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Facebook, MySpace Derail Alumni Magazines

New generations of grads find keeping in touch easier over web

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 2, 2008 2:05 PM CDT

(Newser) – Once upon a time, the college alumni magazine was an invaluable resource. Keeping up on old friends and enemies was as easy as flipping to the “class notes” section. But that once-mighty column now looks antiquated next to the constant updates offered on Facebook or MySpace, and it’s forcing colleges to rethink their business model, the New York Times reports.

"There is definitely a different audience online, and it’s younger," says one magazine exec. Some schools have moved their notes online—Harvard, for example, has a smooth hybrid system—but most have been slow to adapt. “Universities have been reluctant to embrace social media as a communications channel because they fear a lack of control,” said one alum.

This image provided by Facebook shows the social networking site's new look, Wednesday, May 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Facebook, ho)

The Facebook logo is displayed at a news conference in New York in this November 6, 2007 file photo. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, file)

Facebook allows younger alumni to keep up to date at all times. (Getty Images (by Event))

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Facebook, MySpace Derail Alumni Magazines

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MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

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More Newser Stories

In the Facebook Era, Colleges Are Dropping Yearbooks

Schools shut down tradition as online networks take over

New College Rankings: An Ivy Deadheat

Harvard, Princeton top universities list

MySpace Creator: We Had Video Chat Years Ago

People weren't ready for it then, but they are now: Tom Anderson

Recruiters: Columbia, MIT Are So 'Second-Tier'

If you didn't graduate from Harvard, good luck getting a top job

Cops Using Facebook to Bust Dumb Criminals

Lack of privacy can be a good thing for investigators

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