The University’s media relations department recently introduced USF’s official blog (http://www.usfnews.typepad.com/), with videos, podcasts and short articles to keep the USF community and the media up to date on what’s happening around the University.

The blog, which was launched last week, is the brainchild of Ken Gullette, director of University Relations.

“We’re trying to develop more of a sense of community, and we’re trying to develop a place where people and the media can go to see what’s happening,” he said.

Gullette said that anyone interested in receiving University news can subscribe to the blog and have it e-mailed to him or her. Web site designers can also attach the blog to their site through an RSS feed, which would appear before visitors as a list of headlines they can click to open.

Gullette invited people on campus to send in news to the blog, he said. It’s an informal way for people to receive news and let the USF community stay informed, he said.

Michael Hoad, vice president of communications and marketing for USF, said he thinks the blog is an important development for the University.

“This is exactly where I think the world is going,” he said. “The days of popping out press releases are over.”

Hoad went on to describe it as a tool the media can use to generate story ideas beyond the traditional format of the press release. He also said that blogs represent a new way of organizing data.

“People expect to get things when they need it and where they need it,” he said.

Students, however, had mixed opinions of the idea. Vanessa Huber, an education major, said she would look at the blog only if it contained material relevant to student life and current events.

Jen Luedke, majoring in environmental science, said she wouldn’t look at the blog regardless of its contents. “I’m not really that concerned with USF campus life,” she said. “I just want to take my classes and get out of there.”