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| Company type | Wire service |
|---|---|
| Founded | Fall 1981 |
| Headquarters | East Lansing, Michigan, United States |
Key people | Eric Freedman |
| Owners | Michigan State University |
| Website | news |
The Capital News Service (CNS) is a wire service based at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. CNS covers news at the state capital in Lansing and across Michigan for member papers from September to early May. The circulation of the combined member papers is one of the largest in the state—larger than the Detroit Free Press. The service is headed by Eric Freedman, a Pulitzer-winning reporter formerly of The Detroit News. Correspondents are selected from undergraduate and master's students within the School of Journalism and College of Communication Arts and Sciences by an application process. During each semester, correspondents report on state government, politics and public policy for daily and weekly newspapers and online news outlets across Michigan.
Articles on topics ranging from prison reform and education budgeting to environmental issues. Story ideas for these articles and the shorter weekly pieces are gathered from individual research, as well as weekly newsmakers sessions. These unofficial “press conferences” feature speakers from different state government departments and policy groups. Past conference speakers have included the Department of Health and Human Services, the Michigan United Conservation Clubs and the Michigan League for Public Policy, among others.