February 25, 2016

SAN FRANCISCO — Today, MediaShift announces the launch of a new site, MetricShift, devoted to media metrics, analytics and measuring impact. MetricShift will provide thoughtful, actionable content through original reporting, cross-posting, and audience engagement. The efforts by MediaShift were made possible by funding from the Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC), which receives support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Along with the site launch, MediaShift has revamped its entire website design to be responsive for desktop, tablet and mobile.

MediaShift recently hired Alexandra Kanik to be the site’s Metrics Editor, overseeing editorial, writing pieces and tracking strategy and progress. In addition to her work for MediaShift, Kanik works with newsrooms across the country to produce news apps and graphics. She previously worked for PublicSource, a non-profit new outlet in Pittsburgh, as interactive developer and metrics analyst.

“I’ve seen first-hand the struggle that exists between newsrooms and their analytics,” Kanik said. “Many small- to medium-size organizations have little extra time or money to dedicate to the gathering and processing of metrics. A real need exists for actionable, accessible reporting on how these organizations can use the tools and knowledge already out there to make data-driven decisions with their own metrics. I’m excited to be a part of the efforts that will bring this much-needed coverage and community.”

Also brought on board was Tim Cigelske as the Metrics Associate editor, tasked with running our online Twitter chats and helping with outreach and promotion for the site. He works as Director of Social Media at Marquette University, where he is also an adjunct professor teaching media writing and social media analytics.

“It’s an exciting time to pay attention to digital trends and the rapid advances in media measurement,” said Cigelske. “Alexandra and I are thrilled to explore this frontier and share our findings with MediaShift’s readers.”

MetricShift launches with an impressive Reader Advisory Board to help give it direction. The Board includes people from public media, non-profits, startups and for-profit media to provide diverse feedback on the site’s direction. The Board is:

Chair: Anika Anand, Seattle Times Education Lab
Brian Boyer, NPR
Clare Carr, Parse.ly
Anjanette Delgado, Gannett/Media Impact Project
Hannah Eaves, Gates Foundation
Ian Gibbs, Guardian
Lindsay Green-Barber, CIR/Reveal
Celeste LeCompte, ProPublica
Alisa Miller, PRI

Key elements of the MetricShift project include:

> More coverage of media metrics that really matter, with how-to’s and actionable advice for people working in media metrics, case studies of people doing innovative work with metrics, and resources for those looking for help and guidance.

> Bi-weekly Twitter chats at the #MetricShift hashtag with important players and talking about timely topics. These have been launched and take place on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET.

> A public Facebook Group, Metrics & Impact, for group discussion on issues related to metrics. We will use this group to help support people with questions, share ideas and make sure people are kept updated on the latest trends and issues.

> A weekly email newsletter, Media Metrics Roundup, with news from around the web related to media metrics, curated and analyzed by Alexandra Kanik each week. Sign up here.

> Development of DigitalEd online training modules that will help train editors, publishers and others to get up-to-speed with media metrics skills. Our first training on metrics, “Advanced Social Media Analytics,” will take place on March 15. You can learn more and register for it here.

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Launched in 2006, MediaShift has become the premier destination for insight and analysis at the intersection of media and technology. The MediaShift network includes the sites MediaShift, EducationShift, MetricShift and Idea Lab, as well as workshops and weekend hackathons, email newsletters, a weekly podcast and a series of DigitalEd online trainings.

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Contact info: Mark Glaser, MediaShift, mark@mediashift.org, (415) 235-7838