The ultimate goal of any news organization is to benefit the lives of its audience. Providing news that acts as a catalyst for change is one of the core tenets of journalism. Journalists can expose corruption through investigative reporting, share life-saving health knowledge, influence government action, and provide important information needed for vibrant civic engagement.
The U.S. Agency for Global Media is no different. Its mission, and thus its ultimate basis for impact, is “to inform, engage and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy.”
Why measure impact?
Every day, USAGM networks work in some of the most repressive media environments in the world to inform, engage and connect with their audiences in support of freedom and democracy. The agency needs to measure more than just audience size to ensure it achieves this mission; it must understand how its networks are affecting the lives of their audiences. For a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness and impact of its entities’ work, the agency uses the USAGM Impact Model.
The USAGM Impact Model, comprises over 35 indicators organized around the agency’s mission: to inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy. The model looks beyond sheer audience size to assess the change that USAGM’s network and entity programming has made in the lives of audience members, in the local media sector, and among governments.
How does USAGM measure impact?
USAGM collects research data to understand the composition of our audiences, how they consume media in general, how and how often they consume USAGM media, what topics are appealing to them, and whether our programming is impactful. This information is collected via extensive, nationally-representative surveys.
Survey research is then augmented by measurements of our digital and social media platforms, which offer almost instantaneous feedback on the performance of USAGM media online.
These quantifiable measures are complemented by qualitative data. To provide a more comprehensive and holistic assessment of USAGM’s programming, the agency also collects structured anecdotal data that captures the impact of content produced by its networks, such as pick-ups of their coverage by other major news media, reactions from government officials, or visible policy change.
How does USAGM use impact?
These data and analytics, organized around the indicators of the USAGM Impact Model, are then used to inform editorial and strategic decisions and planning. Dynamic geopolitical environments coupled with rapid changes in information and communication technologies mean audience needs are constantly evolving. The Impact Model allows the agency to assess its ability to meet those needs and to determine whether to make changes to its strategy or implementation.
Visualizing impact
Check out our infographic explaining the impact model
Our shared mission provides the framework for a common standard to define and measure impact.