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Miriam Wells

Impact Editor

miriamwells@tbij.com

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“We’re journalists, not activists”

“It’s not our job to make change happen”

“We are just here to tell people things”

Isn’t this activism? (No)

It’s not our job to make change happen - that’s not what strategising for impact is all about. It’s about understanding the role journalism plays in change and making it do that more effectively. It’s making sure journalism does its job properly

2000 people here all doing investigative journalism - no one does investigative journalism unless they believe it does something good in the world - we all believe journalism has a very important role to play in society - yet we don’t talk about how to play that role better

People get very anxious that talking about, planning for impact is going to turn you into an activist, is somehow tainting the pure and noble practice of truth telling

But planning for impact isn’t planning for a particular change - it’s just making sure journalism does its job properly

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Exposing wrongdoing and injustice

Providing evidence and data

Telling stories that make people understand, feel and care

Challenging accepted narratives

Platforming under-represented voices

Journalism doing its job

Public awareness/outrage
Wrong-doers shamed into change
Power-holders motivated to act
Decision-makers informed
Affected communities equipped
Work of civil society strengthened
Societal attitudes/behaviour changed

>>>>>>

….this is impact!

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Behind the scenes - culture, roles, editorial process

Impact editor, impact producers, community organisers
Scoping, pitching, greenlight - what’s the so what? What value are we bringing?
Impact and output strategies for big investigations

Relationship-building

Lawyers, scientists, academics, policymakers, communities

Audiences, communities

How do we reach the right people in the right way at the right time?
Who are the best publishing partners?
How do we reach people off the page?

Impact in practice

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How does The Bureau approach impact planning?

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Goals:

Create first-of-a-kind dataset on gig worker pay
Spark conversation about gig economy workers rights
Equip riders with information about how their pay was calculated
Inform investor decisions ahead of IPO

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Collaborators	Riders, union, ITV, Daily Mirror, local outlets
Audiences	Investors, riders, consumers, restaurants
Outputs	Prime time and tabloid news packages, local articles, messages pasted into Deliveroo app, financial press release, catering trade press release, Marcus Rashford contact

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Results:

International pick-up
Six major investment firms pulled out of IPO
High-profile political response
Marcus Rashford held talks with Deliveroo
Union’s campaign bolstered
Rider decided to become a journalist

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Miriam Wells

Impact Editor

miriamwells@tbij.com