History

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 Coté, a member of the Booth Newspapers State Capitol Bureau for 15 years. Coté joined the full-time faculty of the School of Journalism in 1986, after receiving a doctorate in American Studies.