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About the Survey

The online survey reached out to 783 “digital-first” news startups to explore what strategies they are using to engage audiences and measure that engagement. Of the 278 who responded, 239 (86%) completed the full survey; 39 respondents answered a portion of the questions, including offering many open-ended responses.

Sites were identified primarily from J-Lab’s Community News Sites directory, lists of other online news startups, selected members of The Media Consortium and the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, and a local list from the Chicago Community Media Workshop. J-Lab fielded the survey between Feb. 7 and March 2, 2012.

Media strategist Erin Polgreen took an in-depth look at respondents from Chicago, where the McCormick Foundation is based. “Chicago’s media ecosystem is very distinct and reaches many different geographic and cultural niches,” Polgreen said.

“Respondents tended to be more mission-driven and distribute content across multiple platforms, including radio, in-person events and syndicated blogs to increase reach and engagement. However, like national organizations, issues of staffing, strategy and measuring quality of interactions – not just the number of people reached – are of critical concern.

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