乐播传媒

The other day, the alumni Facebook page was humming with responses to this question from a staffer: 鈥淲hat would you like to see on this page?鈥�

Deep into production of this first issue of the redesigned 乐播传媒 Magazine, your comments sure caught my eye. You said you wanted to know more about 鈥渨hat鈥檚 happening on campus,鈥� more 鈥渟tories about students鈥� and more about 鈥渨hat students are thinking.鈥�

Three years ago, 乐播传媒 Magazine took advantage of a readership survey tool offered by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. We asked alumni, parents and friends much the same thing: What do you want? What are you interested in?

The results mirrored the Facebook discussion. While you expressed strong interest in staying connected with each other 鈥� through class notes, stories about alumni careers and obits 鈥� the topics that you are 鈥渧ery interested鈥� or 鈥渋nterested鈥� in have to do with campus life.

鈥� faculty selection, promotion, retirements (86 percent)

鈥� campus controversies (75 percent)

鈥� history and traditions (74 percent)

鈥� facilities and growth (73 percent)

鈥� student achievements, issues and opinions (71 percent)

One reader summed up all the data: 鈥淔ocus on the following things: (1) Pictures, old and new; (2) people on campus; (3) controversies or big deals on campus (4) plans for new buildings or other changes.鈥�

Seventy percent of you prefer to read the print issue, and 11 percent prefer online 鈥� but 19 percent want both. So we鈥檙e also revamping the online presence of 乐播传媒 Magazine, trying to answer the riddle of how to meld the editorial efficiency of blog-style news posting with the compelling design of the print magazines.

Maybe the survey and Facebook comments are obvious 鈥� a version of 鈥淚t鈥檚 the economy, stupid.鈥� Still, it reinforces that you want to have a conversation about 乐播传媒 today, and you want it in the 乐播传媒 vernacular: smart, authentic, inclusive, friendly and practical.

We鈥檝e learned less self-evident things too. Last fall at the President鈥檚 House, a group of 乐播传媒 faculty, staff and alumni talked about the magazine鈥檚 role in campus and community life.

鈥淟ewiston is part of the 乐播传媒 story,鈥� said multifaith chaplain Bill Blaine-Wallace. CJ Conrad 鈥�90, vice president at a local bank, took it a step further. 鈥淒on鈥檛 apologize for 乐播传媒鈥� place,鈥� she said. So that鈥檚 why we have a 乐播传媒 in Brief section devoted to Lewiston.

Lately, 乐播传媒 landscaper Bill Bergevin has been in busy, pre-Commencement mode, and the other day he was putting down black mulch outside Chase Hall. Besides keeping weeds down and moisture in, he said, mulch highlights your plants and flowers.

Similarly, we hope the magazine鈥檚 new design helps colorful 乐播传媒 stories catch your eye. And like the occasional need to rearrange your spice cabinet, we hope the magazine delivers 乐播传媒 stories a bit more efficiently, whether it鈥檚 the story about President-elect Clayton Spencer, the fate of Memorial Commons or photographs of campus haunts.

So鈥�please enjoy this 乐播传媒 garden. And let us know what you think.

H. Jay Burns, Editor
magazine@bates.edu