Students Get Practitioner's Primer on Keeping Fans in the Game

Matt E. Mooney's Interactive Media in the Digital Age class had courtside seats Thursday for a peek at how social networking engages fans of Penn State women's basketball. The assistant professor of web and interactive media arranged for a Penn's Inn visit by Kristina A. Petersen, the university's associate director of athletic communications and primary media contact for the Lady Lions basketball squad. Displaying an encyclopedic knowledge of rosters and stats – and a second-nature command of online outlets to convey that information with accuracy and immediacy – Petersen discussed her use of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube in piquing interest among fans and reporters,  facilitating conversations between coaches and followers, and aiding in recruitment of student-athletes.