ONA14 co-chairs; opening night reception; deadline for Student Newsroom

By on April 24, 2014

We’re ramping up for the Online News Association Conference and Awards in Chicago, Sept. 25-27. Here’s what’s new:

Meet our ONA14 co-chairs

John S. Bracken is Director of Media Innovation for the Knight Foundation, where he oversees the Knight News Challenge, Knight’s prototype fund, its journalism and technology investments.

John has over 10 years experience as a philanthropic investor in digital media, media policy, innovation and global internet freedom, having previously worked at the Ford Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation.


Vivian Schiller recently joined Twitter as Head of News, where she leads the company’s strategy for news and partnership with journalism organizations and the news publishing ecosystem.

Just prior to joining Twitter, Vivian served as Senior VP & Chief Digital Officer for NBC News, where she had strategic and operational oversight of the networks‘ presence on the web, mobile, devices and social media. Prior to NBC, she served as President and CEO of NPR, leading all of NPR’s worldwide media operations.

Party with us at the Field Museum

We’ll be partying with Sue the T-Rex from 6-8 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 25, at the Field Museum, with plenty of food and drink. Our Chicago-based co-sponsor, Legacy.com, will welcome everyone to the city. Interested in joining them as co-sponsor? Check out ONA14 opportunities or email Jessica Strelitz.

Photo: (c)The Field Museum, GN89808_43c

Students and mentors, join the Student Newsroom

Students, reporting at ONA14 is an excellent way get your work in front of over 1,600 digital journalism professionals and network with leaders in the industry — not to mention potential employers. Mentors work closely with students to guide their coverage. Thanks to funding from Google, both students and mentors attend the conference free. Deadline to apply is fast approaching: Monday, April 28.

Apply for the Student Newsroom

Volunteers needed! Help out and attend ONA14 free

Help us at the conference and you can attend for free. We’re looking for friendly folks with a love of digital journalism who can commit to be in Chicago for three days. Have video or social skills? We have special teams for that. Deadline to apply is Monday, April 28.

Get Involved

Sneak peek at the ONA14 program: Your suggestions

The Program Committee — led by Chairs Matt Mansfield, Executive Editor, Digital, National Geographic, and Heather Billings, News Apps Developer, Chicago Tribune — will be reviewing more than 360 proposals from the ONA14 Suggestion Box this week. Thanks to everyone who submitted an idea; you can expect to hear back from us on your pitches by early June.

Get ready for great sessions on mobile, data, ethics, legal, engagement analytics, business, professional development and education at ONA14. Being in Chicago, we’ll also explore where journalism overlaps with civic tech and open government initiatives.

Register now for the most affordable rate

Journalists, don’t wait until the deadline. There’s no better time to register than right now, when you’ll get the lowest rate and a sure spot at this historically sold-out conference. Members save over $300 on the early-bird rate, so make sure your ONA membership is up to date.

Register for ONA14

Jeremiah Patterson

Jeremiah Patterson

Jeremiah was ONA's Digital Manager from 2012 to the fall of 2016 and was responsible for ONA's collection of websites, including journalists.org, conference websites, the membership center, awards platforms and more. Before joining ONA, he served as a web producer and content developer at The Wildlife Society, maintaining the organization’s website, email marketing and other online services. An Ohio native and media enthusiast, Jeremiah grew up with a deep interest in video production and graphic design. He now focuses in user experience and human-centered design.