Seeking Impact:Examples & Lessons Learned

Kathy MerrittVP, Content Strategy and Development

Public Radio International

Social Justice

Science

Content + Engagement = IMPACT

Building meaning (engagement) Make life changes Civic participation Organize and help Donate or buy Contribute to content Comment Follow and Share Learn more Consume

Building meaning (engagement)

Catalyzing Transacting Subscribing Contributing Amplifying Consuming

from Media Impact Project

Cancer in the Developing World

• Five-part series on PRI’s The World • Looked at high prevalence of cancer in the

developing world, including cancers which are treatable and preventable

• Aired over one week in December 2012• Won numerous reporting awards

@AJStreamF: 66,000

@BBCWorldServiceF: 38,000

@HariF: 9,000

@ViewfromthecaveF: 10,000

@TheBushCenterF: 15,000

@LivestrongF: 436,000

@BoingBoingF: 156,000

@PIHF: 175,000 @Dreamhampton

F: 43,000

@PulitzerCeterF: 15,000

@LivestrongCEOF: 1,115,000

@GAVIAllianceF: 18,000

Identified & listened to the community

Surfaced issues

#hashtagged the topic

#GlobalCancer 3,650 tweets

Shared infographics

Shared untold stories

IMPACT: Reach/Conversation/Connection

12,000> 2,000,000

> 1,000,000

> 600

2,500,000 > 330 stations

> 50

Compressed storytelling resulted in big, short-term reach Community developed did not endure

Influencer networks were effective Conversation ended with the series

Global topic resulted in global reach and engagement Missed opportunity for local connections and

relevance

What We Learned

The Ninth Month

• Longer broadcast/digital publishing horizon

• More responsive to our community

• Connecting with local stations

• Piloting audience co-creation opportunities

Promising results

• 150k+ views for one of the series videos; picked up by Upworthy

• 12-18 story leads from our community of 400+ interested people on Facebook

• 7 stations committed to doing local reporting around pregnancy and childbirth

• 50+ lullabies submitted by audience

Work in Progress

• Standardizing our metrics of success– Reach: Pretty straightforward– Engagement and Impact: often dependent

on specific project aims and goals• $$$/Time

• Collecting stories of impact