Committees

ONA committees and advisory boards, chaired and run by Board members, work with the ONA Executive Director and staff to focus on issues of importance to digital journalists.

Advisory Board

This Board includes three industry experts and leaders offering guidance on our organization’s growth and scale. Its goals are to help ONA expand in a sustainable way, connect us with other media and technology companies and ensure that we meet our annual fundraising and development benchmarks.

    Advisors:

  • Richard Gingras, Google News
  • Mark Walsh, GeniusRocket
  • Liz Lufkin, Trapit
  • Vivian Vahlberg

    • Board members:

  • Christine Montgomery, Chair
  • Jim Brady

AP-Google Scholarship

The AP-Google Journalism and Technology Scholarship Committee is composed of dedicated volunteers who select and/or make recommendations to recipients of the AP-Google Journalism and Technology Scholarship.

  • Benet Wilson, Chair
  • Katharine Fong
  • Michelle Johnson
  • Mohamed Nanabhay
  • Dan Sinker
  • Josh Williams
  • Burt Herman
  • Shazna Nessa, AP
  • Maggie Shiels, Google
  • Irving Washington, staff

Awards

The committee directs the entry and judging process for the Online Journalism Awards, meeting via teleconference to discuss and refine the categories and rules governing the awards.

  • Joshua Hatch, Chair
  • Jim Brady, ONA President
  • Mario Tedeschini-Lalli, ONA board member
  • Jeremiah Patterson, staff
  • Kat Aaron
  • Laura Amico
  • Jill Borra
  • Tyson Evans
  • Ruth Gersh
  • Gary Kebble
  • Scott Klein
  • Shazna Nessa
  • Eric Scherer
  • Will Sullivan
  • Chrys Wu
  • Jose Zamora

Conference 2013

The committee works with the Executive Director and ONA staff to drive the premier annual conference dedicated to digital journalism, planning cutting-edge sessions and tracks and recruiting thought-leading speakers. Many volunteers help with the details and logistics that ensure a smooth experience.

  • Meredith Artley, Board Liaison
  • Jane McDonnell, staff

Diversity

The committee supports geographic, gender, cultural, racial and ethnic diversity within ONA, as well as diversity in media and platform, by working on initiatives in membership, training, research and networking.

  • Juana Summers, Chair
  • Robert Hernandez
  • Mandy Jenkins
  • Benet Wilson
  • Jeanne Brooks, staff

Education

The committee recruits and supports professors, teachers and students researching, studying and teaching digital journalism and technology at undergraduate and graduate academic institutions. Members plan training sessions, seminars and workshops, and form Student Clubs on college campuses, as well as bring together educators through social media platforms to discuss syllabi, teaching strategies and academic and industry research.

  • Jody Brannon, Chair
  • Robert Hernandez
  • Richard Koci Hernandez
  • Greg Linch

Financial

This committee provides oversight for ONA’s revenue development and annual audit and monitors success in reaching financial goals.

  • Christine Montgomery, Chair
  • Joshua Hatch, Treasurer
  • Meredith Artley

International

This committee focuses on recruiting and organizing global members, with emphasis on partnerships, networking, training and sharing wide-ranging experience and expertise.

  • Mario Tedeschini-Lalli, Co-Chair
  • Meredith Artley
  • Benet Wilson
  • Jim Roberts

Legal Affairs

The Legal Affairs Committee works with the board to formulate ONA’s position on legal issues that may be of interest to the members. Among other things, the Committee advises the board on the lawsuits ONA should get involved in, either as a party or as an amicus (or “friend of the court”), and reviews and comments on proposed briefs to make sure that the positions taken are consistent with the interests of ONA’s members. The Committee also evaluates proposed legislation that may have an impact on journalists, particularly journalists whose work is distributed in digital formats, with a view toward weighing in on pending legislation as appropriate.

  • Joshua Hatch, Chair
  • Jon Hart
  • Jim Brady
  • Mandy Jenkins
  • David Ardia

Membership

This committee works with a representative slice of ONA membership to research the tangible benefits that most help members.

  • Robert Hernandez, Chair
  • John Keefe
  • Christine Montgomery
  • Juana Summers
  • Benet Wilson
  • Jody Brannon
  • Jeanne Brooks, staff
  • Kevin Loker, staff

MJ Bear Fellowship

This committee provides guidance on administering all donations given in the name of founding member MJ Bear, dedicated to giving opportunities and a voice to promising early-career journalists, and serves as the Selection Committee.

  • Amy Eisman, Chair
  • Anne Saul, Coordinator
  • Jody Brannon
  • Blake Carpenter
  • Jon Hart
  • Sarah Hoye
  • Dominique Lempereur-Babeanu
  • Irving Washington, staff

Website

The committee advises the Executive Director and staff on the continuing process of developing journalists.org on an open-source platform.

  • Burt Herman, Chair
  • Robert Hernandez
  • John Keefe
  • Jeremiah Patterson, staff
  • Jeanne Brooks, staff