ONA receives $50,000 Gannett grant to continue free digital training

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Online News Association, the world’s largest membership organization of digital journalists, today announced its fourth 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, ONACamp, which so far has visited nearly 1,000 journalists in communities throughout the United States to update their media skills.

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, data, metrics, blogging, mobile, legal and business issues, network strategies, free web tools and marketing through social networks.

“The Gannett Foundation is very proud to continue its strong relationship and support of ONA,” said Virgil Smith, Vice President of Talent Acquisition and Diversity at Gannett. "ONA’s Executive Director Jane McDonnell has led this organization to greater relevance and significance for the media industry with outstanding programs for improving the knowledge and sharing of the new and changing landscape of digital journalism.”

From 2009 through 2012, ONA has brought its considerable resources to Ann Arbor, Mich.; Bradenton, Fla.; Birmingham, Ala.; Hollywood, Calif.; Honolulu, Hawaii; Denver, Colo., and, most recently, Missoula, Mont., 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 trainings are scheduled for the NABJ conference in New Orleans in June and the UNITY conference in Las Vegas in July.

“We’re deeply grateful to Gannett for their long-term partnership and support, which allows us to continue to train journalists where they live,” said McDonnell. “It’s one of the most important — and rewarding — things we do.”

About ONA
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.

About The Gannett Foundation
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