The deadline to apply for the MJ Bear Fellowship, which supports digital journalists under 30 with mentors, networking and high-end professional development, is coming up in 10 days. Promising, innvoative journalists should submit their applications before May 31 to qualify. The fellowship also provides free ONA membership, attendance and presentation at ONA12 and more. Find out how to qualify and apply and get inspired by the current fellows, their blogs and their videos.
Be a 2012 Online Journalism Awards early bird
Get a head start on awards season and submit your projects and websites for the 2012 OJAs. We’ve redefined our categories and metrics this year to better focus overall on excellent journalism. Eight awards come with a total of $33,000 in prize money, courtesy of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Gannett Foundation, including two $2,500 awards for innovative investigative work. Deadline: June 21, 2012.
Join the party in SF. Volunteer at ONA12
Want to attend ONA12 on the cheap? Help out at Online News Association Conference and Awards Banquet in San Francisco this year. We’re looking for full-time and half-time volunteers, and in exchange, you get mega-discounted access to the conference. The livestreaming team has spots for volunteers, too, so if you’ve got video skills, this is a great opportunity.
ONA12 sponsorships going fast
Want to reach 1,300 of the top minds in digital media? Don’t miss your chance to sponsor at ONA12. We’ve updated the sponsors page to feature the available packages right at the top, but they’re selling as we write. Contact Branden Smith for more information.
ONA Local
ONA Local groups have hosted great events this month, from ONA Austin’s focus on data journalism to ONANYC’s panel on online video news. Find an ONA Local group in your area or learn more about starting one.
ONA DC catches up for happy hour drinks May 29.
ONA PDX hosts a panel discussion about mobile journalism June 13 in Portland.
ONACamp at NABJ12
Join us June 20 in New Orleans for a special ONACamp at the National Association of Black Journalists 2012 conference. We’re offering a day of hands-on training with some of the top leaders in digital journalism. The Learning Lab workshop will cover the latest in investigative reporting, mobile reporting, social media, audience engagement skills and web tools. This intensive digital dive is made possible courtesy of generous support from the Gannett Foundation. Cost: Only $10. See the ONACamp Learning Lab schedule here, and register here.
Legal Updates
The Sunshine in Government Initiative (SGI), a coalition of media organizations that includes ONA, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) expressing concerns about its new Press Lock-ups Policy, which could inhibit the quality, accuracy and independence of news reporting. Under the DOL’s new policy, as the letter points out, participants would be required to remove their software, hardware, and dedicated lines from the DOL by June 15, 2012. Reporters would be required to use only government-owned software and hardware. Read the full letter.