Wichita State University (WSU), a large public research institution in South Central Kansas, is committed to being an open, accountable, and reliable source of information for its community. For Director of News and Media Relations, Joe Kleinsasser, the main goal is effective communication, balanced with the perennial challenge of maximizing finite staff resources.
The Challenge: Divided Coverage and Time-Intensive Reporting
Prior to 2016, WSU relied on multiple services to monitor media, with one covering TV and another covering online/print. This fragmented approach made it difficult to get a solid, comprehensive understanding of the university’s media presence and was time-consuming to compile for university leadership.
WSU implemented Critical Mention in 2016 to solve the problem of fractured coverage. The key differentiator was Critical Mention’s ability to consolidate both online news coverage and TV coverage into one, cost-effective platform, making the monitoring process much simpler.
Critical Mention streamlined WSU’s daily reporting workflow dramatically. Thanks to the platform’s one-click sharing option, Joe Kleinsasser can now provide university leadership with a comprehensive daily media update (online and TV) in just 5-10 minutes. This efficiency ensures leadership is instantly up-to-date and frees up valuable staff time.
For a 30-year media veteran, the reason to stay with Critical Mention is simple: outstanding customer service and transparent pricing. The dedicated rep provides immediate, personalized support, and the company actively seeks feedback—a level of commitment WSU deeply appreciates.
Read the full Wichita State University case study to learn how they deliver continuous, measurable value to their leadership.
“It only takes 5-10 minutes a day for me to provide the update, because all the heavy lifting is done by Critical Mention.”
– Joe Kleinsasser
Director of News and Media Relations
