The four best online and multimedia professional journalism groups — The Online News Association

UPDATE 8/27/2008:
Since this post was originally made, ONA has made several changes to correct some of the critical issues brought up below. Please review my update here.

Online News Association
http://journalists.org/

Organization background and purpose:
A newer journalism organization founded and focused on online news.

Organization vibe:
Professional. Suit coat and slacks type events where there’s an open bar but you have to hold a napkin with your drink. Kinda like a serious professional networking event that you attended as a freshman in college where you were incredibly nervous because you just don’t want to trip over a table cloth and knock over the bar crushing a basket of conspicuously placed kittens (or screw up publicly in some other way).

Cost to join:
$50 for professional
(I’m not sure about student rates, the ONA membership registration site isn’t working at the moment so I can’t give you any other numbers)

Benefits / “What you get”:
Read their official schpeal

ONA lists a lot of stuff on their “why to join page” but I haven’t used much of it the four years I’ve been a member. Most of the stuff on this page is either sorely outdated (Is there a “members-only biweekly newsletter” that I’m not aware of?), of small/questionable benefit (“Legal resources” is a series of 7 articles summarizing chapters from the book “Web Publishing Law”) or an extra charge (such as the conferences and competitions listed as a benefit). Basically, I look at this list (as a paying member) and wonder … where’s the beef?

I will say, ONA audio is a new section with promise. Right now it’s only four articles with audio, but hopefully it’ll be more after this year’s conference and events. It’s about time! I’ve slammed ONA before for being greedy by charging $149 for their conference audio, so I won’t go into that in depth here.

The conference experience:
ONA’s conference is a great place to network and find new jobs and meet people. There are lots of the big dogs at the top publications here and they’re just standing around with a Yahootini in a sport coat and sensible shoes. Also, if you ever want to work for (or shut down, for that matter) Tribune Media, go to ONA — there’s always dozens and dozens of Tribune leaders there (Seriously, does Tribune own part of ONA? How do they send that many people each year to the shindig?). As for the conference panels/discussion, I’m usually underwhelmed by the actual ONA conference and leave thinking, “Ok. I never need to go to another ONA conference again.” But somehow I end up going again and again, they keep reeling me in. It’s not a bad time; I just wish it was more inspiring and cutting edge.

Other events, workshops:
In the past year ONA has really started rocking out and having a lot more regional meet ups, many of which are networking based or co-sponsored with other organizations. (I haven’t been able to attend any since they’re usually in LA or NY.) It’s a definite positive sign they’re reaching out to have more activities.

My favorite things about being a member:
+ Like I said, ONA is *the* place for targeted networking if you want a job in online and can ‘network’ with people. If that is the only way you can get a job though, please don’t ever talk to me.
+ The online news listserv has become very active over the past year and had some great discussions on current issues. Although I think the listserv should be renamed, “The Roblimolist,” after Robin “Romblimo” Miller, the most active member and an editor for SourceForge Inc.
+ ONA is getting more involved in at least raising awareness for online rights. I haven’t heard anything about them actually taking legal action or getting anything done like the NPPA, Society of Professional Journalists, Electronic Frontier Foundation or other organizations… but it’s a very positive step forward. As you know if you read this blog I’m always linking to updates about net neutrality and online rights that affect anyone that uses the internet (especially publishers). Too many people sit silent!

My least favorite things about being a member:
- ONA just feels a lot like what’s killed the media. Ivory towers. The same 10-20 people running things. Little diversity of ideas and people with lots of white, older, male folks. (I can say that as a somewhat older, somewhat white, somewhat male folk). Lots of cliques. Lots of sport coats, nervous looks and hand wringing. ‘Follow-me’ innovation. Lots of consultants and general bureaucratic douchebaggery. It’s about as ‘old media’ as you can get in a new media organization.
- Cyberjournalist.net – The official ONA news blog is Cyberjournalist. It’s a cool, established blog that is somewhat regularly updated with a few experimental features (wiki, jobs and such). That’s all cool! What’s not is that evidently in the future ‘cyber journalists’ don’t cite sources because Cyberjournalist practically never does. No link love, no “via …,” no acknowledgment at all where the information is coming from. I’m surprised the Online News Association would endorse a blog that doesn’t play nice.

(For the record, I know I’m not the best example for blogging practices but I do try my best to almost always directly link to the source that gave me the information. That link relationship recognition is the basis of what makes the web awesome. It’s what makes us *not* print media. It drives traffic, readership, revenue and popularity to the source and back; they deserve it for sharing that information. In fact, you’ll rarely ever even see a ‘via’ text link on Journerdism because I always go to the source, unless I can’t – I.e. someone emailed me a link. Then I’ll do the ‘via’ thing. Anyway, I’m just saying, step off the ivory tower and give credit where credit is due.)

The most exciting thing to look forward to from this organization:
Andrew DeVigal’s Interactive Narratives 2.0 relaunch is going to be freaking fantastic; ONA is involved in that somehow ( although it’s not really clear how right now). I’m really encouraged by it though and hope as the organization grows out of it’s awkward, anxious teenage years it can now start to rock out and take a lead in the online journalism profession helping establish standard practices, offer training opportunities, protect the craft from legal attacks and evil doers, as well as encourage excellence and innovation in storytelling and audience engagement.

Read more reviews of the four best online and multimedia journalism professional organizations.