Journalism Major

Journalism

Journalists are reporters, watchdogs and storytellers. At Kent State, as students cover real stories with the latest technology, they gain the experience they need for jobs in journalism and related media fields. to prepare them for these roles and for jobs of the future. 

CONCENTRATIONS | ALUMNI

Kent State student journalists rank high among their peers in national competitions. Our student newspaper and television station have each been named best in the nation in the last three years. Students have been recognized as among the best in the nation and region in sportswriting, photography and in-depth reporting.  Read more about our recent honors and rankings.

Students take classes in Franklin Hall, situated on the edge of campus near downtown. Students work collaboratively every day in our multimedia student newsroom, television studio, magazine offices, radio station and business office. Students also have access to video editing suites with virtual reality capabilities, sound editing and recording labs and a fully stocked equipment check-out room/training lab. 

Kent State is home to one of only three accredited journalism and mass communication schools in Ohio. Our program prepares students for media and communication careers in emerging mediums, which are projected to grow through 2026, due to the demand for creating, editing and disseminating information across platforms. 

View Journalism Requirements

Our Alumni

Kent State journalism alumni have won 12 Pulitzer Prizes over the years and work in a diverse collection of news and multimedia operations across the globe: 

  • Managing Editor, USA TODAY Network 
  • Live Content Creator, Major League Baseball 
  • National Projects Designer, GateHouse Media 
  • Photo Editor, Senior Producer, NPR 
  • Multimedia/online reporting, producing and social media, Boston Globe, Vice Media, Forbes.com, Washington Post, National Geographic, The Athletic 
  • Reporting and producing for daily news outlets in major cities, Las Vegas, Columbus, New York City, Seattle 
  • Editing and design for magazines and trade publications on solar energy, tourism, wildlife, automotive, landscaping 

Read more about our alumni

Concentrations

Students can choose from one of these concentrations:

Broadcast Journalism

Students learn to report, write and produce news for television, radio and sites that rely on video and audio. Students may work at TV2, which broadcasts news daily on a local cable network, Black Squirrel Radio and Kentwired.com. Some key courses include: Interviewing and Data for Journalists, Storytelling with Sound, Broadcast Performance, Reporting Public Policy and Broadcast Documentary. 

Recent broadcast journalism internships our students have held: Investigative News - KSAN (Austin, TX); Live Programming - The Weather Channel (Atlanta); Field Production - WEWS (Cleveland); C-SPAN (Washington, D.C.) 

Emerging Technology

Intersecting technology and journalism, students can try their hand at augmented reality-based storytelling, mobile app content and advanced data visualization. Courses may include: Human-Computer Interaction, Big Data, Investigative Reporting, Media Enterprise, Web Programming for Multimedia Journalists. Students can gain experience on campus with any of our student media outlets, including magazines, KentWired.com and our film production company, KSUIF. 

Recent internships in emerging technology our students have held include: Digital internships at ESPN headquarters, WKYC-TV (Cleveland) and Yahoo! News (NYC) 

Magazine and Multimedia

Students learn reporting, writing and editing for digital and print, including multimedia skills and working with data. Students can gain hands-on experience at any of several student-run magazines, including A Magazine, The Burr, Fusion, Luna Negra, and Uhuru. They can also work for the Kent Stater and Kentwired.com as reporters and editors (leadership roles). 

Recent magazine and multimedia internships our students have held: Fast Company magazine, Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, People Magazine, WKSU (public radio), Ohio Magazine, Carnegie-Knight News21 (investigative online journalism fellowship). 

Photojournalism

Students study the visual aspects of news reporting and storytelling. A dynamic portfolio is needed to break into this career, and JMC courses are geared toward producing portfolios. Photojournalism students are eligible for the Wallace J. Hagedorn Scholarship in Photography, a competitive merit- and need-based scholarship supporting tuition costs and enriching, out-of-classroom experiences to help photography students develop strong portfolios. Incoming students can apply for tuition scholarships, and after a year in the program, students can apply for scholarships to fund experiential, portfolio-building opportunities. 

Learn more about the Wallace J. Hagedorn Scholarship in Photography.

Recent photojournalism internships include: Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting; mlive.com (Michigan news); Boyd Station 306.36 Visual & Writing Documentary Project 

First Destination: Class of 2021

  • Jenna Borthwick

    Jenna Borthwick

    Next Destination: Associate Producer at News 5/WEWS Cleveland

    Learn More

  • Alex Gray

    Alex Gray

    Next Destination: Producer-in-Residence at KGV Portland, Oregon

    Learn More

  • Molly Heideman

    Molly Heideman

    Next Destination: Reporter at West Life Newpaper

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  • Melissa Meyers

    Melissa Meyers

    Next Destination: Multimedia Journalist at WBTW News 13 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

    Learn More
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