University Accuses Medill Prof of Misleading in McKinney Case

iMediaEthics publishes international media ethics news stories and investigations into journalism ethics lapses.

Menu

Home » Conflict of Interest»

Medill Innocent Project former professor David Protess is teaching "underground." (Credit: Northwestern)

Northwestern University has accused Medill Innocence Project professor David Protess of misleading the university about information related to the Anthony McKinney case.  McKinney was sentenced to life in prison in 1978 after he was convicted of murder.

Protess has led the project, which tasks Northwestern University journalism students with looking into possible “wrongful convictions,” since 1999. Medill Innocence Project students started looking into McKinney’s conviction in 2003.

As iMediaEthics reported in November 2009, prosecutors issued subpoenas for some of the students’ information, work and reporting on the case of Anthony McKinney.  At the time, Protess argued that the Illinois shield law protects his students’ work from being turned over to prosecutors. A few months later, media outlets including the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune and the Washington Post signed a brief against the subpoena.

Northwestern University claimed last month that Protess “lied about what information was shared with McKinney’s attorneys.”  The university’s claims came after it had a law firm investigate “information provided by Protess to Lavine and University attorneys.” The university’s statement, in part, reads:

“The review uncovered numerous examples of Protess knowingly making false and misleading statements to the dean, to University attorneys, and to others. Such actions undermine the integrity of Medill, the University, the Innocence Project, students, alumni, faculty, the press, the public, the State and the Court.”

According to the university, Protess “altered a 2007 email sent” to McKinney’s lawyers before giving a copy of it to the university. Protess explained the changes to the e-mail as saying “the original wording did not reflect what he had meant.”

The university alleged that Protess gave more information to McKinney’s lawyers then he told the university he did. For example, the university stated that Protess gave “all student memos to Mr. McKinney’s lawyers” and “that doing so waived any claim of privilege.”  The university also claims Protess “repeatedly provided false and misleading information to the lawyers and the dean” including by altering a Dec. 2009 e-mail.

The university added:

“In sum, Protess knowingly misrepresented the facts and his actions to the University, its attorneys and the dean of Medill on many documented occasions. He also misrepresented facts about these matters to students, alumni, the media and the public.”

Background

According to Northwestern University, eleven people have been freed from prison sentences because of the project’s work.

Protess “was placed on leave for the spring quarter” and reportedly agreed to stop teaching at Northwestern, the Tribune reported.

However, he is currently teaching “underground” at an undisclosed Northwestern University location, the Chicago Tribune recently reported.

Protess Let 2 Students Lie About Identity

Besides the accusations of misleading officials, Protess has been accused of violating ethics standards because he let two students misrepresent themselves while investigating for the project, the Tribune noted.

Protess admitted that he did allow undercover reporting by his students twice but that it’s “a technique we will use infrequently…if there is no other way to get the story and there is a higher social good.” Protess reportedly added that the two instances weren’t for interviewing purposes but rather to get information like contact information for other people.

The Tribune noted that “more than 30 journalists and professors from around the country”  have backed Protess by signing a petition for an “independent investigation” of the charges against Protess. Chicago Reader added that the statement calls the university’s “handling of David Protess” similar to a “retaliatory campaign.” The petition letter can be read here on Poynter.

Submit a tip / Report a problem

University Accuses Medill Prof of Misleading in McKinney Case

Share this article:

คาสิโน
slot demo
sa gaming
tkb365
https://tkb399.com/login
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
ทำความรู้จักกับ
คาสิโน
สล็อต
tkb138
ซุปเปอร์สล็อต
sa gaming
https://www.hotelplayagolf.com/es/instalaciones/piscinas
tkb365
บาคาร่า
สล็อตเว็บตรง
บาคาร่า
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตฟรี
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต pg
สล็อตเว็บตรง
tkb138
คาสิโน
ซุปเปอร์สล็อต
tkb138
tkb365
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
changbet789
สูตรสล็อต pg ทดลองเล่นฟรี
สล็อต ดาวน์โหลด รับเครดิตฟรี
สล็อต
tkb138
https://www.hotelalbora.com/
https://tkb108.co/register
tkb696
เว็บบาคาร่าโดยตรง
changbet789
สล็อตทดลอง
pg
betflix
pg slot
สล็อต
sbobet
tkb138
https://titanium-hotel.com/
สล็อต
tkb138
taokaebet
tkb777
อันดับแรก
คาสิโน
changbet789
แจกเครดิตฟรี 100%
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตทุกค่ายฟรี
สล็อต
changbet789
tkb365
changbet789
finfinbet
changbet789
tkb108
tkbneko
สล็อต
สล็อต
ลองเล่นสล็อต
สล็อต
https://www.gday96.com/
สล็อตเครดิตฟรี
สล็อต888
สล็อต
โป๊กเกอร์ออนไลน์
บาคาร่าเว็บตรง
changbet789
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต pg
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตฟรี
tkb365
tkb365
tkb365
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
TKB96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
tkbsexy
tkbrich
tkbpussy
tkbpg
tkbfun
tkb96
tkb33
tkb9
tkb4
thb889
tkbking
tkb555
tkb365
changbet789
บาคาร่า
ลองเล่นสล็อต
sa gaming
คาสิโนออนไลน์สด
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต pg ซื้อฟรีสปิน
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
บาคาร่า
สล็อต เว็บตรงไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ไม่มีขั้นต่ำ
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
สล็อต
บาคาร่า
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
pg
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
sa gaming
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต100000
ตรงไปที่สล็อต
SA Gaming
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
บาคาร่า
สล็อต
สล็อตทดลอง
สล็อตทดลอง
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตทุกค่ายฟรี
คาสิโน
สล็อตออนไลน์
pg slot
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตทุกค่ายฟรี
แทงบอล