum to propose it to the dean’s office. So, while Jane leads the department and would have led the department through this change – this was a change sought UNIVERSALLY by the J-School faculty. Not something mandated from Jane alone. Jane is an inspirational force who drives others to be innovators and experimenters in an ever-changing world of journalism. Without her, this curriculum change would never have gotten off the ground – and the changes already in place to advance students’ education would never have happened. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:53:54 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41629 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41630 Thank you for clarifying that for everyone. I think what we all want to see is confirmation from CAS that the plans for the future that were already in place and approved by the faculty are carried out and not changed during the transition to “a new direction.” Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:37:21 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41630 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41633 Wow. This is simply shocking. Jane is one of the few profs at the J-School who not only knows her stuff, but can convey her knowledge to her students. Future journalism students are being robbed of knowing a great teacher, leader, and mentor. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:25:45 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41633 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41634 I completely support this decision. Beside the fact that I dislike JBB, if any of you ever had a complaint or problem w/in the J-school, you’d soon learn that you were wasting her time by being in her office. Funny thing is, I thought as this major was all about questioning and changing things. Other than that, let’s face it. MSU’s J-School, as much as I love it, is behind. We don’t have a convergence journalism program/classes. Big mistake. If MSU actually wants successful journalism grads in the newly web-based world it has to move on. Maybe they outed her because of this. Who knows. Who cares. I’m just glad it was done. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:19:33 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41634 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41635 I didn’t know people would play politics when it came to the J-school. This is ridiculous. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:10:20 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41635 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41636 Carlos, good journalists separate their work from the monetary expectations of the organization. That is one of many ways they maintain their objectivity. The NYT, WP and LAT are not good journalists. They are organizations which employ good journalists. The J-school is not educating organizations to be good organizations, it’s educating people to become good journalists. If the J-school’s new curriculum includes a degree in News Organization Management, it should include a heavy dose of Ethics classes. Just take a look at how fast the WP back-peddled on its plan to sell access to politicians and you get the idea of how important this separation is. I have to confess that I have no idea what the difference is between “forward thinking” and “forward successful.” At he risk of being snarky, it sounds to me like you’ve spent too much money on motivational books. Let me act as your copy editor for a moment and ask you to rewrite the story to make it clear and concise. And don’t forget to put the ‘s’ at the end of news. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:14:51 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41636 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41641 …good research, good investigation…find your message, be an investigative journalist…if you know where the story is found? Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:42:27 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41641 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41644 For those interested, the LSJ has an article today that gives a little more information: http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20090703/NEWS06/907030320/1102/NEWS06/MSU-s-journalism-director-asked-to-resign Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:57:07 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41644 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41645 U now this effects tha journalism skool when all tha comments r whell writen. Haha, just kidding. Sorry to make a funny joke about a serious situation. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:10:51 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41645 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41655 Actually, though most of you are praising JBB, most faculty and students are glad this took place. The J-school prides itself on research and during the time JBB was director the J-school lost all but one of those faculty members. Additionally, three major, well-liked professors left for other departments or left the university entirely. JBB hired all white men to fill these positions. The J-school now lacks the diversity it once prided itself on as well as beloved faculty that were a vital part of its success. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:16:19 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41655 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41661 I should have gone to Specs Howard…At least they help you with Job prospects. MSU does nothing of the sort. Specs cares about finding students employment. MSU cares about giving pieces of paper called degrees. Now, the only thing I can find are unpaid internships, while Specs grads are going into their first jobs in smaller markets. Thanks MSU! The reason is EMPLOYERS DO NOT CARE THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THEORY, RESEARCH or HISTORY of JRN. They want to know you can do what they need. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:08:46 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41661 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41662 In conclusion… JOB TRAINING Is needed, NOT research. END OF DISCUSSION Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:09:51 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41662 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41664 You don’t think a journalist who writes an OPINION piece should be held to the same ethical standards as a journalist who reports on events? Stop defending the State News because everyone knows that the quality of the articles, whether they are editorials or not, has decreased over the years. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:42:24 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41664 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41665 OK everyone, lets think about it for a moment. 1 She heads up the State News. 2 The State News launches multiple lawsuits against MSU costing upwards of 100 thousand dollars. 3 The new dean on her First Day asks for her resignation. Obviously there could have been a number of other things going on but the university is very political and if you think that you can head up an organization which majorly steps on powerful peoples toes and not have anything happen because of it….. Any investigative reporters left at the State News? Here’s your chance… Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:36:30 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41665 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41666 This is what happens when you bite the hand that feeds you. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:17:47 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41666 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41667 Am I the only person who is dismayed by the complete lack of grammatical accuracy displayed by graduates/students who plan to communicate for a living? As an MSU graduate, I am completely disheartened by the sheer stupidity and ignorance displayed by my fellow Spartans in this public forum. Proofreading is a necessary skill, not a luxury. