Some provocations for a news:rewired discussion on analytics in journalism

1. “Call it clickbait”
Sensible metrics for digital newsrooms

2. –Trinity Mirror job description
“Your performance will be assessed regularly,
taking into account audience traffic to your
stories and therefore encompassing page
views, unique users, local audience and other
metrics. You will be expected to grow your
page views and uniques in line with the growth
we require as a business”

3. –Roy Greenslade
“Individual targets will be set for journalists in
terms of attracting readers online. Call them
clickbait payments!”

4. –David Higgerson
“Journalism has changed. It can’t just be about
shouting for attention. Readers expect to be
listened to, and their views taken into account.
The right use of audience data enables that to
happen every day.”

5. Hits

6. How idiots track success

7. So…

8. –Kevin Anderson
“Just this week, I pointed out to one of my staff
that her story wasn’t just getting a lot of views or
clicks, but that it also was having higher than
average engagement. People were spending
time with her story.”

9. Attention?

10. –Mary Hamilton
“Time does not require attention: I can have
several browser tabs open and also be making
a cup of tea elsewhere.”

11. –Wolfgang Blau
“Beyond that lack of data literacy, though,
where do you take this certainty from that
journalists should be kept in the dark regarding
their readers’ behaviour, interest in and
interaction with their journalistic work? Why
would you keep belittling journalists like that?”

12. Measure

13. Measure or Inform?

14. Inform

15. Test/learn cycles
Idea
TestLearn

16. – Me
“Analytics are the beginning of wisdom, not the
end of it.”

17. –Caitlin Petre
“For writers, a metrics-driven culture can be
simultaneously a source of stress and
reassurance. It is also surprisingly compatible
with a perception of editorial freedom.”

18. Adam Tinworth
@adders
http://www.onemanandhisblog.com
adam@onemanandhisblog.com