One of twelve presentations focused on Journalism teaching tips presented at the World Journalism Education Congress on July 11, 2019.

1. Miao Guo, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Telecommunications Department
Ball State University, USA
2019 WJEC – Ignite
Integrating Media Analytics
across the Journalism and
Mass Communication
Curricula: A Service-
Learning Approach

2. Agenda
 Defining media analytics, social media analytics, and
digital metrics
 Leveraging media analytics tools in J&MC education
 Weaving digital metrics into the J&MC curricula
 Practicing media analytics in journalism through service
learning

3. Media Analytics
(Cherubini & Nielsen, 2017)

4. Analytics Tools
 Chartbeat
 NewsWhip
 Parse.ly
 CrowdTangle
 Share Rocket
 Google Analytics
 Adobe Analytics
 Facebook Insights
 Twitter Analytics
 Shareablee

5. Service Learning
 Service learning actively involves students in a wide range
of experiences, which often benefit others and the
community, while also advancing the goals of a given
curriculum.
 Service learning in J&MC Analytics education requires
students to perform community service and gain
knowledge and skills in media analytics and digital
metrics.

6. Service Learning
I need data to teach a meaningful media analytics class, so where can I get some?
Textbooks Faux Data Real-world Data
I’ve chosen to work with real-world data, which companies should I contact?
Regional Events, NPOs, and
Startups
Data Rich Organizations Organizations with a Real-
world Need
If I get access to the data, what does the company get in return?
Free Summaries Free Recommendations Free Forecast

7. Service Learning in Practice
 Step 1: Form a partnership between students and the local
television station (WTHR-TV).
 Step 2: Practice analytics tools and analyze data across all
digital properties, including performing a social media audit,
creating digital measurement models, evaluating the
effectiveness of current digital content strategies.
 Step 3: Produce a detailed written report, present their
analyses and findings, and then offer actionable
recommendations to the client.

8. Real-world Example:
TCOM445 & WTHR-TV Station
 WTHR-TV (NBC-Affiliated local TV station) granted access to
the following data
 Google Analytics (website & mobile apps)
 Facebook Insights
 Twitter
 Instagram

9. Real-world Example:
TCOM445 & WTHR-TV Station
 Learning Objectives
 Students understand the
concepts and theories in
audience behavior.
 Student are able to perform a
media analytics audit of a
client using a variety of
analytics tools.
 Students are able to provide
strategic counsel to
organizations.
 WTHR-TV Tactical Questions
 How is the new site redesign
impacting user flow?
 Are people finding what they
want to find on the new site
quickly and easily?
 How can we get more Facebook
engagement and how social
media competition is?

10. Analytics Tool: Chartbeat
Real-time tracking on WTHR-TV website performance by Chartbeat program

11. Analytics Tool: Facebook Insights
WTHR-TV Facebook Page performance by Facebook Insights

12. Analytics Tool: CrowdTangle
CrowdTangle tracking WTHR-TV talent’s social media performance

13. Real-world Example:
TCOM445 & WTHR-TV Station
Sample course breakdown:
 Data Analysis Activities …….……………………………………...100 points
 Google Analytics Academy Courses and Tests …..…….………100 points
 Team Analytics Report………………………..…..…………...…...400 points
 Team Analytics Report Presentation………………………..…..….50 points
 Team Project Peer Evaluation…………………..……………...…...50 points
 Hootsuite Analytics Certification.………………………………........50 points
 Midterm Exam …………………..…………………………………….50 points
 Final Exam…………………..…………………………………………50 points
 Class Participation and Professionalism .…………………………..50 points

14. Real-world Example:
TCOM445 & WTHR-TV Station
 Four Main Components of Analytics Report
 SWOT analysis on WTHR-TV
 Social media competition analysis
 Google Analytics for online audiences
 Facebook Insights for social media users
 Text-mining on Facebook posts

15.  Prior to assignments:
 interview - WTHR’s Digital Content Director, News Director
 instruction – audience theories, media analytics, social media
concepts
 During assignments:
 Analytics tools training and data analysis activities
 After assignments:
 Client presentation
Real-world Example:
TCOM445 & WTHR-TV Station

16. Conclusion
 The need for analytics content for the development of
critical thinking skills among the J&MC students.
 The different features of media analytics tools are
compared along with the use of relevant digital and social
media metrics for assessing effectiveness across the J&MC
curricula.
 Pedagogical suggestions on using a service-learning
approach for J&MC courses.