Tom Hayes forwarded an article to me about how to defend your institution after it has been attacked on a blog. The article, "8 tips for countering a blog attack on your business," by Christopher Elliott, is worth reading.
If you are going to implement any of his ideas, make sure you track who is saying what about your institution online. For me, the easiest and cheapest way to do this is with Google News Alerts. Be sure you select "blogs" on the drop down menu for the "type" of news. When you enter the "search terms" field for each alert, make sure you search the terminology bloggers use to reference your school. I don't call my alma mater by its full name, but I use its initials and (it's true!!) its athletics mascot. Perform a quick online search and see how your alumni refer to you, and use those phrases as well as your formal name as search fields.
I think one of his interviewees said it best when providing advice for those being attacked online: "Don't get angry or become unprofessional. And don't take it personally." If you only remember one thing from this article, let this be the part that resonates.
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