Lindsay N. Green-Barber, Ph.D. ACLS Public Fellow, CIR Media Impact - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Lindsay N. Green-Barber, Ph.D.

ACLS Public Fellow, CIR Media Impact Analyst @WhimsicaLinds

Context: Impact

• 1. Media
• 2. Non-profit media
• 3. Foundations
• 4. Large donors
• 5. Audiences

Impact

News

The New York Times ProPublica Poynter Investigative Reporting Workshop

Research

Tow Center Nieman Lab USC Media Impact Project

Foundations

Knight Foundation The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation The Fledgling Fund

Challenges in Impact Analysis

Lack of standards Question of engagement Overabundance of online analytics Offline activity

Impact = change in the status quo as a result of a direct intervention, be it a text article, a documentary film, or a live event. Conceptualization Macro Meso Micro

Case study 1:

Rape in the Fields Rape in the Fields

Organic pickup in media

Organic community screenings

Case study 2:

VA Disability Claims Backlog A Disability Claims Backlog

Response

• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America issues

news release

• Newspaper Editorials (NY Times, LA Times)
• The Daily Show picks up cause, cites CIR in “Red

Tape Diaries”

• VA Secretary Shinseki gives first interview in four

years

• 67 Senators write to Obama
• 160 members of the House of Representatives write

to Obama

Text analysis

• Data set: Presidential speeches

that include the words “veteran” and “backlog”

• 22 total, 17 relevant

Findings

2009 3 instances 1 military Funding Tech 2010 7 instances 2 military Progress Funding Tech 2011 1 instance 1 military Increase Funding Tech 2012 2 instances 2 military Funding Tech Attack 2013 2 instances 2 military Attack Progress

Key takeaways

• Set goals
• Define outcomes clearly
• Select appropriate methods
• Tools come last