We Have Met the Blog, and The Bloggers Better be Us

Henry Jenkins is a new media theory guy at MIT. So, why should athletic departments care? From one of his many Chroncle of Higher Ed essays, the payoff quote:

Prospective students. A rising percentage of the students we admit list these blogs as the primary way in which they learned about the media-studies program. New students come to us with a much sharper understanding of the strengths of our program and how their interests might align with our continuing research efforts. The blogs thus raise the number and quality of applicants, and may have had some impact on our yield — the percentage of accepted candidates who enroll. New students are increasingly integrated into the life of the program well before they arrive in September.

Do I really need to translate? OK, right in the middle -- blogs thus raise the number and quality of applicants -- re-read that with the word recruit for applicant.

If you need more sources, check out the Chron's companion piece on whether or not Marshall McLuhan matters anymore by Jenkins -- it is filled with links to the people he thinks are the vital bloggers in this area.