Capital News Service
Experience is the key word in journalism, and MSU’s Capital News Service is one of the best places to get it. What began as an experimental program in the MSU School of Journalism has evolved into one of the school’s most innovative and challenging programs, providing both invaluable experience for students and a unique service to Michigan’s newspapers. CNS was launched in the fall of 1981 under the supervision of Dick Milliman, president of the Milliman Newspaper Group. CNS bears the mark of his interest in state government and politics. After Milliman’s pioneering work, the coordinating job was assumed by Bill Cot, a member of the Booth Newspapers State Capitol Bureau for 15 years.
Cot joined the full-time faculty of the School of Journalism in 1986, after receiving a doctorate in American Studies. In addition to weekly news stories, CNS students write in-depth articles on issues facing state government and their impact on taxpayers. Past stories on prison overcrowding, teacher certification, agriculture and budget proposals have gone statewide, and some have been picked up by the wire services. Weekly newsmakers sessions serve as exclusive press conferences for CNS reporters. In addition, the students spend time in the newsroom/classroom getting background on current issues and the workings of state government. They are briefed on how the Legislature operates and why it sometimes fails to operate.
For more information, please visit http://cns.jrn.msu.edu