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Welcome! Jargon is the School of Media and Journalism's digital alumni newsletter. This page will be updated each month to include the most recent issue's highlighted stories.

An archive of printed editions (2012-2019) can be found here. Our News & Events page is updated continuously with the School's most recent news.

This Month's News Stories
Visiting Journalist in front of Franklin Hall
On the Front Lines of Fighting Russian Disinformation
Oct 15, 2021

Since the collapse of the USSR in the 1990s, Russia has launched several misinformation campaigns to regain lost satellite countries, specifically in the Baltic regions. Journalists such as Ruslanas Iržikevičius stand at the front to combat these campaigns to preserve democracy and his country’s independence. 

He recently visited Kent State's School of Media and Journalism.

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Alumni Spotlight

The School of Media and Journalism prepares its students with professional experiences, setting them up for successful futures. Here's how some alumni have taken that experience and made it their own after graduation.

Alumni Notes Submit Your Job Updates Submit a Story/Column Idea
Mike Jackson Portrait
Alumnus Mike Jackson Helps Advertisers Navigate America’s Changing Demographics
Oct 11, 2021

Alumnus Mike Jackson created 2050 Marketing to help clients to navigate the changing demographics in America as they relate to advertising and brand building. By the year 2050, the minority will be the majority in this country. Jackson wants to guide entrepreneurs through this transition and ensure that these voices are heard from every rung of the ladder.  

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Featured Alumni

Jeannette Reyes

Kent State alumna Jeannette Reyes, ’12, uses TikTok for fun outside of her television anchor responsibilities at FOX 5 Washington, D.C. Last October, Reyes posted a video with her husband using their “anchor talk” voices to decide on choices for dinner. She never expected her video to gain so much momentum.

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Tyler Pina

Less than 10 years ago, Tyler Pina was working on films at Kent State. Today, he’s an award-winning director in Los Angeles. Despite challenges that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was one of his busiest years yet.

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Duncan Kayaking in Hạ Long Bay, Vietnam

Kiana Duncan, ‘18, developed a passion for traveling during her time at Kent State University, always taking advantage of every opportunity she had to study abroad and get new experiences. Upon graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism in 2018, Duncan has been able to turn that love into her career.

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From the Field

We invite alumni and faculty to share insights on industry trends, world and national news and more, through a monthly column.

 Submit a Story/Column Idea

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Director's Note: Connecting a Deeply Committed Alumni Community

It wasn’t long after I joined the School of Media and Journalism (MDJ) in July 2020 that I started hearing stories about Jargon and fielding questions about when the next issue would appear. I quickly learned a lot about Jargon’s importance to alumni, faculty, friends and others.

Portrait of Stephanie Danes Smith

Communication Mattered on January 6. It Always Matters.

This reflection is by Stephanie Danes Smith, an Associate Professor in the College of Communication and Information. Before she began sharing her passion and vast knowledge of communication with Kent State students, she spent 27 years working for the U.S. Federal government, 25 of them with the CIA.

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