The Flint water crisis has now made its way into international news, onto the agendas of presidential candidates and has exposed a major failure by Michigan’s government. Part of why so many people know about it is because of an investigative piece done by a passionate journalist, Curt Guyette, for the American Civil Liberties Union.

On March 29, Grand Valley State University will host Guyette, the groundbreaking journalist who first shed light on the toxicity of the city’s water. The event will be held at 4 p.m. in the Cook-Dewitt Center.

Guyette, a reporter with the ACLU, began his investigation by going door to door in different areas of Flint, Michigan, personally asking residents to check the water in their homes with lead-testing kits he provided. The results were alarming; residents were drinking lead-tainted water for over two years despite the Michigan government repeatedly assuring that the water was safe.

This year, Guyette received the Michigan Press Association Journalist of the Year award for his watchdog efforts to uncover the issues of government responsibility and crisis management.

Guyette will address his reporting efforts as well as a variety of topics in a discussion lead by Eric Harvey, assistant professor of multimedia journalism at GVSU.

Harvey said with an issue as complex as the Flint water crisis, the discussion will cover themes not only in journalism but those of the natural sciences, when it comes the testing of the water, and political science in the argument of government responsibility. The talk will also touch on sociology, dealing with the demographics of the area.

“I think people would be interested to understand how institutions have failed citizens in this case,” Harvey said. “Flint also has a significant African American population and I think they have traditionally been underserved by government agencies, and this is another case that certainly applies.”

After the discussion, the floor will be open for a question-and-answer session with Guyette. Attendees are encouraged to ask any questions regarding the issues discussed to further drive the conversation.

Multimedia journalism, a new program at GVSU, combines broadcast and print journalism techniques. Harvey said the program wants to offer events like this in order to provide the West Michigan area with an opportunity to learn about the real-world application of journalism and its importance.

Natalie Longroy, a multimedia journalism student, said the discussion is a great opportunity to learn about the subject outside of the classroom.

“Curt Guyette coming here is so beneficial, he brings real-world experience to young, aspiring journalists,” Longroy said. “I think GVSU should hosts more events like this because it’s more than the classroom will ever give me, it’s the real deal, hearing someone talk about the work they’ve done.”

The event is open to public, but seating will be limited, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early in order to secure a seat. There will be a live-stream available online, as well as a recording of the event that will air on Grand Valley Television, the university’s closed-circuit television station.