RIT news when and where you want it

First blogging. Now podcasting. It’s an exciting time for University News as we venture into “new media” territory for news and information dissemination. (That’s especially true for people like me—when I began in radio, I wrote newscasts using a typewriter, edited audiotape with a razor blade, and cued up vinyl records on a turntable.)

In my first blog post back in March, I explained that a reason I had not previously embraced blogging was our blog’s prior lack of a defined purpose. Fortunately, we eventually identified our raison d’etre, and more of us are now blogging regularly.

Likewise, as we explore podcasting opportunities we don’t want to do it just for the sake of doing it. Rather, from the onset we strive to create podcasts on topics relevant to you.

So, as we continue to expand this blog—emphasizing the theme “Behind the Scenes of RIT University News”—and seek topics for podcasting, we want to know what you want from us. That’s a question we’ve pondered many times in University News, and it sparked my interest in a recent e-mail from Ford bearing the subject line “The My Ford Podcast is Here”:

Dear Michael,
Want to learn more about a Ford vehicle in the comfort of your own home, at your desk or on the go? Download a My Ford Radio podcast and learn more whenever, wherever you’d like. Kicking off My Ford Radio, meet the Ford Fusion. In our first podcast, you’ll learn about all the features this sedan has to offer, plus get detailed information on the Fusion’s interior, exterior, power and performance.

Let me first say that I love my Ford truck. But, upon reading the body of the e-mail, I can’t imagine ever wanting to listen to Ford’s commercial . . . ’er I mean podcast. I know commercials make the capitalism world go ’round, but c’mon. Does Ford really believe its commercial (let’s be honest about it) is compelling podcast content?

Click. Delete.

I offer Ford’s podcast as an example of what not to do. But they got one thing right: Podcasts are accessible whenever and wherever you are—an aspect of new media marking a paradigm shift from old media.

So, as we look to increasingly utilize new media, we invite you to tell us what you want from our podcasts and blog. Feel free to tell us here what you think, or send an e-mail to me at .