ONA Weekly #578: Apply For The Women's Leadership Accelerator

Join the 2025 cohort of the Women’s Leadership Accelerator

Applications are now open for the 2025 Women’s Leadership Accelerator, a four-month intensive program that supercharges the leadership and management skills of changemakers who are pushing digital innovation. Program alums have led teams and managed journalism projects with organizations like Teen Vogue, The Globe and Mail, LAist, BBC, Univision and The Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as launched their own solo journalism ventures.

The 2025 cohort members will connect through several learning, mentoring, and networking sessions from December 2025 to April 2026, both virtually and in person. The deadline to submit all application materials, including recommendation letters, is Friday, Oct. 3. Learn more about joining the cohort and start your application.

Apply to the Women’s Leadership Accelerator

The 2025 accelerator program is supported by lead funder Dow Jones Foundation with additional funding from the Tiffany Shackelford Foundation and Ballard Spahr LLP. To join them in supporting this year’s program and future cohorts, contact Hanaa Rifaey, Head of Strategic Partnerships, at hanaa@journalists.org.

A new mission and vision for ONA

ONA’s strength has always been about the community we bring together. It started off as a scrappy crew of digital news pioneers. Over the years, that small group has grown into a strong network of journalism professionals across all functions and career stages, and our members have been at the center of every major change in the industry. Building on that strength and history, we just launched a new three-year strategic plan that sets ONA on a course to become the essential hub for adaptive leadership in journalism. Read the full announcement in a letter from our Executive Director/CEO Niketa Patel.

Vote for the ONA board

ONA members: Add your voice to the election for ONA’s 2026-27 Board of Directors. Learn about the candidates and how to vote. If you have questions about submitting your ballot, contact support@journalists.org.

Learn more about this year’s election

Mark your calendar

Sept. 10–13: ONA25 in New Orleans
Sept. 12: 2025 Online Journalism Awards Luncheon and Ceremony
Oct. 2: Voting closes for 2026-27 Board of Directors
Oct. 3: Application closes for Women’s Leadership Accelerator
Oct. 8–10: Mental Health in Journalism Summit 2025 (with The Self-Investigation)
Oct. 14: AI Innovator Collaborative
Oct. 15: AI in Action: Transforming Editorial and Commercial Workflows
Nov. 11: AI Innovator Collaborative
Dec. 9: AI Innovator Collaborative

Career opportunities

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

WRUF AM and FM: OPS/Part-Time Programming Assistant, University of Florida NEW!
Senior Editor, Audience, Hearst Connecticut Media Group NEW!
Chief Content Officer/News Director, WAMC NEW!
AI Reporting Grants, Tarbell Center for AI Journalism NEW!
Editor-in-Chief, Floodlight
Education Reporter, The Connecticut Mirror
Editor in Chief, The Ithaca Voice
Morning Producer & Reporter, KERA/North Texas Broadcasting
Lead Infographic and Animation Designer, Eurasia Group and GZERO Media
Investigative Reporter, Floodlight
Deputy Content Manager, Eurasia Group and GZERO Media
Multimedia Meteorologist, University of Florida
Audience Growth Manager, Word In Black
Corporate Marketing Representative/ Division of Multimedia Properties, University of Florida
Director of Howard Center for Investigative Reporting, University of Maryland
Senior Graphic Designer, KERA/North Texas Broadcasting
Investigative Editor, The Examination
Hill Chair of Excellence in Science, Technology, and Medical Writing, University of Tennessee
Capital News Service Bureau Director, University of Maryland
Physics Editor, Quanta Magazine, Simons Foundation
Product Manager, City Guides & Newsletters – Cary & Triangle, The Assembly
News Director, Oregon Public Broadcasting
Senior Producer, Community Engagement, LAist

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 Hanaa Rifaey, hanaa@journalists.org, to learn about philanthropic and corporate support.