The new UOC News site has just been launched. The upgraded version features an approach to news inspired by digital newspapers and other leading newsrooms in the university sector. It also responds to the trends in how we consume digital news content, providing easier access and enhanced browsing and usability.
The Communications department publishes daily news content on the News site, including news items, reports, interviews, opinion pieces and multimedia products, which all focus on current issues in university life. The objective is to raise awareness of the institution, and its talent, expertise and knowledge, and to influence public discourse with analysis of topics of interest to society at large by the university's teaching and research staff. News items related to the dissemination of research and institutional activities also feature prominently on the site.
The upgrading of this site is part of the UOC's new digital experience platform (DXP) project, with the Adobe Experience Platform (AEM) technology as a futureproof corporate solution to the current issues of obsolescence. The platform focuses on more efficient and scalable content management on a portal with a clearer, more flexible and digital design. It offers an improved multi-device experience and increased use of audiovisual content. The Technology, Marketing and Communications departments have all worked together on the project.
New sections and topic tags
The improvements include more multimedia and a new structure that provides multiple ways of accessing content, depending on the subject. Content is now distributed in nine thematic sections: communication, culture, economics, education, institutional, justice, research, health and technology. These sections also offer access to blogs, academic journals, videos and podcasts from the UOC's faculties and research and innovation centres on these subjects.
In total, the new site's contents are classified with almost fifty topic tags, which each have their own subpage that lists all the related content.
The news and interviews also have related content, and another new feature is the most read articles module, as seen on most leading news portals.
The new site also incorporates a search engine to help users find content.
The Experts Guide and other resources
One of the main services provided by News is the UOC Experts Guide. This directory includes all the members of the teaching and research staff who are available to respond to requests from the media. Alongside their contact details and a photograph, the directory has information about the programmes they teach on, their research group and area of expertise. A new topic tagging feature also helps users search for experts according to their field of knowledge.
Services for journalists
News is the go-to site for journalists wishing to contact the UOC and its teaching and research staff. With this in mind, it has a section for contacting all the members of the Media team. In addition to the Experts Guide, it also has the press kit, the photo and video gallery and the media tracking page.
Subscription to new themed newsletters
The News team currently sends a weekly newsletter, in Catalan and Spanish, every Friday, called 7 days, to journalists and subscribers. It has the news published during the week, alongside other important information.
This newsletter will be joined in the first half of 2024 by new monthly themed newsletters, which like the general newsletter, will be available to anyone who wishes to subscribe.
Anyone interested in receiving these newsletters, or in any service related to the News site, can contact the team by emailing news@uoc.edu or through the contact form.
