ONA Weekly #347: Strut Your Stuff During Awards Season

By on February 17, 2021

Strut your stuff with ONA Salt Lake City

ONA Salt Lake City is hosting a virtual gathering Feb. 24 focused on best practices for submitting your work to journalism awards. The group will discuss what makes a good award entry and hold space for attendees to showcase work they’re proud of and are interested in submitting for recognition. Register to join.

Of note: The call for entries for the 2021 Online Journalism Awards will open in a few months, and it’s never too early to start thinking about your favorite digital projects and strategize. Find inspiration from the 2020 winners and finalists.

The news you’re reading about the news (industry)

We recently asked our Twitter followers about their favorite newsletters that are about the media industry and that inform their journalism work. We received responses about daily missives with industry updates as well as more niche newsletters on topics like journalism revenue and mental health. To chime in with your go-to reads (newsletter or otherwise), reply to this email. Your input helps us to expand our own reading, understand the resources most useful to you and discover opportunities to provide relevant support. 

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Ted Scripps Fellowships in Environmental Journalism

Take your career to the next level and deepen your understanding of environmental issues by applying for the Scripps Fellowships in Environmental Journalism. The program runs August-May at CU Boulder, providing a $71,000 stipend and more. Apply by March 1.

Lessons in fundraising during a crisis

For some newsrooms, the pandemic has meant falling revenue even as the public health coverage brought in more audiences. Experts who have led successful fundraising campaigns during a crisis—for The Salt Lake City Tribune, The Seattle Times, The Texas Tribune and The Lenfest Institute—identified two winning factors: emphasis on local connections and emphasis on supporting a public service mission. Plus, don’t forget about the people who have done development work in your local community for years. It’s a good idea for newsroom revenue officers to connect with their counterparts at a local museum, hospital or school—they can a be a great resource.

Dig deeper: 5 takeaways from Never Let a Crisis Go to Waste: Lessons Learned from Fundraising in a Pandemic (2020) – training notes, plus recording available with registration

  • Featured experts: Kristi Waite, Terry Quinn, Fraser Nelson, Annie Madonia
  • Quick tip: Ask early and ask often throughout fundraising emails. (If you’re just getting started, check the notes for five more tips to incorporate when writing emails.)

Career opportunities

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

On our radar

The radar is now open for suggestions. Have you written or read a piece lately that would benefit others in journalism? We’re interested in sharing insights on trends, how-to guides, lessons from a project and other inspiration for innovation in digital journalism.