Music, Movements and Media: Rolling Stone @ 50, wrapped up its final class at the end of week five. Throughout the course, Assistant Professor Stephanie Smith taught students about the birth of rock journalism, connections between music and movements, audience engagement of the magazine and social influence.
Kent State’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC) partnered with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland for the course. In week three, the class received a private tour of Rock Hall to examine the iconic images throughout the museum and the visual storytellers of Rolling Stone. Students were able to speak with the museum’s director of visual engagement, vice president of education and chief curator.
Near the middle of the course, students learned that Jann Wenner, majority owner of Rolling Stone, would be selling his controlling interest in the magazine. The students reacted by writing advice for the magazine’s new owners in a blog post on Medium: https://medium.com/@KSURollingStoneAt50Class/being-jann-wenner-a-manifesto-from-kent-states-rolling-stone-50-class-a63443ae7184
For more information about the class, read an article published in the Record-Courier:
http://www.record-courier.com/news/20171002/class-examines-rolling-stones-50-years