School of Journalism at Michigan State University

11/04/2026

MSU journalism students are making their mark on election coverage across Michigan! 📰

Through a collaboration between the American Communities Project, MSU journalism faculty member Dante Chinni, and WKAR (WKAR News) , students reported on voters and communities across the state ahead of the U.S. Senate race.

The first student story, focusing on Ingham County voters, is already published, with four students in Chinni’s independent study having stories featured on WKAR this past week.

We’re proud to see MSU journalism faculty, students and partners contributing to meaningful reporting that connects research, journalism and communities across Michigan and beyond!

11/04/2026

Focal Point News is live on election night now! join us for full election coverage!

It's election night across the country and the students at MSU have...

11/03/2026

MSU School of Journalism Assistant Professor of environmental communication Muhammad Ittefaq (Dr. Muhammad Ittefaq) was recently featured in a commentary published last month by the University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy examining climate diplomacy between the United States and Indonesia. (Institute of World Politics)

Written by Dr. Lamia Zia, professor at the University of Maryland and current Fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations (Council on Foreign Relations) in Indonesia, the commentary also cites Ittefaq’s recently published research on climate justice.

Read “When the Sky Turns Gray: Indonesia’s Opportunity for American Climate Diplomacy” , found on the USC Center on Public Diplomacy’s website, to learn more. 💚🤍

11/02/2026

Senior Professor of Practice Troy Hale recently released his latest film, “Humanity (1984/2026)”, which premiered at the MSU Museum on October 22. The film explores questions surrounding “mass surveillance, privacy, and how camera data collection and automated AI analysis will influence our future” (via MSU Museum).

The premiere generated considerable media attention, including coverage from two television stations, a news organization, and two radio stations. Hale has also participated in interviews with WKAR Radio and The Big Show with Michael Patrick Shiels.

The University of Illinois has since requested a screening of the film, while MSU Libraries has also expressed interest in obtaining a copy.

Congratulations! 💚🤍🎥

10/28/2026

Join the brand-new RSO, the Asian American Journalists Association at MSU, and MSU Libraries for an evening with Curtis Chin, award-winning author, filmmaker and storyteller TONIGHT from 7-8:30p in the Green Room (4th Floor West) of the MSU Main Library.

From television comedy to documentary filmmaking, Chin’s career spans an impressive range. His work has appeared in CNN, the Detroit Free Press and Bon Appétit. His latest documentary, Warren King: King of Cardboard, is currently the most-viewed film in PBS’s American Masters series.

Chin’s book, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant, has been named this year’s Great Michigan Read. His memoir reflects on growing up in the 1980s in Detroit, navigating xenophobia and homophobia while working in his family’s Chinese restaurant. Blending humor, Motown nostalgia and the stories that shape us, Chin’s work celebrates the power of storytelling to connect communities.

Bring a friend, classmate or colleague for an evening of conversation, storytelling and inspiration. Books will be available for purchase and signing. 💚🤍

10/22/2026

Join us live for Focal Point News student newscast from School of Journalism at Michigan State University.

Join us live for Focal Point News, covering stories all across Mid-...

10/21/2026

Join us TONIGHT, 10/21 from 5-7p at Beggar’s Banquet for Communication on Tap, sponsored by MSU ComArtSci ‘s Health and Risk Communications Center and the Ellis N. Brandt Endowment.

These informal talks will feature one of the Journalism School Post Docs, Javie Ssozi. You won’t want to miss it! 💚🤍

10/06/2026

A recently published study on the state of environmental journalism around the world, “Global Perspectives on Environmental Journalism: challenges, innovations, and the path to sustainable practice”, highlights Michigan State Journalism faculty’s promotional efforts:

“Institutional network visualizations reveal a structure of interagency research collaboration in which Michigan State University occupies the most central and influential position.”

Additionally, professors Eric Freedman and Bruno Takahashi are listed in Table 1.

“Moreover, Bruno Takahashi, of Michigan State University in the United States, stands out as a prolific scholar with a notably high mean citation rate (5.33),reinforcing the view that the institution serves as a global research hub in this field, particularly in relation to journalistic ethics and the challenges prevalent in the Latin American context.”

Congratulations on this achievement! 💚🤍

Ismandianto, I., Sikumbang, A. T., Nurjanah, N., &
Rubani, M. (2026). GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM:
challenges, innovations, and the path to sustainable practice. Brazilian
Journalism Research, 22(2), e1819. DOI: 10.25200/BJR.v22n2.2026.1819

10/02/2026

Held at WKAR Studios, the Nutrition, Opportunities, and Media (NOM) Food Forum brought together students, faculty, community members, farmers, chefs, media professionals and scholars for conversations about the connections between food, civic life and media representation.

As an extension of the LIFT Project (LIFT Project & Lift Lab), the forum explored how food can create connection and provide a shared space for meaningful dialogue around issues including food insecurity, politics and representation.

The day featured an inspiring lineup of speakers and conversations, including the MSU School of Journalism Neal Shine Ethics Lecture with Bon Appétit and Epicurious Editor-in-Chief Jamila Robinson (Jamila Robinson), a fireside chat with author and scholar Dr. Ashanté Reese (Dr. Ashanté M. Reese), and conversations with local farmers, chefs and food media creators.

The forum also showcased the creativity and scholarship of MSU Journalism and Advertising + Public Relations students, whose multimedia work explored the many ways food stories are told and shared.

The Forum truly demonstrated how food can bring people together and how storytelling can help us better understand the communities we share.

Swipe through for a look at the day!

10/01/2026

Focal Point News Student news is live at 6pm EDT from the School of Journalism at Michigan State University. Stay tuned!