The 50th anniversary of Rolling Stone magazine will be celebrated and examined in a new class being offered through Kent State’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication this fall.

“Music, Movements and Media: Rolling Stone @ 50,” is a specialized, one-credit-hour course with preference being given to JMC majors and minors.

The course will partner with Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which will also have a 50th anniversary exhibit honoring the magazine.

The five-week course will include an in-class trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as a guest lecture by Jason Hanley, vice president of education and visitor engagement at the Rock Hall.

“This is not only an iconic magazine,” said Stephanie Smith, an assistant professor in JMC and the instructor of the upcoming course. “This is the birth of rock journalism and — more importantly — it is the epicenter of music, media and social movements.”

Rolling Stone produces in-depth articles on social activism, the environment and different music phenomenons which are pertinent to what millennials care about. Smith said she  believes JMC students will benefit greatly from analyzing these pieces and how they affect change.

“To move the industry forward, you must take risks,” Smith said. “We want to study what is going on there.”

Students can plan on learning the origins of Rolling Stone, theorizing on how the magazine will stay relevant in this new era of journalism and analyzing the writing and impact the stories have on society.

“Along the way, we’re going to have a lot of fun talking about Rock and Roll,” Smith said.

Kent State students can register for Fall 2017 classes beginning April 3. The course registration number is JMC ST 40095 / 60195. For more information, visit the Kent State JMC press release.

Molly Spillman is the CCI reporter, contact her at [email protected].