Watchdog reporting makes a critical contribution to society by exposing wrongdoing, fighting corruption, and promoting accountability. But how do we measure this, and explain to a skeptical public the value of investigative reporting? At a time of unprecedented attacks on the press, a broken financial model, and low public trust, it is critical to understand what impact means, why it matters, and how journalists can increase it.
The impact of in-depth, systematic reporting is not always obvious. Yet study after study points to a direct correlation between a free, active media, and democracy. What about the impact of one media outlet or even a single story? Impact can be visible and obvious, such as when a government official resigns or a company’s stock price collapses. It can be measured in metrics like dollars saved, assets frozen or seized, or reforms passed.
Journalists working in countries with authoritarian governments and journalists in exile face special challenges, yet many have found ways to make an impact. What can we learn from them?
In this GIJN webinar we bring together an expert in impact strategy and senior journalists with broad experience in building audiences and ensuring that investigative stories make impact both during and after publication.
Wahyu Dhyatmika is CEO of Info Media Digital, the digital arm of Tempo Media Group –a leading source of independent news in Indonesia–. He helped lead Tempo’s transformation into a digital newsroom. He also helped found CekFakta.com, Indonesia’s first fact-checking collaboration platform, and IndonesiaLeaks.id, the country’s only whistle-blower secure platform.
Lindsay Green-Barber is the principal and founder of Impact Architects. She is an expert in media impact strategy and measurement. She has worked with media organizations, nonprofits, and funders to develop custom impact frameworks, design strategies for maximizing impact, and conduct research to assess success.
Grace Murray is Acting Impact Editor & Environment Impact Producer at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, working to ensure that investigations have tangible impact beyond publication. Grace has more than 10 years of experience in environmental politics, policy, and television production.
The moderator is Anya Schiffrin. She is director of the Technology, Media, and Communications specialization at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a senior lecturer on global media, innovation, and human rights. She writes on journalism, impact, and investigative reporting in the Global South and has published extensively over the last decade on the media in Africa.
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Sign up for the webinar here!
Date: Friday 24 March 2023
Time: 9:00 AM EST – What time is it in my city?