Niketa Patel is ONA’s new Executive Director/CEO as of March 2025. Niketa is an accomplished digital journalist and widely respected expert in audience engagement, strategic partnerships and product development. She brings more than two decades of experience enabling digital innovation through local and national newsrooms, the technology sector and executive education programs.
Prior to joining ONA as Executive Director/CEO, Niketa Patel was Senior Director of Leadership Programs at Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. The role entailed overseeing the flagship program, Executive Program in News Innovation & Leadership, for professional development for newsroom executives globally. Niketa was responsible for curriculum development, instruction, class design, recruitment, fundraising and marketing efforts for this program and more. Niketa headed up other J+ leadership initiatives. too.
Previously as Senior Director of Partnerships and Platforms at The 19th, Niketa spearheaded editorial partnerships with a focus on republishing, co-publishing, collaborations, events and more. Niketa built and cultivated strategic partnerships with national, local and community newsrooms with an eye towards having The 19th’s journalism reach diverse audiences. Before The 19th, Niketa oversaw Print and Digital News Partnerships in the U.S. for Twitter. In this role, she collaborated with newsrooms and journalists with regards to strategic initiatives, product adoption, best practices, safety and training which spanned across Twitter’s wide range of products and tools.
Niketa has a storied track record in digital journalism, audience engagement and product development at CNN, ABC News, CBS News, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Florida Times-Union and more. She’s has been a long time member of ONA, AAJA and SAJA.
Niketa lives in Atlanta with her energetic son.