school of media and journalism
![Ben Vrobel](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/Ben2_0.jpg?VersionId=8Me9Fm85XAnRATEUMaQvi7VjAv96t84A&h=21de3691&itok=vNM_PTtF)
Esports has transformed online gaming into a spectator sport — and a projects the industry will be worth $3.5 billion by 2025.
![Marz Anderson](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/Marz1.jpg?VersionId=YaPl9ZWper6mL3atWzlb9gyM0DJO.1xo&h=4a7d1ed4&itok=sijb9C1u)
Students in the School of Media and Journalism recently received recognition from two prestigious student journalism competitions: The Hearst Journalism Awards and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Mark of Excellence Awards.
![Students next to library lit up red](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/library-red.jpg?VersionId=_1hllX4Evafn9rzs_fliZB59RI4h1.__&h=4a7d1ed4&itok=7M80-4GE)
![Zaria Johnson](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article_thumbnail/zaria2_0.jpg?VersionId=0Cb1zvhPC7m1u3CL9smV67uh9KFyei_I&h=4a7d1ed4&itok=GGcSoWdB)
![Emily Metzgar photo with Jargon overlay](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/academic-group/metzgar5_0.jpg?VersionId=_W1PToQKWiyHqpeoRcX33Alzn5SaYbwG&h=e16b5344&itok=cfLCOKte)
The argument for studying journalism has never been stronger. Just a quick glance at the news makes the case. We’re training students who will graduate equipped with strong writing skills – still the number one most important skill set according to all employers with whom I interact; technical skills to communicate using whatever equipment, software and tools are available; and the ethical decision-making skills necessary to function in a world where decisions are rarely cut and dry.
![Anna Huntsman interviews Cleveland Clinic ICU physicians](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/ahuntsman.jpg?VersionId=.LX.N1HrLOAx4OgJoJ5d2QXzse2ENENC&h=4a7d1ed4&itok=ozwKEYG1)
For recent journalism graduates, the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped their entry into the news industry. Young MDJ alumni have focused much of their professional careers on the pandemic, mostly with a Northeast Ohio angle — not just on case numbers or other statistics, but also on the effects on the economy, businesses and the healthcare industry.
![Jacquie Marino](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/jmarino-header.jpg?VersionId=uatPQWIu5D0WTB5.uXSwxCnQSmbybQfw&h=4a7d1ed4&itok=Mq4QJCuc)
![Two First Place Winners](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/Media%20and%20Movements_1.jpg?VersionId=ipGTeFpNw9HAfyKLeAHQlHL_BHJTwXAX&h=4a7d1ed4&itok=HHHv4jyQ)
![Image of downtown Kent ice skating rink](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/icerink_0.jpg?VersionId=5hUWJmNMOytKy2nz2.QS.9YlVOSxgNFD&h=e6f36a9c&itok=FlsqmtJU)
![Portrait of Mike Jackson](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/mikejackson1500x600.jpg?VersionId=FUI4mTR4FVNtzU4DtCFVTn5b8UJXMqg.&h=e6f36a9c&itok=Cwc8v7Wi)
Kent State alumnus Mike Jackson, innovator and marketing communications executive, is joining ¶¶MÅ®ÆÍ’s School of Media and Journalism as a professional-in-residence this spring. He is teaching two classes and will serve as adviser to the student organization Franklin Advertising.