President Lester Lefton spoke with the Plain Dealer Executive Team yesterday afternoon as they ate lunch in the Hirsch Lab. The team toured a renovated Franklin Hall, including the Cleveland Plain Dealer classroom. ELIZABETH MYERS | DAILY KENT STATER

Credit: DKS Editors

The Plain Dealer executive staff came to Franklin Hall yesterday to see the updated building and talk to the faculty about how to help prepare students for their future.

Shirley Stineman, director of community affairs, said the Plain Dealer donated money, and Kent State decided, based on the value, to create the Plain Dealer classroom. The money was put into a fund that will support the classroom for years to come.

James Gaudino, dean of the College of Communication and Information, said he hopes Kent State has a lifelong friendship with the Plain Dealer because it is very important for the faculty and students.

In the past, Gaudino has spoken to several publications about how to prepare students to enter the job market. This was the first sit-down meeting with a publication to discuss how to better prepare students. Gaudino has also had discussions with the Akron Beacon Journal and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and will speak to the Washington Post. The main thing professionals bring up is how important convergence is for students.

“They want to make sure students are good storytellers,” Gaudino said, “but students need to be able to tell the story online, in print and through pictures.”

Plain Dealer editor Susan Goldberg said students need to be prepared to report and disseminate the news for the Web, newspapers and on television.

“I love the (Kent State) newsroom,” Goldberg said. “It is such an improvement from when I went to Michigan State.”

Stineman said she is excited and pleased to support Kent State.

“Many of our staff have come from Kent State,” Stineman said, “so it is important to give input for the workforce of tomorrow.”

Jeff Fruit, director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said the Plain Dealer and Kent State discussed many follow-up opportunities to collaborate. They plan to work on advocacy of the First Amendment access, internships and to discuss future collaboration in the Scholastic Journalism program.

Contact the College of Communication and Information reporter Brittany Senary at [email protected].