ONA Weekly #415: Open Call: Apply For The 2022 MJ Bear Fellowship

Apply for the 2022 MJ Bear Fellowship

We are pleased to announce the call for applications for the 2022 MJ Bear Fellowship. The year-long fellowship honors and supports journalists under 30 from around the world who are working on projects that move digital journalism forward. We invite applicants from a wide range of backgrounds, including both freelance and staff journalists. We’re especially interested in projects in the areas of audience and social engagement, business strategy and product development.

Fellows receive complimentary registration to attend ONA22 in Los Angeles, a three-year ONA membership, three online coaching sessions, networking opportunities and other avenues to showcase their work to ONA’s global community.

Established in 2011 to honor founding ONA Board member Mary Jane “MJ” Bear, the fellowship has identified and supported 30 journalists doing cutting-edge digital work. The MJ Bear Fellowship is made possible through generous contributions by the MJ Bear Estate, friends of MJ Bear and ONA, MSN International and Microsoft.

Learn more from the program FAQ and apply by July 14.

Explore ONA22 sponsorships, recruiter and exhibit opportunities now (limited spaces!)

Sponsorship opportunities for ONA22 are beginning to run low, and there’s limited exhibit and recruiter spaces available. Contact Jessica Strelitz, Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer, at jessica@journalists.org to discuss how you want to get involved leading up to and during the conference — both in Los Angeles and virtually.

On the calendar

• Ongoing review: ONA22 Scholarships
• June 16: Digital Safety Snacks: deDox Yourself
• June 23: Deadline: ONA22 Student Newsroom and Innovation Lab
• June 30: Digital Safety Snacks: Anti-Hackathon
• July 14: Digital Safety Snacks: Secure Your Twitter and Facebook Accounts 
• July 28: Digital Safety Snacks: Don’t Forget Insta, LinkedIn, and Cell Phone Hygiene 
• July 28: Last Chance for ONA22 Early Bird Rate
• Sept. 21–24: 2022 Online News Association Conference
• Sept. 24: 2022 Online Journalism Awards Ceremony

Career opportunities

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

• Digital Policy Lead, Program Director, Disinformation and Community Engagement and Program Manager, Journalism and Disinformation, PEN America
• Social Media Coordinator, Communications and Program Coordinator, K-12 Education, Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
• Staff Writer, Climate Impacts and Adaptation, Grist Magazine
• Development Director (Remote), Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)
• Public Safety Reporter, Honolulu Civil Beat
• BC Reporter, PressProgress
• Digital News Editor, Sound Publishing, Inc.
• Digital News Producer, KTUU-TV Anchorage
• Director of Technology, Online News Association Join our team!

On our radar

• The emergence of Black funds, Cyndi Suarez for Nonprofit Quarterly
• Showcasing 28 published experiments in AR storytelling, The New York Times R&D
• A template for my not-so-secret Airtable of great journalists I want to hire, P. Kim Bui for Reynolds Journalism Institute
• Journalistic values and expertise in platform news distribution, Connie Moon Sehat for News Quality Initiative
• What you can actually do in the metaverse right now, Axe Binondo for Immerse

P.S. from the ONA team

• “We talk about pressure as something that will be relieved later. But how do you lead when there’s no sign that the pressure will be relieved any time soon? It’s just a different model for all of us leading associations now — a new muscle reflex.” In an interview with Association Meetings International, ONA Executive Director/CEO Irving Washington shared about leading through uncertainty, trust in journalism and creating a platform for Black CEOs. Read more.

Directory spotlight

Dozens of technology companies, foundations, consultants and journalism organizations contribute to ONA’s mission throughout the year. Explore our Industry Directory to discover new tools and potential partners, or learn how to get listed.