If you're only using your iPod for music, you are really missing out. Now you can get news, sports and other information and entertainment on your MP3 player, from many different sources. One of those sources is K-State media relations and marketing. Media relations has begun offering podcasts, which can be found on their Web site.
If you've enjoyed getting K-State news by e-mail, this is just another way to hear from the university's experts.
And don't even think that no iPod equals no podcasts -- you can listen to the podcasts from any computer -- you don't have to download them to a portable device.
"We wanted to blend K-State news and features with a media that is really taking off," said Cheryl May, director of media relations and assistant vice president for university relations.
"We are excited about the new possibilities podcasts offer in getting K-State news out to the public," she said.
Podcast topics so far include several on pet health, from preventing orthopedic injuries to your pet to maintaining your pet's dental health. In addition, a K-State podcast is available on Dr. Seuss' enduring legacy and on Harry Potter mania. Each podcast is between eight and 10 minutes.
"Podcasts can delve deeper into a topic. They can include more 'how-to' steps, more tips, more background, more user-friendly content than we can fit in a standard news release," May said. "We anticipate these podcasts to be of interest to a wide-range of listeners. This is a way of bringing our news directly to our audience."
Podcasts will be added weekly throughout the summer.
To find K-State podcasts, go to http://www.k-state.edu/media and click on "Podcasts." Subscribers to K-State's news e-mail list will be notified when a new podcast has been posted.
K-State also offers more "traditional" means of getting your news fix. To sign up for media relations' news e-mail list, or to receive news by RSS feed, go to K-State media relations and marketing's home page at http://www.k-state.edu/media and click on "Get news releases by e-mail" or "RSS" on the left-hand side. Specialty e-mail lists are also available, for topics such as pet health and science news.
If you have an idea for a podcast, contact media relations at 532-6415 or media@k-state.edu. We are also looking for sample lectures to put on podcasts.