Widsom of ages would fit in a Tweet

Steve Buttry pulls together Tweeting wisdom of the ages to to "dispute the myth that short equals shallow."

Like Gloria Steinem: A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle and

Helen Keller: It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision.

Go enjoy his work. Tweet. Tweet.

State News celebration reminds me how long a year can be

The place I really got my journalism education at- the State News - is about to celebrate its 100 years of existing with a dinner and a book.

The news organization, now offering a print edition and web site, actually is an independent organization, separating from the Michigan State University in 1971. It moved off campus and into its own building in 2005.

The State News Alumni Association will host a celebration the weekend of Sept. 12, 2009, in East Lansing, Michigan. A dinner is the main event, although football tickets may be available.

I'm promised no bagels or tacos will be served so perhaps some of the 50 or so people I worked with daily will show up. We won't have to make any food runs across the street, though perhaps some of us on buyouts, retirements or layoffs will be looking for change to purchase our tickets.

There were times when I thought my last year at at Michigan State University was 100 years long. That was the "year" I was editor-in-chief of the broadsheet published Mondays through Fridays. I put year in quotes because my appointment started early and ended late.

The final word

I was reminded of my longest year recently when a Facebook post asked if the newspaper's board of directors and editorial staff ever disagreed on the choice for editor.

It seems that the editorial department still gets to interview the editor applicants and recommend its top choice to the board of directors. But the board makes the final choice after it also interviews the candidates. Usually, the staff and board agree. Usually.

In January 2009, the board went with its own choice. Same thing happened in April 1976, when I was selected over the staff's unanimous selection.

Just say no

I was at Disney World for the first time when I got the call telling me the job was mine.

The next calls came from staff members lobbying me to not accept the position in the hopes that would force the board to appoint their choice. Others suggested I cut that vacation short and return to the newspaper right away instead of waiting to take the helm.

Later, though, I had the support of the staff. That helped when I faced an angry university president several times and had a few heated discussions with the board of directors. Oh, and I can't forget the lawyers.

MSU J school conflicts

Although many of the newsroom employees were enrolled in journalism school, there often were conflicts as employees chose newspaper experience over class assignments.

We worked at the separation of the school and the newspaper. Perhaps that is because the newspaper was still feeling its way to independence from the university.

I was surprised to learn that Jane Briggs-Bunting, who is the director of MSU's School of Journalism, is on the State News Board of Directors. That seems ripe for conflicts as the news organization frequently is at odds with the university. I'm hoping that's not why she's on the outs with the new dean of the College of Communication Arts.

1976 election night crew

Recently, I found a November 1976 election edition of The State News. That brought back memories of working late and pizzas.

I found bylines for Donna Bakun, Byron Baker, Jeanne Baron, Marti Benedetti, Kat Brown, Roxanne Brown, Alan Burlingham, Cathy Chown, Joni Cipriano, Anne Crowley, Jim DuFresne, Geoff Etynre, Phil Frame, Charlene Gray, Georgia Hanshew, Daniel Herman, Sean Hickey, Carole Leigh Hutton, Nancy Jarvis, Pat LaCroix, Joyce Laskowski, Ed Lion, Mike Macksood, Micki Maynard, Paula Mohr, Marna Moore, Janet R. Olsen, Bob Ourlian, Paul Novoselick, Judy Putnam, Tracy Reed, Marice Richter, Nancy Roger, Suzie Rollins, Edward Ronders, Mike Rouse, Michael Savel, Joe Scales, Laurie Scatterday, Ed Schreiber, Tom Shanahan, Don Spickler, Sue Steward, Anne Stuart, Michael Tanimura, Karla Vallance and Debbie Wolf.

There were photo credits for Dale Atkins, Laura Lynn Fistler and Linda Bray.

I worked with Ed Ronders at The Flint Journal and with others through Booth Newspapers. With the help of LinkedIn and Facebook, I even stay in touch with some of the crew.

Ironically, the 1976 newspaper also had a story about newspapers closing and facing dire times.

Tickets available

You can now order tickets to the Centennial celebration at the East Lansing Marriott at University Place, 300 M.A.C. Ave in downtown East Lansing. The reception begins at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m. $75 for alumni members and $100 for others.

The alumni reunion event will include induction of the newest members of our State News Hall of Fame, as well as a walk through the history of The State News and a look at what the newspaper is like today.

Can't wait? Take a look at multimedia presentation showing the history.

Journalist finds fun way to follow federal law enforcement?

A former Detroit News journalist took what he knew and created a specialty site that caught the attention of the (Detroit) Metro Times.

The magazine writes about ticklethewire, a web site that tracks federal law enforcement. It was started by Allan Lengel, who also worked for the Washington Post before turnng to this post-newspaper career.

Andrew Arena (pictured) , head of the Detroit FBI, talks about corruption and mortgage fraud in a showpiece now online.

TickleTheWire.com is named after a law enforcement term, which means to create a situation that will encourage targets of a probe to talk on a wiretapped phone.

Looks like it was 2008 when Flint was mentioned on the site.

