Help us debug and debut journalists.org
The new journalists.org is almost here! We’ll launch the first phase our shiny new website redesign on Sept. 23, the official opening of ONA11 in Boston. We’ve gone open source, updated the front and the back end and will be bringing you a completely overhauled member management system. Soon you’ll be able to easily connect with the rest of the ONA community, showcase your talents and interests, share tools and help us better analyze your expertise and identify your unique needs — all in the name of excellence in journalism.
But pre-launch, we need your help. First, we’re looking for beta testers of all skill levels to take the new system for a test drive. We need beginner and advanced users alike. Interested? Complete this quick form by Aug. 29. We’ll be reaching out to a select group in early September. Next, you can help by answering one simple question: What digital tools do you use most for your work? You can take to Twitter with your answer using #digitools, or post on Facebook or at ONA Issues.
Find out more about AP-Google Scholarship on ‘Ask the Recruiter’
Want to learn more about the recently announced AP-Google Journalism and Technology Scholarship, which will provide $20,000 scholarships to six U.S. students for the 2012-2013 academic year? Listen in on Tuesday, Aug. 23, at 3 p.m. ET to Ask the Recruiter, when ONA Scholarship Manager Irving Washington will do an FAQ run-down on how the program will work, peppered by questions from host Joe Grimm at Poynter.org.
Applications are open for the scholarship, which is targeted to individual students creating innovative projects that further the ideals of digital journalism. A key goal is to promote geographic, gender and ethnic diversity, with an emphasis on rural and urban areas. For more details and to apply, head here, or contact Irving at iwashington@journalists.org.
All-mobile ONAvations webinar up next in September
Explore the world of mobile websites, mobile apps and mobile platforms, learn when each is most effective and where to begin on Sept. 8 at 2 p.m. ET with Mobile Apps: Expanding Your Reach and Audience. The latest ONAvation Webinar, a series brought to you in partnership with Poynter’s News University, features Lynn Smith, founder of Shiny New App, and Jason Barnett, founder and executive director of The UpTake. Cost for ONA members is $9.95; non-members, $29.95. For more details and to register, head to here. Not a member? Join here.
ONA Local
ONANYC is hosting the “Last Days of Summer Social” at the beautiful rooftop bar Sky Room on Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. ET. RSVPs went fast but you can still join the waiting list. Live in New York and want to attend future ONA Meetups? Join the group and be the first to know about new announcements.
ONA Philly, our latest addition to the ONA Local family, will host its third event Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. ET at WHYY’s Civic Space. Thanks goes to WHYY, with special recognition to NewsWorks for providing the event space and free alcohol (for those over 21). NewsWorks will offer a look under the hood at their (almost) first year. They’ll share what they’ve learned about partnering, newsroom integration, community engagement and multimedia storytelling. You won’t want to miss this! Head to meetup.com for details and to RSVP.
Many thanks to our fantastic ONA Local organizers in D.C., Philadelphia, Seattle and San Francisco for hosting sell-out events this summer.
ONA11: Register for those last spots
The updated program and all keynotes will be announced soon for the Online News Association’s 2011 conference, Sept. 22-24 in Boston, so don’t wait to register — the limited number of spots left will go fast. Register here.
Just a reminder that registration for all Pre-Conference Workshops closes Sept. 14. The Sept. 22 line-up includes Law School for Digital Journalists at Harvard, Hacks/Hackers Hacking and J-Lab’s News Entrepreneuring 3.0 as well as soon-to-be-announced Field Trips into the city’s tech community and workshops on programming, design and multimedia. Register today!