Anika Anand, ’12, director of engagement at Chalkbeat, an education news network, has been named a 2014 Online News Association MJ Bear Fellow.
ONA, the world’s largest membership organization of digital journalists, announced its fourth class of MJ Bear Fellows — three journalists under age 30 whose innovative work in independent, community and corporate news represents the best of new media.
“Anika was a standout because of her interest in discussing and growing solutions to help journalists measure their impact — as well as her current role helping develop MORI, a tool to measure the impact a story is having on readers,” said ONA’s selection committee. “In the always-running, more-with-less news gathering organizations of our current world, measuring and analyzing data, especially engagement metrics, can help journalists work smarter and be more valuable to their readers and communities.”
Anika’s project MORI (Measures of Our Reporting’s Influence) is a WordPress tool that takes metadata tags attached to stories and tracks reporters’ progress toward reaching readership and engagement goals. The tool helps the Chalkbeat staff measure the impact of their stories so that they can focus on those that have the greatest value for readers.
The MJ Bear Fellowships identify and celebrate early-career digital journalists, working independently or for a company or organization, who have demonstrated — through professional experimentation, research or other projects — that they deserve support for their efforts and/or vision.
The fellows are up-and-coming journalists inside or outside the newsroom who are just beginning to make their voices heard in the industry and working to expand the boundaries of digital news.
Each Fellowship provides: assignment of a personal ONA guide; registration, travel and accommodations for the Online News Association Conference & Awards banquet; recognition at the ONA conference and a three-year paid ONA membership.