New ‘Blog’ and Podcasts Highlight RIT News

Rochester Institute of Technology invites Rochesterians with RIT ties, along with any others interested in a look “behind the scenes” of RIT news, to visit online.

The university’s news and public relations division has launched a revamped Web log (“blog”), The Tiger Beat, featuring “the story behind the story” of RIT news and regularly updated commentary by RIT’s team of a dozen writers, photographers and editors. (A blog is an online journal, intended for public consumption, typically featuring the views of one or more regular contributors, links to other Web sites, and written feedback from readers.) Visitors to the RIT blog, at http://www.thetigerbeat.com, are invited to add their comments to blog conversations.

One of the first RIT news podcasts features audio from the most recent WITR-FM (89.7) broadcast featuring RIT President Albert Simone. (Podcasts are audio broadcasts available for free via online subscription or individual downloading.) During the hour-long “Ask Al” program—featured quarterly on the campus radio station during the academic year—Simone answered questions live from listeners on topics ranging from RIT’s newest Ph.D. programs to the election of a new RIT Student Government president.

Video coverage of the May 17 news conference at which Simone announced his retirement from RIT, effective in mid-2007, and the July 11 news conference announcing a $13 million gift to RIT’s College of Business from entrepreneur E. Philip Saunders is also available from RIT news.

Audio podcasts are accompanied by written transcripts, and video streaming is captioned for deaf and hard-of-hearing audience members.

Links to RIT’s news blog, podcasts and news conferences are accessible from http://www.rit.edu/news.

Note: More than 31,000 RIT alumni reside in the Greater Rochester area. The university enrolls more than 15,300 full- and part-time students and, with more than 2,800 workers, RIT is the Rochester area’s eighth largest employer.