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Topic: Miscellaneous items
Date/Time: 2/19/2008 3:16:47 PM
Title: Medill profs' letter to dean Lavine
Posted By: Jim Romenesko
 
February 19, 2008

Dean John Lavine
Medill School of Journalism
Evanston, IL

Dear John,

With this letter you will find a statement signed by several members of the school faculty concerning the news coverage of and commentary about the quotes you used in your Medill magazine columns. We are providing the statement to you, President Bienen and Provost Linzer several hours before we provide it to the news media.

The signatories to this letter have discussed how best to make our concerns known given the scope of this controversy. We have chosen to make the statement public for three reasons. First, this is not an internal matter but a public one. At this point, you have conducted an audio-taped interview with David Spett of the Daily Northwestern, two interviews with the Chicago Tribune, one on National Public Radio, and, most important, sent an e-mail message to the entire Medill faculty about the controversy.

Second, this controversy is not a faculty grievance and cannot be treated as one. If it were, the appropriate course of action would be first to request a private audience with you, with President Bienen and Provost Linzer. All the signatories to the statement believe that there should be such a meeting, and as soon as possible. But again, this matter is now very public. It is not an internal issue subject to the normal requirements of faculty governance.

Third, our students and alumni have thus far been left alone to comment on this troubling situation. We are journalism educators who have professional experience with and scholarly knowledge about the use of anonymous sources. To continue to keep our views to ourselves will justifiably be viewed as unacceptable by the young people we have taught and continue to teach. It would be unconscionable to maintain faculty silence on such a widely covered public issue.

Respectfully,

Craig L. LaMay, Associate Professor
Donna Leff, Professor
David Protess, Professor

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