WASHINGTON, D.C., May 16, 2011 — The Online News Association, the world’s largest membership organization of digital journalists, today announced its third year of free digital training, thanks to a renewed grant from the Gannett Foundation.
The $50,000 in funding enables ONA to continue one of its most popular and valued programs, the newly named ONACamp, which so far has visited more than 500 journalists in communities throughout the United States to help update their media skills. The ONACamp sessions are tailored specifically to the needs of independent, community, non-profit, displaced and employed journalists, bloggers and entrepreneurs. Trainers include leaders in their fields, covering the latest in multimedia, blogging, mobile, legal and business issues, free web tools, marketing through social networks and finding a niche on the web.
“The Gannett Foundation is pleased to continue its third year of partnership and support of ONA and the work they are doing to improve the digital experience and skill sets of journalists,” said Virgil Smith, Vice President of Talent Acquisition and Diversity at Gannett.
From 2009 through 2011, ONA has brought its considerable resources to Ann Arbor, Mich., Bradenton, Fla., Birmingham, Ala., Hollywood, Calif., and Honolulu, Hawaii, where digital journalists from all platforms came together to learn from experts and each other. ONA has partnered with the Birmingham Association of Black Journalists, the Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ), the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), and the East-West Center to ensure trainings reached a diverse audience.
The next training is scheduled June 23 in Denver, in partnership with SPJ.
“We’re delighted that we can continue to bring free training directly to journalists across the country,” said ONA Board President Christine Montgomery. “It’s one of the most important — and rewarding — things we do.”
The Online News Association is the world’s largest association of online journalists. ONA’s mission is to inspire innovation and excellence among journalists to better serve the public. The membership includes news writers, producers, designers, editors, bloggers, technologists, photographers and others who produce news for the Internet or other digital delivery systems, as well as academic members and others interested in the development of online journalism. ONA also hosts the annual Online News Association conference and administers the Online Journalism Awards.
The Gannett Foundation is a corporate foundation sponsored by Gannett Co., Inc. whose mission is to invest in the future of the communities in which Gannett does business, and in the future of our industry. It supports projects that take a creative approach to fundamental issues such as education and neighborhood improvement, economic development, youth development, community problem-solving, assistance to disadvantaged people, environmental conservation and cultural enrichment.
For more information, contact:
Jane McDonnell, Executive Director
Online News Association
director@journalists.org