A quick follow-up on the story Guy Benson wrote about on this blog earlier:
[Northwestern University’s provost’s office] has opened an investigation into the journalistic practices of its journalism dean, the Chicago Tribune reported. The dean, John Lavine, has faced growing criticism since the student newspaper, The Daily Northwestern, raised questions last week about quotations attributed to anonymous students that he used in columns for his alumni magazine.
In the quotations, students extolled new courses that were part of a controversial curriculum overhaul at Northwestern’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism . . . A number of Medill School alumni protested the curricular changes . . .
On Tuesday, 16 faculty members . . . [wrote] that they were “deeply troubled” about Mr. Lavine’s use of anonymous sources and called on him to provide proof that he did not fabricate the quotes.
(Disclosure: Both Benson and I are alumni.)
UPDATE: More news; Lavine apologized for using an anonymous quote, but:
He does not provide the name of the student, adding that “I do not make up quotes.” He has said the quote came from a deleted e-mail message or lost notes.