ONA Chicago is back in action, and we want to meet you!
Join us June 29 for an evening of journalism talk and networking with your news nerd peers. We’ll hear from Ellen Mayer, an engagement consultant at Hearken, who will lead us in a discussion about how we can take off our journalist hats and better understand how members of the public think about news and information.
We’ll have free pizza, beer, soft drinks, and plenty of time to get to know one another. Product people, developers, storytellers, reporters, students, educators, web staffers, and editors are all welcome. Bring your ideas for future ONA Chicago events!
Schedule:
5:30 p.m.: Doors open
Grab some pizza and meet new and old friends.
6-6:45 p.m.: Presentation: Public Literacy 101 with Hearken’s Ellen Mayer
Journalists talk a lot about the importance of teaching “news literacy” to the public. But what if journalists need to learn public literacy as well? In this talk we’ll discuss what “public literacy” means, and how newsrooms can achieve it. We’ll also share some of the valuable lessons that Hearken partners have learned about their audience.
6:45-7:30: Networking
Hiring? We’ll open up the floor at the end of the presentation to anyone who wants to give a 30-second pitch about a role they’re hiring for. Then stick around to chat with your colleagues and peers.
About Ellen Mayer:
Ellen is an Engagement Consultant at the journalism tech startup Hearken. She started her career in public radio, first at WNYC’s Studio 360 and then at WBEZ’s Curious City, the first news outlet to practice what we call public-powered journalism. Hearken grew out of Curious City as a way to take the public-powered model to as many newsrooms as possible.
Ellen became one of the starting team members at Hearken in 2015. She works with newsrooms around the world, training them on the public-powered model and helping them develop powerful engagement strategies. In past lives she has worked in non-profit development and social impact documentary film. She is also a writer, occasional podcaster, and recovering music journalist.
About WeWork:
WeWork provides small businesses, startups, freelancers, large enterprises, and everyone in between with the workspace, community, and services they need to make a life, not just a living. With weekly events, personalized support, month-to-month flexibility, and access to over 120,000 like-minded creators around the world, WeWork is the perfect place to grow your business. Book your tour here!
About ONA Chicago:
ONA Chicago is a local meetup group made up of writers, editors, innovators, photographers, producers, academics, entrepreneurs and technologists who produce news for and support digital news delivery systems. We’re the Chicago outpost of the Online News Association, the world’s largest association of digital journalists. ONA’s mission is to inspire innovation and excellence among journalists to better serve the public. ONA Local programs are generously supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. For more information, check out journalists.org/ona-local.