University launches news blog, widens scope of campus coverage
- March 24, 2010
Reporting the news has changed since the days of morning papers and evening TV broadcasts. The latest tools are online, interconnected and frequently updated. In February, Cal State East Bay launched the , a new feature on its news Web site, taking advantage of new ways to share information and publicize the university.
Jay Colombatto, associate vice president for University Communications, said the news blog provides “a lively and continuous stream of brief news about the day-to-day life of CSUEB.”
In the past month, the news blog has highlighted speculative fiction workshops, accolades for the inclusive dance program, athletics fundraisers, new models for job design and compensation and an alumna’s work on an Oscar-nominated documentary, in addition to a number of other posts about events and people in the news.
The blog format is also an opportunity to share items of interest that don’t fall under traditional news categories, said Monique Beeler, associate director of public relations, citing recent entries that announced honors for alumni and provided links to faculty publications.
“A blog post can tell those stories in a few paragraphs and a link,” she said. “Having a channel for that kind of brief news allows us to publicize more of what happens at Cal State East Bay, including the impressive accomplishments of our faculty, students and alumni.”
The university will continue to report longer, more detailed stories through the news site and Cal State East Bay Magazine, Beeler said. Communications staff will also use the blog to follow up on older articles, provide updates and post reminders about events that have already been covered elsewhere.
Links to each blog entry are also posted on the university’s Twitter feeds and on Facebook groups to increase visibility. Readers can also subscribe to an RSS feed of all entries, or find the blog from a new link on the university home page.
Though the blog is a part of the overall news Web site, there are contributions from representatives from arts, athletics, student life and academics. Diane Daniel, publicist for the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences and a frequent blog contributor, said she particularly likes the “breezy style that lends itself to short items that wouldn’t be noticed before.”
“It’s filling a big void, and everyone loves it,” said Daniel.