ABC has laid out a set of reporting standards for digital publications in response to the increasing number of media owners creating titles without an equivalent print edition.
These include active openings, active downloads and unique browsers, the number of page impressions and a breakdown analysis of metrics by browser or device, for example iPad or BlackBerry.The standards will require publishers to report circulation figures alongside optional metrics, which do not currently fall in the digital editions rules to ABC.
Digital publications will be reported on a standalone certificate, and can also be included on ABC’s Multi-Platform Certificate, which was launched in December 2011.
ABC CEO Jerry Wright said the move was an important development for the industry. “Its concise format will allow for rapid changes to the rule sets so keeping pace with digital developments in the future,” he said.
The move was welcomed by the industry with PPA CEO Barry McIlheney describing the decision as a step in the right direction. “These new rules from ABC allow media owners to showcase the growing reach of their brands across a wide range of formats,” he said.
