I love Grand Rapids. I was born and raised in the city and witnessed its transition into a medical mecca firsthand. So I am perhaps slightly biased on the issue of the expansion of MSU’s College of Human Medicine. Then again, I’m allowed to be biased; I don’t write newspaper headlines. I realize there are legitimate questions about the organization and execution of the move to Grand Rapids, but The State News has repeatedly used their front page as a pulpit to rail against the move. This is irresponsible.
The most recent article, ““A question of leadership” (SN 10/4) features a patient bemoaning the move and posing questions that seemed to be addressed at MSU administration. Later the article concludes with an MSU doctor’s ominous prediction that young faculty will leave MSU. Yet, the administrators’ answers seem to be included as an afterthought, as if their reasoning is not part of the story. The subheadings tell it all: “Seventy miles apart” and “Where’s the chair?” The real question is where is The State News’ journalistic integrity?
