James Renner virtually visits Justice in Pop Culture course

Students in Dr. Kristenne Robison’s Crime and Justice in Pop Culture course were virtually visited recently by James Renner, investigative journalist, author, and podcast host.  
 
Renner, who is a 2000 graduate of Kent State University, discussed his path to become an investigative journalist and true crime novelist, how he chooses his stories, and self-reflecting on the things he did wrong, and how these helped him change his process. He has covered many high-profile cases in northeast Ohio, including the unsolved abduction/murder of Amy Mihaljevic. He recently hosted ID Discovery Network’s Lake Erie Murders.  
 
“I designed this class and for the last month we have been examining the True Crime genre,” Robison said. “As I was choosing course material for that section, I thought to myself I should invite James Renner to class. I found his website and emailed him, and he graciously accepted.” 
 
According to Robison, the class was really connected and helped drive the discussion.   
 
“He was super engaging,” Robison said. “We learned about his non-profit, The Porchlight Project, that offers support for families of the missing and murdered, providing funding for new DNA testing and genetic genealogy for Ohio cold cases. 
 

POSTED: Thursday, February 25, 2021 12:28 PM
UPDATED: Friday, March 29, 2024 09:48 AM