2025 Wayne State in the media: A year of expertise, impact and global reach

DETROIT - Wayne State University's faculty and researchers continued to serve as trusted, go-to sources for journalists around the world in 2025. Reporters relied on Wayne State experts for clarity and insight on the year's biggest developments - from geopolitics and labor disputes to scientific breakthroughs, workforce trends, public health issues, community initiatives and campus news.

In total, more than 3,300 stories that featured or mentioned Wayne State were captured in 2025 by media outlets around the world, extending from Detroit's daily newspapers, television and radio to national media outlets like The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Fox News, CBS, NBC, ABC, Yahoo News, and numerous international outlets and higher education publications.

Included in the overall number were 1,131 stories that focused primarily or exclusively on the university, known as Tier I media placements. It is the third consecutive year that Wayne State surpassed 1,100 top-tier media hits.

The public relations team in University Communications and Marketing annually tracks and analyzes media activity content and geographical reach. Data is captured through several monitoring tools and identified by a tier structure - Tier I, II and III. Tiers II and III, though not focused entirely or exclusively on Wayne State, feature faculty experts commenting on trending topics - commonly referred to as pull quotes and sound bites.

The public relations team facilitates interview requests, develops monthly tip sheets, and distributes news releases to proactively engage WSU experts with local and national media.

More than 20 professors and administrators had 10 or more media hits each 2025. Labor expert Marick Masters, professor emeritus at the Mike Ilitch School of Business, led the way with 75 media hits.

On average, Wayne State registered 3.098 daily Tier I hits this year, which is slightly lower than last year's 3.106 daily average that established a record high in the 24 years since Wayne State began tracking media hits.

Here is a sample of major story topics and headlines:

Environment selected 2025 headlines:

• WSU-led researchers examine regional air quality and health disparities
• Health impact of shifting weather
• Air pollution and the risk of type 2 diabetes
• Michigan environmental groups push for stronger protections in urban green spaces
• Michigan issues hundreds of new warnings about pollution in fish

Business and economy selected 2025 headlines:

• The 8 biggest VC deals in Southeast Michigan last quarter
• Scathing report 'tarnishes' Shawn Fain's reputation as UAW reformer, expert says
• Detroit bakery wins $100,000 in Comerica Bank small business contest?
• Trade war, slumping border traffic: What does that mean for the Gordie Howe bridge?
• Cranes, a raid and automobiles: Hyundai's Georgia plant wraps wild first year

Research selected 2025 headlines:

• Ask the Author Q&A, Afraid: Understanding the Purpose of Fear and Harnessing the Power of Anxiety
• How reality TV changed the way we think - for the better
• WSU research team advances new diagnostic method for cancer detection
• Study: Michigan trauma survivors face widening mental health disparities
• How social media shows Gaza's graphic reality and is changing the way we see war

Community selected 2025 headlines:

• Wayne State to commemorate day of 'racial healing' with programming centered on 'Co-Liberation and Solidarity'
• What the first Thanksgiving really looked like - and why it didn't resemble today's feast
• Detroit reflects on Mike Duggan's tenure as his final days in the mayoral office near
• A group at WSU is using barbershops to educate Arab American men about colon cancer
• America is demolishing antiracism five years after the George Floyd uprisings

Student Success and Campus News selected 2025 headlines:

• Wayne State lands $50 million gift for engineering school
• For Wayne State commuters, a trip downtown promises campus, city life
• $200 million health sciences building planned for Wayne State University
• Wayne Law reaches historic high in U.S. News & World Report rankings
• New Wayne State program aims to remove college barriers for Detroit students

The public relations team offers free media training once a month throughout the year. Media training is designed to equip faculty, students and experts with the skills to effectively deliver messages, represent WSU positively and confidently engage with journalists. Click here to schedule a training session for you or your department.