We know that small, startup news organizations can struggle with finding the right metrics to track. Unlike with larger newsrooms, success isn’t measured in millions of page views or subscribers. Tiny newsrooms need right-sized solutions to measure and gauge their success. That’s why Tiny News Collective received a grant from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation to support research into the best metrics for small newsrooms, alongside building dashboards so they can better track them.
TNC is excited to announce a new partnership with Datasketch as we move into the next phase of the project, where we will design, build and roll out custom metrics dashboards and training for cohorts of our members. We’ve worked closely with Datasketch CEO and founder J.P. Marin Diaz to develop the vision for the TNC data program on their platform, and we are now collaborating on the design and build phase. Datasketch will also create an aggregate dashboard for TNC to track and learn from members’ data, in an effort to provide targeted training and assistance to help them meet their goals. The partnership will go through 2026, with a possibility of extending it.
“Datasketch has been an invaluable thought partner as we have conceived of the streamlined version of these important metrics dashboards for early-stage news founders, and we’re excited to see what we can create together,” said Amy L. Kovac-Ashley, executive director of Tiny News Collective. “We know how difficult it is for news startups to understand their impact on communities, so this solution will help them track key metrics in a straightforward way.”
Datasketch is a compatible partner with TNC because of its similar mission as a social technology company specializing in journalism and creating data science solutions for newsrooms and nonprofits. They also promote the responsible use of data and information. Datasketch has helped newsrooms create data visualizations while building impact dashboards for organizations such as Ohio State University.
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The partnership will also go a step further, as Tiny News will also work with the Datasketch team to develop documentation and training to help build data literacy and data tracking skills among founders, as well as ideating how to expand dashboard capabilities in the future.
"At Datasketch, we believe that data has the power to transform journalism, especially for small, emerging newsrooms. Our partnership with Tiny News Collective is more than just building dashboards — it's about empowering local journalists with the tools and knowledge to understand their impact and better serve their communities." said J.P. Marin Diaz, founder and CEO of Datasketch.
"We're excited to work alongside TNC to create solutions that are accessible, practical, and tailored to the unique needs of startup news organizations. Together, we're not just tracking metrics; we're fostering a data-driven culture that can help sustain and grow vital local journalism."
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