James G Robinson

James’s work focuses on how media companies can best use analytics and reader insights to build loyal and engaged audiences. He has spent the past eleven years at the New York Times, leading its web analytics team during the introduction of digital subscriptions and then pioneering the use of audience insights in the newsroom as the company’s first director of news analytics.

James received his master’s degree from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program. He speaks frequently on media analytics and has taught at NYU and Columbia’s School of Journalism.

James’ Tow project will investigate how editors and reporters think about the audiences for their work. By talking with a wide-cross section of journalists covering a specific “beat,” he’ll examine how each perceive the specific audiences they serve, what types of information influence those assumptions, and how those perceptions affect their editorial choices and measures of success.