#MakeNews … not #FakeNewsTelling the contemporary story of Towson University

Who the heck is this guy?

Who the heck is this guy?

Sean WelshActing AVP, University Communications & Media Relations• Joined TU in April 2018 as Media Relations Director• Oversee daily news content for Towson.edu• Pitch stories to external media & handle crisis communications• Former editor of digital & breaking news @ The Baltimore Sun• Pulitzer Prize finalist for breaking news category• TU Alum & former Baltimore sports reporter

Storytelling @ TU

• The Newsroom — Towson.edu/News• Social media — @TowsonUNews• Homepage• TU Magazine• Email & newsletters• Media relations

Who is the audience?

• Students?• Faculty & Staff?• Alumni?• Prospective Students?• TU partners / surrounding community?• General public?

Who is the audience?

• Write for the audience.• Not for the subject• Not for the person who pitched the story

Is there data?

• 9-out-of-10 TU staff members like numbers• 71 percent of readers are more likely to read a story with

a number in the headline• 100 percent of the above lines are #Fake …

but they sounded important, right?

• As an institution, we have a LOT of numbers on hand• Numbers indicate we care about it. We track it.• Readers will stop and take notice when numbers are in a

headline.

What story do you have to tell?

• How will it resonate with your audience?

Will video help?

• First and foremost, video brings action to a story• Video differentiates the experience for the reader• Video adds an element of importance to a story• You’re more likely to feel something or relate to a story if

there’s video• Stories with video are more than 50 times more likely to

climb on Google than a story without.

What’s it look like?

• Stephens Hall has a clock • Stephens Hall has a clock

Thumbnails can be the whole story

How does it make you feel?

• Nostalgia: I remember that clock… My alma mater is pretty flippin’ awesome.• Sense of place: Wow, TU

is a beautiful campus.

• In a world of bad news, we have the unique opportunity to tell good,uplifting stories.

What makes it unique?

• Don’t try so much to fit in with the crowd.• If everyone else is telling the same story — stop everything.• Think like a reader/consumer: ”Why am I going to read this thing about TU?”• Stop telling stories about stuff we SHOULD be doing, and start telling stories

about things others SHOULD know.• Then, tell that story again, in a different way.

What makes it unique?

• Focus on how we’re phenomenal.• Where are we in rarified air?• When are we leading the way?• Who is outstanding in their field?• What new things are we discovering and achieving?

Brevity wins the day

• Get to the point.• Make your point.

Find someone to tell the story

• Focus your story on someone. • Tell the story of a person, and

use that person to tell your story.

About TU Newsroom strategy

• One story a day — powering homepage, social & email content• Newsroom also helps inform wider campus communications• Stories driven by our content strategists:• Megan Bradshaw (FCSM, CBE, CHP)• Rebecca Kirkman (COE, CLA, COFAC)• Kyle Hobstetter (SPAR, Student Affairs, Athletics)

• Content strategy includes key topics, data analysis & best practices

Telling the TU story

• Presidential Priorities• Brand key messages• Momentum• Opportunity• Mentorship

• Categories for newsroom• To be determined as we re-imagine was Towson.edu/News will look like

More guidance

• Visit the new brand site:

Towson.edu/Brand

Questions?