ONA Weekly #261

Monitoring threats to the right to publish

As a member of the News Media for Open Government (NMOG) coalition, ONA recently joined with other press organizations in a statement about the serious constitutional concerns raised by a new indictment against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. The superseding indictment, released by the Department of Justice on May 23, added 17 charges under the Espionage Act for obtaining and publishing classified military and diplomatic records in 2010. These charges are in addition to his original charge under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act for helping Chelsea Manning hack into a Pentagon computer network.

Regardless of whether you agree with Assange’s methods, or consider him a “journalist,” the government’s decision to bring criminal charges over the receipt and publication of classified information threatens the practice of journalism and sets a deeply alarming precedent. ONA’s Legal Affairs, News Ethics and Standards Committee will be monitoring the case and its implications for digital journalists.

Microsoft News boosts MJ Bear Fellowship

ICYMI: ONA has received generous support from Microsoft News to expand the MJ Bear Fellowship, a yearlong program that provides recognition and support to rising stars in journalism, including an expenses-paid trip to speak about their work at ONA’s annual conference. Apply now for the 2019 fellowship.

Enter the Online Journalism Awards by June 12

We’ve extended the deadline for the 2019 OJAs to June 12, 11:59 p.m. EDT. That means you now have more time to gather your projects and explore this year’s 37 awards for the best fit for your work. The OJAs are open to major media, local outlets and individuals around the world. Learn more and start your entry now.

From the archives: Who is MJ Bear?

We are sharing resources from the ONA archives throughout 2019, as we celebrate 20 years of inspiring innovation and excellence in digital journalism.

The MJ Bear Fellowship was established in honor of the late Mary Jane “MJ” Bear, one of ONA’s founding Board members. MJ was a digital journalism pioneer who was passionate about giving recognition and support to rising stars in the industry. Through generous gifts from MJ, her colleagues and family, the program has supported 24 digital journalists in their career development since 2011. Learn more about MJ Bear.

Upcoming events

• June 5: ONA Austin: How Journalists Can Engage Digital Audiences
• June 5: ONA SF: How Do We Fix Bay Area Journalism? With Neil Chase, CEO of CALmatters
• June 6: ONA New Jersey: Podcasting Workshop + WBGO Studio Tours
• June 11: ONA PDX: Complicating the Narratives, with Amanda Ripley New!
• June 12: ONA Chicago: Table Talks And Happy Hour New!
• June 15: ONA Brasil: Coffee and Ice Cream: Relançamento da ONA Brasil New!
• July 10: ONA LA: Journalists Mega Mixer 2019 New!
• July 18: ONA St. Louis: How to Successfully Navigate Workplace Gender Dynamics New!

Jobs for journalists

ONA’s Career Center is an excellent resource for jobs in digital journalism. Recent postings include:

• Missouri State Editor, GateHouse Media
• Data and Investigative Projects Editor, NJ Advance Media
• Investigations Editor, The Seattle Times
• Reporter, Newsday Media Group
• Managing Editor for Style and Standards, Chalkbeat

Share your fall internships, fellowships

ONA is offering 50% off all internship and fellowship listings on the Career Center! Use code “KNTJ9GFC” at check-out for the discount until June 30, which is in addition to the reduced rates for ONA members. We will feature all listings in a newsletter issue later this month.

On our radar

• Hacking our hiring: Fair and useful in-person interviews, Source at OpenNews
• Here’s The Salt Lake Tribune’s plan for securing 501(c)(3) status, Nieman Lab
• Investing in the podcast ecosystem in 2019, a16z
• On protecting freelance pitches, The Freelance Beat
• From print-first to audience-first: Using analytics to change the newsroom mindset, Better News