News Center Site Posted on Ashland University Website

Ashland University’s Public Relations Office has posted a News Center site on the Ashland University website. The News Center, which will be a resource for media throughout the country, features current and archived news releases, a faculty experts directory and topics directory, and an “Ashland University in the News” section showing how faculty and the University are featured in the media.

“It is our hope that the News Center will result in reporters, editors and producers using the new Ashland University News Center site as a resource for reporting needs and story ideas,” said Steve Hannan, director of public relations at Ashland University.

“We want the media to use this site to get information about our faculty experts and the topics about which they can speak,” he said. “We have some top-notch faculty members who are doing some amazing things and this site will allow us to showcase those experts and their opinions regarding current events in the news.”

Hannan said he believes the Ashland University News Center site is one of the most comprehensive News Centers posted by an institution of higher education. “We worked with Spire Advertising in Ashland to construct this site and we are very happy with the final product,” he said.

The News Center also will be a resource for prospective students and their parents. “Prospective students and parents can go on the News Center site and see that we have some very impressive faculty members who are experts in their fields,” he said. “It also will show them that we have faculty here who are featured in the media across the country.”

In addition, the site features faculty opinion articles or op-ed articles that have appeared in newspapers as well as a searchable experts list by expert and by topic. Hannan said he expects the site to become a resource on campus for faculty to promote themselves and their work.

“And because the site will archive all news releases and increase the amount of online content, we expect that the News Center site will increase the University’s search engine rankings,” he said.

Other items featured on the News Center site include an upcoming events listing; a featured video section; a “Scene at Ashland University” photo album; a Social Media Directory that lists all social media sites associated with Ashland University; a student-produced media page with links to student media such as The Collegian, the campus TV station and radio station; and a media resources page that provides contact information as well as fast facts, history, notable alumni, a campus pap and directions.

“It is really our hope that the News Center will provide the impetus for media professionals to contact us in order to arrange for on-campus or phone interviews with faculty, photo shoots, on-air programming and coverage of campus events,” he said.

Those wanting more information on the site, which is located at http://news.ashland.edu, can contact Hannan at 419.289.5007 or shannan@ashland.edu

Ashland University, ranked in the top 200 colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report’s National Universities category for 2012, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.