Medill Dean John Lavine issued a statement Wednesday apologizing for "poor judgment" in using an anonymous student quote that has raised controversy inside and outside the journalism school.
The letter appeared the day after a statement from 17 Medill faculty members called the situation a "crisis" and demanded an explanation from Lavine.
In a Feb. 11 column in The Daily, Medill senior David Spett had raised questions about Lavine's use of an anonymous quote in a letter in the Medill alumni magazine.
Lavine said the quote was from a student praising a marketing class, but Spett said he contacted all 29 students in the class without finding the source of the quote.
Since the column appeared, Lavine has denied charges of fabrication, saying the quote came from an e-mail he had deleted or notes he could not find.
"I have been in journalism for more than 40 years as a reporter, editor, publisher and educator," Lavine wrote in an e-mail to Medill students and faculty Wednesday evening. "I do not make up quotes."
Medill Prof. David Protess, who helped create a faculty statement issued Tuesday, called Lavine's e-mail "a positive first step, but only a first step."
The faculty statement will continue to circulate and gather signatures, he said.
As the controversy has unfolded, some faculty members have raised questions about the process of writing the statement and the reporting on which the inquiry is based.
Prof. Jack Doppelt, who teaches a law and ethics course, and Prof. Steven Duke, the head of Medill's newspaper sector, declined to comment on why they had not signed.
Other professors did not see the e-mail in time to add their names or, like Prof. Ava Greenwell, needed to think it over more.
Prof. David Nelson, who also did not sign, said a meeting should have been held before the statement was released to the media.
"When you have a situation that is considered to be controversial or a crisis, it's incumbent on the faculty to call a full faculty meeting," Nelson said.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Matt Baron
posted 2/21/08 @ 9:14 AM CST
A very well-done story....Did I read correctly that David Spett can note the exact time when he contacted students? I look forward to someone digging into his reporting----if it's as thorough as it sounds, then that should be something that is also probed and confirmed. (Continued…)
alumwriter
posted 2/21/08 @ 10:40 AM CST
Am I reading this correctly that David Nelson, a Medill journalism professor, believes it is impossible to reach 29 people? Spett said he had the class list. (Continued…)
sean
posted 2/24/08 @ 2:13 AM CST
sounds like Dean Lavine's block wardens are trying to scare the faculty. he won't be happy until he gets rid of Journalism. I can't wait until my kid applies to the Medill School of IMC. (Continued…)
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