ONA Weekly #498: Monthly Gathering For AI Practitioners In Journalism

Save the dates: The 2024 Online News Association Conference (ONA24) is happening Sept. 18-21 in Atlanta.

Monthly gathering for AI practitioners in journalism

ONA’s new AI Innovator Collaborative kicks off Tuesday, Feb. 13, with the first monthly meetup. We created this space for ONA members who are working with AI tools in newsrooms to meet peers, exchange ideas, get feedback and try something new. The collaborative meets virtually on the second Tuesday each month, and members have access to a Slack channel to keep in touch between the live meetups. Sign up now to join the collaborative.

To learn about partnership opportunities with ONA’s AI in Journalism Initiative, contact Hanaa Rifaey, Head of Strategic Partnerships, at hanaa@journalists.org.

Spotlight on the “sustainability” labels for forestry products

We recently caught up with ICIJ member and reporter Scilla Alecci about Deforestation Inc., a global investigation into environmental audits that won the Explanatory Reporting, Small Newsroom, category in the 2023 Online Journalism Awards. Scilla led a team that spanned 28 countries over nine months. Read more in our latest OJAs winner Q&A.

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Upcoming events

Feb. 13: AI Innovator Collaborative For ONA members
Feb. 15: Learn How to Use Google Analytics 4, presented by News Revenue Hub
Feb. 28: Introduction to AI Tools
March 12: AI Innovator Collaborative
March 20: AI and Fact-Checking in an Election Year
April 4: Submissions open for the 2024 Online Journalism Awards 🏆
April 9: AI Innovator Collaborative
April 24: AI Tools for Journalists Part II
May 8: Leveraging AI in Your Audience Engagement Strategy
May 14: AI Innovator Collaborative
May 22: Prompt Writing
June 5: AI Mini Lab: Prompt-Writing
June 11: AI Innovator Collaborative
June 18: Image Creation Tools
July 9: AI Innovator Collaborative
July 10: AI Mini Lab: Image Creation
Aug. 7: AI and Data Journalism
Aug. 13: AI Innovator Collaborative
Sept. 18-21: 2024 Online News Association Conference (Atlanta)
Oct. 8: AI Innovator Collaborative
Nov. 12: AI Innovator Collaborative
Dec. 10: AI Innovator Collaborative

Career opportunities

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

Director of the Center for Sports Communication, Marist College
Senior Editor, Culture, Texas Monthly
Ted Scripps Fellowships in Environmental Journalism, Center for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder
Human Services Reporter, The Connecticut Mirror
Head of National Programs, The Lenfest Institute for Journalism
Deputy Director of Development, The Forward
Full Professor/Chair, University of Rhode Island
Podcast and Video Editor, American Chemical Society
Lecturer & Teacher-Special Programs, Graduate School of Journalism, University of California Berkeley
Managing Editor, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
General Assignment Reporter and Backup Host, Colorado Public Radio
Opinion Editor, The Forward
Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Broadcast and Digital Journalism, Syracuse University
Assistant Regional Managing Editor, WBHM
Traffic Lab Reporter, The Seattle Times
Managing Editor, El Tímpano
Politics Contractor and Puzzles Contractor, Apple News
Program Associate, American Association for the Advancement of Science
California Local News Fellowship – School of Journalism, University of California Berkeley NEW!
Audience and Engagement Editor, Billy Penn, WHYY NEW!
Assistant Professional Practice Professor – KOMU Storytelling Editor, University of Missouri – Columbia NEW!
Manager, Brand Marketing & Development and Digital Marketing & Ad Operations Specialist, News Revenue Hub NEW!
Editor, Local and Weather (Contract), Apple News NEW!
Editor-In-Chief, Honolulu Civil Beat NEW!

For ONA members: If you are looking for a new opportunity, complete this form for a chance to be featured in an upcoming edition of Office Hours, ONA’s Linkedin newsletter about careers in journalism.

On our radar

Here’s how we’re working with journalists to create the newsrooms of the future with AI, Noreen Gillespie for Microsoft On the Issues
Feb 8 – Know your rights: Common newsgathering questions & issues, Indigenous Journalists Association and RCFP
Feb. 28 – Workshop: How to cover trans issues well in an election year, Trans Journalists Association and Reynolds Journalism Institute
Explain your election coverage goals with a mission statement and FAQ page, Lynn Walsh for Trusting News
This is the year of the climate election. Journalists should cover it that way, Mark Hertsgaard and Kyle Pope for Covering Climate Now

The AI in Journalism Initiative is just getting started. Sign up for AI program-specific updates. Plus, reply to this email about the opportunities you’re looking for, to help inform the programming and resources we offer throughout 2024.

What AI tools would you be eager to try out, with some hands-on guidance, during an AI Mini Lab session?
Whose perspective needs to be amplified in the discussion about AI in journalism?

Support ONA

There are many ways to help sustain ONA’s mission to drive innovation in digital journalism:

Share your ONA story
Join as an ONA member
Make a one-time donation
Explore options to reach the ONA community about your event, product, job opening or other opportunity
Invest in ONA programs: Contact Head of Strategic Partnerships Hanaa Rifaey, hanaa@journalists.org, to learn about philanthropic and corporate support.