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More than 40 years after her college graduation, alumna Delores Jones, ’76, has never wavered in her support of �鶹��ѡSchool of Media and Journalism students.

As a student, she was a journalism major with a concentration in public relations and became very involved in the public relations curriculum, serving as vice president of Kent State’s Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

Assistant Professor Kaatie Cooper, Ph.D., envisions a world where journalists and scientists work together to better inform the public about environmental issues. She’s working toward that vision through her research, which examines how mass media affects environmental issues, especially in documentary work.

Recent graduate Dakota Varney, ‘23, spent the spring 2023 semester practicing his photography and multimedia skills in one of Northeast Ohio’s treasures: the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP).

Varney, a journalism major with a photojournalism minor, was in an elective class on recreational parks when he learned of the opportunity to work at CVNP.

Students in the School of Media and Journalism are exposed to hands-on class experiences that give them the opportunity to explore their identities through storytelling.

Recent graduates Gabby Jonas, ’23, and Reegan Saunders, ’23, both had the opportunity to craft and share deeply personal stories during their college careers.

Four �鶹��ѡstudents and alumni were recognized among the best in collegiate journalism for the 2022-23 academic year, placing in the Hearst Journalism Awards competition.

The are known as the “Pulitzer Prize of Collegiate Journalism,” and recognize outstanding student work in categories spanning writing, multimedia, audio, television and photojournalism.

�鶹��ѡstudent Sophia Lucente, '24, has dreamed of becoming an international photojournalist since starting college. A junior journalism major with minors in media advocacy and photojournalism, she got her first taste of what this career might be like on a study abroad course to Colombia with the School of Peace and Conflict Studies in early 2023. 

With fake news running rampant across the country, organizations like the News Literacy Project are on a mission to create better informed, more engaged and more empowered individuals. This spring, �鶹��ѡpublic relations students earned national recognition for their work creating a campaign that advanced this non-profit’s mission. 

Sophie Young, ’23, a senior in the School of Media and Journalism, has always admired the New York Times and everything about it (including the Wordle).

“It’s a lot of what I consume,” she says. “I get three different New York Times emails in my Inbox every day, and I’ve been reading them for a long time.”