[Editors] MIT Editors' Club Minutes, 9/16/2004

[Elizabeth Thomson]

MIT EDITORS' CLUB

*Meeting Notes from September 16, 2004*

Some 13 Editors packed the News Office conference room for our first 
meeting of the semester, and a boisterous time we had.  How could it 
have been otherwise, when we were briefed on stories like the 
highschool student who hacked into the new Admissions Office web site 
last week before it went "live"...and proceeded to apply, complete 
with a credit-card number for the admissions fee. (More on that one 
later.)

First, however, a warm welcome to three new members who attended this 
meeting: Sarah Foote, assistant director of Sloan Student 
Publications; Ben Jones, communications manager at the Admissions 
Office; and Emily Ranken of the Environment, Health, and Safety 
Office who leads  communications activities for that office.

*What is News?*

I began the meeting with a short update on the News Office. We are 
QUITE happy to announce that Sasha Brown, our new writer, started 
today. We are also currently accepting resumes for a news manager. 
And that brought up the question, "what IS news?"

One definition: quirky, fun "stuff" like the experiment at the Plasma 
Science and Fusion Center that physically resembles a UFO, or the 
caravan of enviro-friendly cars that traveled to Kresge last Friday. 
Also: stories that are timely, such as especially important (or 
quirky) research results soon to be published in a journal or 
presented at a conference. Stories that support MIT's key messages 
are also newsworthy. For a list of the key messages (and links to 
other resources for MIT communicators) go to 
http://web.mit.edu/commworkshops/.

Please always feel free to call or e-mail the News Office (me or any 
of my colleagues) with potential story ideas. And don't forget to 
alert us to cool photo opportunities!

*Bookmark This!*

Check out (and bookmark for reporters, conference attendees, etc.) 
the new web site about visiting MIT.  It features info on what to do, 
where to stay, etc., and is at http://web.mit.edu/visit/.

*New Admissions Web Site*

Ben filled us in on some of the drama involving the rollout of the 
new Admissions web site. Among other things, he told us about 
"Jimmy," the young gent who hacked into the site before it was 
officially up. Among other things, the new site allows prospective 
students to apply online. Jimmy was the first to do so....but because 
the link wasn't "live," he didn't get a confirmation (and his info 
wasn't saved). In the end, though, he succeeded.....and the office 
waived his admissions fee, "since he had to type things in twice," 
Ben explained. Jimmy was also told that he was now a legend in the 
Admissions Office.  (For more on the new site, go to Ben's Tech Talk 
story at http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2004/admissions-web.html.)

*Next Meetings*

The next meetings of MIT Editors' Club are: Tuesday, October 19, and 
Wednesday, November 10. the meetings are from 12-1 in the News Office 
(11-400).

Cheers!

Elizabeth


-- 
===================================
Elizabeth A. Thomson
Assistant Director, Science & Engineering News
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
News Office, Room 11-400
77 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA  02139-4307
617-258-5402 (ph); 617-258-8762 (fax)
<thomson at mit.edu>

<http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/www>
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