Best of CASE District V Award
 

Institution: Kent State University

Title of entry: Legacy: May 4

About this entry: "Legacy: May 4" leverages multi-channel storytelling to transform Kent State's defining tragedy into a powerful narrative of institutional evolution. Most storytelling to date merely revisits the 1970 shootings and the issues of the time. Kent State's new integrated content strategy reveals how this pivotal moment reshaped the university's very identity, embedding values of student-centeredness, global presence, and commitments to free speech, tempered by kindness and respect, into its DNA.

The centerpiece four-part audio documentary podcast anchors strategic content that includes an immersive website with curated multimedia resources, targeted social media video promotions, a timely opinion piece in Inside Higher Ed authored by Kent State President Todd Diacon, and his own reflective video tour of the May 4 Visitors Center. This coordinated approach connects Kent State's past to contemporary campus unrest, demonstrating the enduring relevance of lessons learned from tragedy.

Targeting both the extended Kent State community seeking to understand positive institutional evolution and the global audience that makes the 1970 shootings the university's top search topic, this narrative strategy provides multiple entry points for diverse audiences to engage with Kent State's story.

Through sophisticated "theater-of-the-mind" techniques, archival audio, and international reporting from Rwanda, Brazil, and Cambodia, "Legacy: May 4" achieved remarkable cross-platform engagement: 62.54% podcast homepage engagement, strong podcast retention rates, and significant social media interaction. Most powerfully, it positioned Kent State as a thought leader during nationwide campus protests in 2024, demonstrating how institutions can transform challenging histories into authentic expressions of contemporary values and mission.