© 2025 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Inside Michigan Politics owner Susan Demas explains Ballenger dismissal

Bill Ballenger photo
WKAR
Bill Ballenger appeared last night on WKAR-TV's coverage of the State of the State address. He's been dismissed by Inside Michigan Politics publisher Susan Demas.

Bill Ballenger will no longer be part of the Inside Michigan Politics newsletter that he founded. Current publisher Susan Demas explains why Ballenger will no longer be part of the publication.

The Inside Michigan Politics newsletter is ending its relationship with founder-contributor Bill Ballenger. The newsletter’s current owner and publisher, Susan Demas, disclosed the move early Wednesday morning. She fired Ballenger after he said on various media on Tuesday that the Flint water crisis is “overblown.”

Though she announced the dismissal with a “heavy heart,” Demas called the remarks “indefensible.”

Current State’s Mark Bashore talks with Susan Demas about Ballenger’s status.

Related Content
Every WKAR News story you read is rooted in fact-based, local journalism, produced without commercial influence and available for free to everyone in mid-Michigan. No paywalls. Ever.

But this work doesn’t fund itself. With significant cuts to federal funding, public media is facing a critical moment. If you believe in journalism that serves the public interest, now is the time to act. Donate today.