It’s coming up on two years since MIF kicked off our Assessing Media Impact initiative with a daylong gathering at the Paley Center, and the launch of the now flourishing AIM section of our site.
Over that time, we’ve tracked the emergence of many different tools, frameworks and case studies focused on methods for evaluating the social impact of media and communications. Both the documentary and news fields have moved forward—beyond “Should we evaluate?” to “How can we best evaluate?” For example, in a recent event at Philanthropy New York, MIF ran attendees through a catalog of approaches for tracking documentary outcomes (see presentation below).
However, there’s still real confusion about how to apply these tools and frameworks in a way that’s practical and affordable. In conversation after conversation, we’ve heard a clear gap: Who’s qualified and available to conduct media evaluations?
Rather than trying to puzzle it through all by ourselves, we’ve decided to turn to our network of members and allies. Based on our research and events, we’ve started a working list of media impact experts. Now, it’s your turn to pitch in.
Are you an impact evaluator for journalism, film or strategic communications projects? Take a look to see if you’re on the list. Are you a funder that has worked with an evaluator you’d recommend? Let us know if we’ve left them out.
Please send any thoughts and edits to Jessica Clark, MIF’s director of research and strategy, at Jessica@mediafunders.org. We look forward to sharing what we discover.
