Bloggers took credit (with some accuracy) for the downfall of Dan Rather and the death of John Kerry’s political future for his troop-goading. In the last few years there have been countless articles about the future impacts of blogging on journalism, business, medicine, politics, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness–you name it, bloggers have claimed they’ll change it.
So, take this with a grain of salt, but I think that President Gutmann should start her own blog.
It makes perfect sense: Gutmann’s infamous Halloween party showed that the few, spontaneous interactions she has with students each year can cause a lot of damage. It is obvious to anyone who has ever sat through convocation or graduation that it was Gutmann’s considerable academic and fundraising skills rather than her oratory mojo that got her the gig at Penn.
Blogs play to Gutmann’s strength as a writer. It’s also an interactive medium familiar to students and doesn’t require the time commitment of a physical forum. Since Gutmann’s image affects her and Penn, the Penn PR machine can vet any posts for blow up potential before they are posted.
And all the cool kids are doing it. The New York Times printed an article last week about several presidents who have successful blogs. My favorite: “Bob’s Blog” by Robert Caret of Towson University. Those sunglasses are priceless.
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