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

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. (More alumni stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X