Holding back: Why newspaper folks don't blog well?

It can be hard to find a print journalist who has made the transition to online blogging successfully. But I'd never considered equipment and the ability to choose your own software as barriers until reading "Developing ownership for better blogging."

Adam Tinsworth argues that the structure of the news business - top-down management and corporate-owned computer equipment and chosen software - makes it tougher for news bloggers to make their blogs their own.

"For the blogger the laptop is their portable office, a communication device that is an extension of themselves (witness the huge degree to which many bloggers customize their laptops with stickers). For journalists, it's another reminder of the fact that everything they do is someone else's."

Does the same hold true for corporate bloggers? They, too, often thrive in similar companies. Or are the best bloggers outside corporate walls?

Robert Niles also posted recently on Why newspaper columnists don't make good bloggers. He starts with the premise that they ought to be perfect for the role:

"the best write in a lively voice and forge a strong connection with their readers. Their work build an ongoing conversation with the communities they cover. Frankly, they've been blogging (in print) since long before anyone other than academics and soldiers went online."

The blog post followed a presentation at the National Society of Newspaper Columnists conference on Tips on Branding Yourself. Niles and his cospeaker told the group that it comes down to the public's perception of its relationship with the writer.

"That what matters most in determining your online success is how your work is understood and acted upon by its audience - more than what your intention with the work was or the process that you used to create it. You can do work you believe to be great, but if no one reads it or no one who does cares, what was the point?"

Niles also suggested that the columnists ask folks to share experiences, not opinions, to keep conversations going.

He also reminded folks about one thing I think print folks find it hard to do: leave the silo and go where the community is. That's right, participate on other blogs, other forums, other sites.

Power of passion, frustrations of print: Student journalists pursue rumor that j-school's director asked to resign

The news that the new head of Michigan State University's College of Communication asked the director of the journalism school to resign frustrated a lot of journalism students this week.

First, the State News, the independent news organization at MSU, was on a production break. Its posted story on July 2 invited readers to come back July 6 for an update (though commenters did their best to offer pieces of theory and news.)

Equally frustrating was the lack of a formal answer or even a Tweet from the new dean or the official press department.

Then, there was the question of when was the decision known. A tweet on June 24th led to the message that #jbb was "C'est fini !"

At one point students in the School of Journalism were asking if that director, Jane Briggs-Bunting, would be proud of their use of social media for spreading the word of her ouster. Two hash tags #jbb and #briggs-bunting spread quickly on Twitter. Then a Facebook group to save journalism at the school was created. (That's where the image comes from, uploaded and created by Jayne Salk.)

1. 
   egim anyone know anything on jbb being forced to resign b/c the j-school wants to move in a new direction????? 02 Jul 2009 from web
2. 
   jwswrites A lesson in how Twitter can take control of your msg before you do. #CASfail Good teaching moment 4 academia, except academia is the prob 02 Jul 2009 from TweetDeck
3. 
   jwswrites I think #JBB would be proud of the tenacity of students to report #CASfail. JRN stu's doing what they're supposed to, ?-ing & informing 02 Jul 2009 from TweetDeck
4. 
   aribadler C'mon State News, dig in! RT @thesnews: Jane Briggs-Bunting, Director of (MSU) School of Journalism, asked to resign http://bit.ly/1891pf 02 Jul 2009 from TweetDeck

-- this quote was brought to you by quoteurl

Even the student newspaper, The State News, seemed frustrated in its article on the resignation. An article Friday in the Lansing State Journal quoted Briggs-Bunting as saying she had a contract through next summer but confirmed she had been asked to step down.

The Journal quoted Briggs-Bunting saying:

""I'm very concerned. We are one of the schools at the cutting edge of redefining journalism. I really would hate to see that momentum slowed."

Briggs-Bunting and the rest of the staff had created a plan to revise the curriculm for the 2010 school year. The faculty and staff had been learning themselves at Faculty Bytes and events like a three-day video journalism workshop they took with instructor, Robb Montgomery.(See video)

The Lansing State Journal said that the dean refused comment and quoted this statement from Terry Denbow, vice president of university relations.

"Dean (Pamela) Whitten has requested that Jane Briggs-Bunting step down as director of the School of Journalism. Dean Whitten looks forward to working with Briggs-Bunting and the journalism school faculty to optimize an efficient and effective leadership transition."

The Journal quoted Denbow, saying decision was about Briggs-Bunting's administrative role.

There was speculation as only the School of Journalism's director's name was missing from the college's Who We Are page. (though she was still listed on the school's opening page and its people page as late as Friday night.) Briggs-Bunting, whose tenure means she remains a professor regardless, told the Journal she wasn't sure what her decision would be.

Pamela Whitten was appointed June 19, with her first day July 1 She came to MSU in 1998, most recently serving as professor in the college’s Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media and associate dean for research and graduate studies.

Briggs-Bunting hasn't been sleeping since coming to lead at Michigan State University in 2003. (She replaced Steve Lacy, who returned to teaching after five years at the position.)

The school was reacredited by the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. The school hosted events with American Press Institute and its ReThink the News, a daylong symposium on the future in May.

