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Evaluation
Counting Clips vs. Performance Outcomes
With all the
focus on "evaluation" and measuring impact, should we
assess our media work by counting the media clips earned
and then generating an "impressions" number based on the
media
circulation of the outlets? --Chicago, Illinois
Earning media coverage in
a print media outlet is no easy feat. In fact,
with shrinking news room budgets, reporters are more
difficult to reach and communicate with on a regular
basis. Trying to shape a story let alone be
included it can take enormous resources and valuable time.
Therefore, the question of value becomes an essential
management decision.
For non-profits with
limited budgets, assessing the value and impact of
exposure in a newspaper can be a challenge and making
sense of what to measure is not easy. The process
begins by asking important questions about objectives
before the media outreach commences. Not unlike
most assessments, whether its media or program focused,
starting with the deceptively simple questions is a
must. Measuring impact is virtually impossible
if you don't know what you are trying to achieve.
Here it is important to
recognize the difference between an output and an
outcome.
Media relations work can lead to different outputs
including increased coverage in the local media measured
by clips -- a clear output. The output of coverage,
however, is very different than the outcome of getting a
good story written or being quoted accurately.
Inclusion in a media story (output) doesn't guarantee
that the impact or outcome will be achieved.
Figuring out what to count
often begins with a a question that has less to do with
media and more to do with program objectives: What are
you trying to achieve?
For organizations seeking
to generate media coverage - the reasons can be vastly
different. Therefore, assessing success is
dependent on being able to articulate a clear goal from
the outset.
For example: A new domestic violence organization
working is interested in sharing the results of a new
survey pointing to a rise in violence in a community
and a need for better training of law enforcement officers.
The organization hopes the research will encourage local
lawmakers in the city council to convene a hearing that
would lead to better funding of the city's counseling
services in the police department.
With limited resources, this organization has to make a
choice about what kind of media coverage will give them
the biggest return. In this instance, the
organization would be better served having an in
depth-feature story appear in the paper as opposed to
having its executive quoted in every story on domestic
violence. Why?
After reviewing their
biggest challenge, poor interventions by law
enforcement, the agency decided that to best serve their
population of battered women they needed to work more
effectively in bringing attention to the need for
greater financial and training resources for their local
police department. This clear and explicit goal
allowed the small non-profit to focus its media outreach
and research on generating a story that would help them
make their case to lawmakers and the public.
Therefore, instead of
feeling the pressure to produce a mountain of clips
mentioning the agency's name or quoting their executive,
the entire organization was focused on providing the
local paper with a compelling story that would generate
a feature article bringing greater attention to
the need for more funding.
An evaluation in this
instance could include a series of variables or
indicators such as: the quality of the relationship
created with the local print media reporters covering
domestic violence; the agency's ability to package
research; the ability to generate a print article with
the appropriate content; and, the ability to utilize a
print article to call for hearings with local lawmakers.
In this scenario, the evaluation is not dependent on one
output but looks at a series of inputs that are needed
to achieve the goals identified during the planning.
Looking to our colleagues in the for-profit sector, we
can see a greater focus on assessing content and quality
not the quantity of earned media. In fact, the old
school of thinking -- counting clips -- was based on an
advertising model for generating impressions with the
general public.
More sophisticated market
research raises serious questions about the efficacy and
value of media impressions (both paid and free) without
taking into consideration the quality of the coverage.
Making the case for generating fewer high quality
impressions can be challenging if your organization's
leadership expects to see a thick "clips packet."
Instead of debating the value of media clips, start the
conversation by asking your colleagues to articulate
goals and objectives that are explicit about your target
audience and the behavior or change sought.
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