All ONA committees and advisory boards, chaired and run by Board members and other community leaders, work with the ONA Executive Director and staff to focus on issues of importance to digital journalists.
Awards and Recognition Committee
The Awards and Recognition Committee is responsible for highlighting innovation and excellence in journalism through our Online Journalism Awards and individual award recognition programs, including the Rich J. award and the James Foley Award. The committee oversees the entry and judging processes and rules governing the awards.
Key projects for 2021: OJAs, Rich Jaroslovsky Award, James Foley Award, Community Award
Governance Committee
The Governance Committee is responsible for ongoing review and recommendations to enhance the quality and future viability of the board of directors. The work of the committee revolves around the following five major areas: board roles and responsibilities, board composition, board knowledge, board effectiveness, and board leadership. The governance committee also oversees the annual elections.
Key projects for 2021: Board elections process, including officers, and board appointment process.
Program Evaluation Committee
The Program Evaluation Committee is responsible for annually working with ONA staff to audit program goals, measurement, impact and outcomes. The committee provides knowledgeable governance-level oversight and support to devise clear and consistent ways to measure progress towards goals, emphasizing all aspects of diversity, equity and inclusion. The work of this committee is a governance function, not a management function. Committee members may also serve as peer reviewers, mentors and volunteers for ONA programs.
Key projects for 2021: Establishing program evaluation criteria, scope and timeline.
Legal Affairs, News Ethics, and Standards Committee
The Legal Affairs and News Ethics and Standards Committee formulates ONA’s position on legal and ethical standards in the field in three primary ways:
- Advising the board on the lawsuits ONA should get involved in, either as a party or as an amicus (or “friend of the court”), and reviews and comments on proposed briefs to make sure that the positions taken are consistent with the interests of ONA’s members.
- Evaluating proposed legislation that may have an impact on journalists, particularly journalists whose work is distributed in digital formats, with a view toward weighing in on pending legislation as appropriate.
- Researching, crowdsourcing, and sharing ethical best practices and high journalistic standards related to digital news and emerging tech.
Key projects for 2021: Working with Alison Schary on joining amicus
Executive and Financial Oversight Committee
The executive committee is responsible for working in support of, or occasionally in place of, the full board. It also oversees the approval of the budget, monitor and report on the financial status and activities of the organization, and ensures the financial policies and practices are followed.
Chair and Vice-Chair: ONA President and Vice President
Key projects for 2021: Investment and reserve policy implementation