The Ph.D. students from Robb Montgomery on Vimeo.

A new ReThink the News was planned for Sept. 11, a prelude to the State News, the independent student newspaper's 100th anniversary celebration. (Briggs-Bunting also is president of the Board of Directors for the State News.)

Briggs-Bunting often used contacts from her years in the business to get opportunities for students.

(update: see comment from Bonnie about this) In 2007, MSU journalism students participated in a live blog hosted at www.detnews.com/debateblog

during the CNN/YouTube Republican Presidential Primary Debate

Also in 2007 was the launch of the Innovation Incubator, funded by the Knight Foundation to foster creative thinking about solutions to digital news problems at seven universities.

Criticism at the State News article pointed to a change in focus away from research under her tenure and a changing faculty, including the hiring of three white males.
Research and attracting money for research was one of the strategic highlights in a recent College of Communications Arts publication, The Story. (And though the newspaper allows commenters to connect to a Facebook profile, it is not required and most of the comments critical of Briggs-Bunting are not linked.

Among the faculty leaving was journalism Associate Professor Kim Piper-Aiken's who left after she learned she would not be awarded tenure status due to not completing research or creative scholarship. , accordnig to an April 2007 State News article.

In 2005, an ex-employee was charged with and then pled guilty to embezzlement at the School of Journalism.

In 2003, Briggs-Bunting was inducted into the MSU Journalism Hall of Fame.

Who knows what will happen. The developing events certainly are one lesson many MSU students won't need a final to study for to remember the effect of being left out of the story.

---

Note: I am a 1977 graduate of the School of Journalism at Michigan State University. I've spoken at several classes since and volunteered on a few projects and events.

---

Related post

• I've written about the journalism school and Briggs-Bunting before, including these posts:
• What would you tell a college student today?
• Why May for Advance pension decisions
• Spring ritural: Visit MSU for burst of journalism inspiration

The week without newspapers?

The plan was for a week without newspapers - from Saturday July 4 to Friday July 10, 2009, - to draw "attention to the threat posed to democracy by the loss of professionally staffed and ethically bound American newspapers. "

TJ Sullivan explained why on Feb. 6 he decided to seek he support to ask "the owners and operators of each and every daily American newspaper and The Associated Press asked to shut down their Web sites to non-paying subscribers for a period of one week.

There's a list of 51 other places that talked about the effort.

One virtual petiton gathered 431 signatures and TJ Sullivan explained in another blog post why journalists were not backing the effort.

But even those who understood the signifiance of showing the effect of newspapers on democracy were not sure withholding the news from non-paying customers on the web would work. Listen to Kevin Ulrich on the Pasadena Weekly site:

"What I don’t know is if this is the right time to make a potentially self-wounding statement by shutting down Web sites — no matter how true, important and necessary that statement may be."

In the end, even "Know Newspapers - Official site of the petition to unplug" is empty. The YouTube video is gone, the Know Newspaper blog is black, blank.The Twitter account empty. A short message awaits some.

So, please, go fire your firecracks, light your sparklers, enjoy your Fourth. Perhaps, later there will be time to think about ways to ensure every community will get news with more meaning then which star died this week.

Updated: month brings new price for Oregonian, hellos and goodbyes for Grand Rapids Press

Twitter reaction was swift and sour to a July 1 price increase for the Oregonian bought at the box or in the store. The price went up a 25 cents, now requiring a $1 weekdays.

Oregon Media Central compared similar sized newspapers and prices charged.

At least this Advance Publications community gets to keep a daily newspaper.

Meanwhile, back in Michigan, a Grand Rapids Press sports writer plead guilty in a case involving him growing marijuana at home. Dave Mayo will get his job back as a sports writer. At least one Grand Rapids radio station reported that publisher Dan Gaydou will write about the handling of the case on Sunday. (Update: The reporter is writing the column).

Gaydou is quoted in a story by the Grand Rapids Press, saying:

"Dave Mayo will return to work at The Press next week after answering to the court regarding the legal complaints made against him."

There also was a sendoff Tuesday for 11 reporters and columnists at that Grand Rapids paper.

Free From Editors also posted a short piece on the sendoff and sports writer.

The hello would be for Paul Keep, who left his publisher/editor role at the nearby Muskegon Chronicle for the editor's job at the Press. That move and the retirement of the longtime editor Mike Lloyd were blogged earlier.

On a personal note, my daughter's opinion on insurance and cancer is back on the Obama site after being missing for five days. Just one more surprise in a string of surprises.

Have a great day. I'm back on the road for much of today.

(Updated at 7:30 a.m. with links and a few details)

Digital Journalism Camp Now Free at The Oregonian | Oregon Media Central

The Oregonian will expand the pool of journalists with desired skills with a free digital skills camp.

I noticed the event on Upcoming and Twitter. Then I spotted more info on a new Oregon media site - Oregon Media Central

First reaction: Nice to see the Advance Publication offering instruction at a great price.

Correction (July 27): Nice to see the Advance Publication news organiation in Oregon providing the space to the organizers so that camp can be free.