Irving Washington

Note: This is part of a series of posts written by ONA staff and conference organizers recommending sessions or tips they feel will be particularly interesting or helpful. Previous recommendations came from Julie Westfall and Luis Gomez, co-chairs of the ONA15 Program Team, Jen Mizgata, ONA’s Senior Communications Manager, Jeremiah Patterson, ONA’s Digital Manager and Jess Strelitz, ONA’s Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships. These tips were created by Irving Washington, ONA’s Deputy Director.

ONA is back in LA and a lot has changed since we were last in the city in 2004. From a few hundred attendees to now over 2,000 people, the conference is one of the most exciting and energetic journo gatherings in the world.

This also will be our largest conference yet. As a self-proclaimed introvert, I know that in large crowds we can be the life of the party or the quietest person in the room. (As a PSA to our extroverted friends, introversion has nothing to do with shyness or social awkwardness  — if I had a dime for every time someone doubted my introversion, I’d be rich — but more to do with our response to stimulation and need for renewal.)

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Jess Strelitz

Note: This is part of a series of posts written by ONA staff and conference organizers recommending sessions they feel will be particularly interesting. Of course, we hope every session is valuable to the right audience, but with so many things happening at ONA15,  we want to offer useful highlights from a variety of viewpoints.

Previous recommendations came from Julie Westfall and Luis Gomez, co-chairs of the ONA15 Program Team,  Jen Mizgata, ONA’s Senior Communications Manager and Jeremiah Patterson, ONA’s Digital Manager. This list was created by Jess Strelitz, ONA’s Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships.

The Ethics of Food Writing: A Conversation with Jonathan Gold

Thursday, 4:30-5:30 p.m. – Santa Monica Room

I am a food freak. So, when I learned that not only was ONA hosting a conference in LA, land of innovative food trucks, countless star chefs and of course, TACOS, I was beyond thrilled. In fact, I specifically requested partner meetings OVER tacos during my pre-event visits around town. When I heard we would also have the privilege of hearing from Jonathan Gold, he of the fearless palate and champion of the humble plate, I jumped up and down (not an easy feat, as I was nearly seven months pregnant at the time).  Staff rarely have a chance to sit down during the three days of the conference — and my workload will double this year as I will also be carrying around my six-week-old son — but I will not miss this session.  Look for me in the front row, asking Jonathan to autograph my infant’s onesie. Continue reading

Note: This is fourth in a series of posts written by ONA staff and conference organizers recommending sessions they feel will be particularly interesting. Of course, we hope every session is valuable to the right audience, but with so many things happening at ONA15, we want to offer useful highlights from a variety of viewpoints.

Previous recommendations came from Julie Westfall and Luis Gomez, co-chairs of the ONA15 Program Team, as well as Jen Mizgata, ONA’s Senior Communications Manager.

Jeremiah Patterson

One of the best parts about ONA’s annual conference is the sheer breadth of topics we cover. Whether you’re looking for hands-on podcasting workshops, help with navigating the legalities of drone journalism, advice from funders on securing grants for your projects, understanding and engaging millennials (groan) or practical tips for your daily beat — we have you covered. Continue reading

We’re delighted to announce the opening keynote for the 2015 Online News Association Conference and Awards: a deep-dive chat with Richard Gingras, Google’s Senior Director of News and Social Products, and Emily Bell, Director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia Journalism School.

Richard and Emily will join us Thursday, Sept. 24, in Los Angeles for a candid conversation on the symbiosis — and tensions — between the tech giant and media, covering the critical issues of traffic and search referral, and developing content and data tools for newsrooms, including simple tools to facilitate speedy content on the mobile web.

This fireside chat also will touch on the need to rethink media business models, restrictions on an open internet, privacy concerns overseas and the lack of diversity in Silicon Valley. Continue reading