Board Election

Please read the following carefully, as it outlines all procedures and requirements for consideration as a candidate for the Online News Association Board of Directors.

Nomination Process

To be considered for a position on the ONA Board of Directors, an ONA member must be nominated by another ONA member. Both parties must be ONA members in good standing. (Join or renew here.)

Before filling out applications, all nominees and their nominators must read the following carefully. These spell out the criteria for nominees, the responsibilities of a Board member and the nomination and election process:

There are two online forms required to complete the nomination process. These forms will be posted before the call for nominations is announced.

  • Nomination Form (to be completed by the member who is nominating the candidate)
  • Nominee Application (to be completed by the member running)

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee will screen candidates and present a slate of eligible candidates to the current board for its approval. The committee is led by former and current board members.

It is the responsibility of the Nominating Committee to present a slate that reflects a diversity of interests in the make-up of the board. Among the key factors the Nominating Committee looks for:

  • Past involvement with ONA
  • Diversity reflective of the communities that journalism serves
  • Diversity of media represented
  • ONA membership type (professional, academic or associate)
  • Professional experience in digital media
  • Executive experience and fundraising capacity

Election

Once the slate has been reviewed, the nominees will be notified by the Executive Director and announced to the ONA membership.

A page listing nominees will be posted on journalists.org, along with their photos, bios and vision for ONA as submitted during the nomination process. Nominees will be given four to six weeks to reach out to ONA members via social media or other communications platforms. Nominees are welcome to include links for posting with their candidate profile on journalists.org.

Calendar

  • June 21: Call for nominations
  • July 19: Nominations close (bios, photos/platforms due upon application)
  • Aug. 16: Slate notified
  • Aug. 20: Slate released
  • Sept. 21: Voting opens; Candidate Forum at ONA12
  • Oct. 11: Voting closes
  • Oct. 18: New members announced
  • Jan. 1, 2013: New terms begin