Illustration by Andre da Loba
On this page you will find key definitions to our project.
Audacity
noun
Community Needs Assessment: Taking inventory of the people, institutions, issues, leaders and other dimensions of a community you’re covering – a community needs assessment – is often the first step in any change making process. Many public-serving institutions such as hospitals, nonprofits that do direct service work, public health officials or government agencies conduct needs assessments to develop and implement community initiatives. Journalists can do the same to ensure their coverage of community-based issues is both relevant and has the potential for impactful.
There is no shortage of resources on how to conduct a needs assessment online. We recommend this toolkit from the Democracy Fund on how local news outlets can assess their communities needs and priorities. The toolkit covers each step of the process – from how to understand your community to what to with the information you’ve collected.
Theory of Change: In very rudimentary terms, a theory of change is a description of what changes you hope to achieve with your work and how you plan to achieve them. It’s a focused statement, often in the form of an “if…then” structure, that allows people to formulate a desired goal and to map out what actions need to be taken to achieve that goal.
For instance, one theory of change for a newsroom like Documented, which serves immigrants in New York City, could be:
If reporters publish guides on accessing public services in languages most spoken by immigrants and on platforms that immigrants already use, these immigrants will be able to discover and use public services more often.
A theory of change for The Marshall Project’s engagement work with people affected by the justice system is:
If we engage and inform people who have direct experience with the criminal justice system, surfacing the issues that matter most in their lives, then they will have the information they need to self-advocate and/or solve real-world problems.
Logic Model: Theories of change are often lofty ideas about how things could be better in the future. To bring those ideas to life, it’s best to break them down into actionable steps over a set period of time. This step by step documentation is called a logic model.
To build a logic model, start backwards with your desired outcome. Then write down all of the things that would need to happen to make that outcome real. It helps be as granular as possible. Then, you can organize those steps in time, identifying your short, medium and long term goals.
We reviewed impact tracking methods from ProPublica, The Center for Investigative Reporting / Reveal, The Markup, The Marshall Project and Documented to identify the common ways nonprofit newsrooms categorize impact.
Legislative change. Did a lawmaker propose or pass a new law designed to remedy the problem uncovered by your reporting? Example: After ProPublica reported on the consequences of abortion bans, several state lawmakers introduced legislation to expand abortion access.
Improved media coverage. Did a news outlet replicate your coverage for their audience using data or resources your reporting uncovered? Or did a local outlet “localize” your national story for their audience? Example: After The Marshall Project published an 2024 election survey of people behind bars, more than 20 outlets published their own stories featuring the perspectives of incarcerated people in their state.
Community benefit. Did the community at the center of the problem you covered benefit in some way from your reporting? Are they better able to protect themselves, challenge their lawmakers, or address the problems they’re facing? Example: The Markup helped communities choose more cost-effective Internet service providers after uncovering pricing disparities.
Individual benefit. Did individuals at the center of the problem you covered benefit in some way from your reporting? Did they get out of prison, get access to critical resources, win their lawsuit or have another material improvement in their lives? Example: A woman who was doing grassroots-level work to combat misinformation in her community was highlighted in a citywide poster campaign in San Francisco’s bart system and through a video campaign after a Markup article raised attention around her work.
Institutional change. Did the institution improve its policies, change its business practices, discipline or fire a bad actor? Example: The FBI launched an investigation into a New York City official after Documented and The CITY exposed her dubious fundraising practices.
Improved transparency. Did your reporting lead to an internal investigation, a new report, taskforce or lead to the release of new public records or other information? Example: The Missouri Department of Corrections released comprehensive annual death totals for the first time in response to repeated questions from The Marshall Project.
Advocacy. Did your reporting spur a class action lawsuit, advocacy campaign or other form of collective movement? Example: After CIR exposed the health risks of a pesticide used on strawberries in Oxnard, California a local teachers union put pressure on local officials to get the issue on their agenda, which led to policy changes.