In recent years, a lot of attention has been focused on the need to gauge the IMPACT of journalism. Journalists, editors, general managers and especially funders want to know what was the result of the time, effort and money spent to report stories. As an article in NiemanLab points out,

“The impact of Sarah Maslin Nir’s “The Price of Nice Nails,” an exposé of the abuses of workers at New York nail salons, was immediate and obvious. A few days days after the story ran in The New York Times, New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered emergency measures to protect workers. … In instances like these, when an article leads to quick legislative change and pulls in unusually high traffic numbers, it’s easy to determine its impact. But most stories don’t elicit that sort of obvious response, and most news organizations don’t have the clout or resources of the Times.”

Lots of media organizations have weighed in and developed new methods of doing this “impact tracking,” but a new tool from two fellows at Columbia University seems especially promising. Check out NewsLynx.