"Katie Neal" Archive

Wake Forest News site gets a dynamic makeover

news-homepage.435This week, Wake Forest introduced a new and improved online newsroom (news.wfu.edu) to deliver newsworthy content in a visually-compelling, mobile-responsive and easy-to-navigate design.

“The primary goal of redesigning our online newsroom has been to help journalists covering Wake Forest to do their jobs quicker, easier and better,” said Katie Neal, executive director, news and communications. “Now news.wfu.edu is the digital extension of our team’s guiding philosophy: make telling Wake Forest stories a positive experience for news media by providing them as much content, access and support as possible.”

The online newsroom is the first phase of a multi-year effort by the Office of Communications and External Relations to focus on content marketing and responsive design in order to enhance the University’s storytelling efforts across all platforms. While journalists are the primary audience for the online newsroom, many of the stories told at news.wfu.edu will be of interest to a wide range of audiences interested in Wake Forest and may provide informative content for prospective students, parents, colleagues, alumni and donors visiting departmental or administrative websites.

Key features and benefits of the enhanced online newsroom include:

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University's news team launches broadcast television studio

 on a television broadcast in the new studio in ZSR.

Faculty experts and campus newsmakers who work with the University’s News and Communications office have a new resource available to them when it comes to media interviews.

The news office now operates a fully equipped, professional television studio that is capable of transmitting broadcast-quality HD video to broadcast news media organizations around the world. Now when media seek commentary on timely news topics, faculty and other experts can share their expertise for live and pre-recorded interviews in high-definition with the latest technology right here on campus.

“We are excited to have this resource as part of our media relations arsenal, especially for breaking news,” said Katie Neal, Executive Director, News and Communications. “The studio now makes it possible for us to broadly promote Wake Forest’s range of expertise while quickly and easily meeting the needs of 24-hour news networks and broadcast media outlets.”

The television studio is conveniently located in the heart of campus in Z. Smith Reynolds Library, behind The Bridge.

While the news staff members serve as the main point of contact for media outlets, reporters and producers often reach out directly to individuals. If this happens, the news office asks that those individuals please promptly direct them to a member of the news team to facilitate the request in a timely manner. The entire team can be reached at media@wfu.edu or (336) 758-5237.

The studio was made possible as part of a generous donation from the Clark Family Foundation, as part of Wake Will: The Campaign for Wake Forest.

An open house for faculty and staff will be held in the studio from 3 – 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

Additional information about the studio is available here.

CER raises the bar for Commencement 2015

Screen Shot 2015-05-20 at 7.05.21 AMFor Wake Forest Communications and External Relations (CER), commencement planning begins early. All of CER — events, creative, digital, news and photography — begin laying the groundwork for graduation months in advance.

This year, University events, in addition to handling the distribution of 13,788 commencement tickets and managing a production schedule around campus renovation work, the team was responsible for overseeing a new commencement experience for graduates and their guests. Geni Greiner, who joined Wake Forest in February 2015, managed Commencement with her new team for the first time this year.

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Categories: Staff News

News team presents about 'Commencement Speaker Drama'

prsa.300x175On April 16, Katie Neal (’03) and Cheryl Walker (’88) presented at the national Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Counselors to Higher Education Senior Summit in Washington, D.C.

Their presentation, “Commencement Speaker Drama? Getting It Right in the National Spotlight,” shared best practices from the media frenzy that descended upon Wake Forest’s 2014 commencement ceremony when speaker Jill Abramson was abruptly fired as Executive Editor of the New York Times.

As they reflected upon the five-day span between her firing and her commencement speech, Neal and Walker credited offices and partners across campus – including University Events, Parking and Transportation, Facilities and Campus Services, Information Systems, Aramark and University Police – with their team’s ability to accommodate a ten-fold increase in media attendance and capitalize on the national spotlight shining upon Wake Forest.

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Categories: Staff News

Neal wins second 'Under Forty' award

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CER staff members Kevin Cox, Katie Neal, Brett Eaton and Bonnie Davis attended the Feb. 19 awards ceremony.

The Triad Business Journal has named Katie Neal (’03), executive director of news and communications, to its annual list of “40 Leaders Under Forty.” She was recognized at a ceremony in Greensboro on Feb. 19.

The awards honor 40 remarkable individuals, all under the age of 40, who have distinguished themselves in their careers as well as in their communities.

Neal was recognized for overseeing media relations for Dr. Maya Angelou’s memorial service in Wait Chapel; spearheading the University’s strategy and response to widespread media attention when journalist Jill Abramson was fired by The New York Times only five days before commencement ceremony; and leading efforts within the Junior League of Winston-Salem to enhance the membership experience.

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Categories: Staff News

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