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:37:31 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41667 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41670 I see that you are now using a different alias because the last time you attacked people on this forum for grammar/spelling errors, you also made numerous mistakes of your own. Now that’s pretty pathetic. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:21:23 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41670 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41671 Oh get off ur high horse Pathetically Ironic! Obviously you are out of touch with reality. People don’t proofread things they post on Internet message boards or text messages. Get a life! Of course with ur superior intellect, you should already know this! Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:49:37 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41671 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41672 Oh get off ur high horse Pathetically Ironic! Obviously you are out of touch with reality. People don’t proofread things they post on Internet message boards or text messages. Get a life! Of course with ur superior intellect, you should already know this! Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:50:16 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41672 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41673 This is a ridiculous conversation and is exemplary of why blogs, etc will not work as journalists experience a paradigm shift in the news business. (yes it’s a business) — alleged journalists violating the very cannons that they have pledged to uphold. If you aspire to the noble calling of journalism, assign your passion to fact-finding and thoughtful writing (let alone grammar and ethics) Pathetic! Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:43:57 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41673 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41674 “A university is what a college becomes when the faculty loses interest in students.” John Ciardi Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:06:41 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41674 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41675 Wow! Apparently someone already has a history of conflict with a “SoCal Spartan.” Unfortunately, you are mistaken. I am not your nemesis. I am a native of Michigan and I love the state dearly. In case you are once again mistaken, I never claimed to have a superior intellect. I am only disappointed that members of the Spartan community completely fail to grasp the fact that their public comments reflect upon the university, students, and alumni. I also find it ironic that the worst offenders are those pursuing careers in communications and journalism. Lastly, basic communication skills are not indicative of a superior intellect; rather, they are a necessary attribute for anyone hoping to participate in a learned community. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:18:38 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41675 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41678 Pathetically ironic, it’s quite obvious you have no idea what you’re talking about. No one has had a history of conflict with SoCal Spartan. Your posts about correct grammar and punctuation are extremely similar to hers, and when she was called out for being a hypocrite by numerous people, she started backpedaling. It’s an internet forum and if you’re so concerned about what other people think about MSU, the students, alumni, based on this publication, why didn’t you demand a retraction from Zack Colman’s comments regarding bicyclists? People from other countries even commented about how ignorant he was. Where was your outrage then? In addition, I’m positive that a few grammar and spelling mistakes aren’t going to destroy the entire reputation of the university. It’s an internet forum and people are aware of that so get over it. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:50:29 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41678 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41679 I forgot one more point. If you are so upset about the posts on this part of the forum, then you might want to skip the comments in the Police Briefs section. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:53:00 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41679 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41687 JBB is a fantastic mentor and a friend. She has a vision for how students must interact with media in the 21st century and her actions show that she is committed to this vision. The Dean has made a serious mistake. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:50:16 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41687 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41695 Carlos, I agree that journalism is a business. Journalists have to be paid to ply our craft (yes, I’m a journalist). But among the cannons we have pledged to uphold is to remain objective. One way we do that is to refuse in-kind payment for the stories we write. Is $100,000 too much to pursue a story? That is a question for my editors and their managers. My concern is for fact-finding and thoughtful writing. Is my story published in a traditional paper? Online? Should I add video, audio? Again, that isn’t always my call, but it is my job and I will gather the information with the same commitment I give my writing. I am not a fan of blogs or so-called “citizen journalism.” But as they become more common and accepted parts of the story, journalists, like myself have to know the best ways to use them. I don’t know what the future of journalism is. But many of us are losing faith in the business professionals we trust to keep the business model afloat. We are losing jobs and it’s not because we are poor journalists. But if you’re telling me that I need to sell the cannon of objectivity to fund my noble calling, then I should apply for the next available job in the PR department. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:49:44 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41695 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41704 Be careful, Pathetically Ironic is reading your posts!! Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:43:07 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41704 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41711 Cousin-B, you’re an idiot and prove why your medium is dying. Objectivity? Right… Everything about journalism is changing except one thing. The journalists! Perhaps you should get off your soapbox and realize that there is NO SUCH THING as objective journalism. The only difference between journalists and PR professionals is that the latter has ability to accept the fact that they are using media as a tool. I feel bad for JBB, and she supported journalism not as an ‘pure, objective, form’ but as a means for us all to find the truth. And just because you’re a journalist, doesn’t mean you’re telling the truth. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:42:52 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41711 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41724 Journalists now follow Ambulance chasing lawyers as the destroyers of this country. Why are 95% of you Left-Wing Commies? Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:28:38 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41724 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41781 Yes, I am an idiot. Thank you. I also have a scanner so I know when to chase the ambulance and I hangout at the courthouse so I know which criminals I should harass. I have a picture of Stalin hanging in my office. Later today I will burn the flag, just because. Yes, I am an idiot. Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:40:46 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41781 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41873 The real story is not being told. This is payback to Jane Briggs-Bunting and the department of journalism for support ing the second choice candidate. They did not support Pam Whitten so as payback she is reorganizing journalism! I thought academia would be better this! Everyone needs to go to the board of directors for the university! Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:02:29 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/41873