In a time when news audiences face growing disinformation and journalists are increasingly under attack, we are frequently reminded that leading a newsroom takes more than editorial savvy. At this year’s Online News Association Conference (ONA25), we are emphasizing resilience.
On Wednesday, Sept. 10, join us for the opening featured session Leading at the Margins: Personal Resilience in the Face of National Reckoning—an essential conversation to ground the learning and connections you will experience the rest of the conference. Hear from local news leaders who are serving some of the most vulnerable communities how they cultivate resilience, protect their teams and stay true to the mission. Ethar El-Katatney, Editor-in-chief at Documented, will moderate the conversation with Madeleine Bair, Founding Director of El Tímpano, and Maritza L. Félix, Founder and Director of Conecta Arizona. Whether you’re just getting started in your journalism career or leading a major international outlet, you will find inspiration to sustain your work in the face of political backlash and broken systems.
Get to know the presenters
Ethar El-Katatney is an award-winning journalist with deep experience at the intersection of journalism and product strategy. She currently leads a diverse team working in four languages to serve immigrant communities in New York City and expand Documented’s suite of news products. Previously, she held leadership roles at Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and Al Jazeera’s AJ+ digital newsroom. Ethar has received a CNN African Journalist of the Year Award, a Samir Kassir Freedom of the Press Award and an Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Journalist Award. She is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Brown Institute for Media Innovation and has served on the ONA board since 2024.
Madeleine Bair is the founder of El Tímpano, informing and amplifying the voices of Latino and Mayan immigrants in Oakland and the wider San Francisco Bay Area. Madeleine’s passion for journalism and storytelling began as a youth reporter in Oakland. Her work has since spanned public media and human rights advocacy, including leading media innovation and reporting stories for organizations like WITNESS, Human Rights Watch, The Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, Colorlines, Orion, and PRI’s The World and Independent Lens.
Maritza L. Félix is the founder of Conecta Arizona, a Spanish-language news platform serving communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Started as a WhatsApp group to tackle misinformation about COVID-19, Conecta Arizona has grown into an essential resource that centers community connections and a practice of deeply listening to audiences. Maritza also created and hosts the podcast Cruzando Líneas and co-produces and co-hosts Comadres al Aire. She is a 2025 recipient of the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Courage in Journalism Award and has been recognized with multiple Emmys and industry honors for community impact and innovation.
This featured session will follow the ONA25 opening remarks, presented by Niketa Patel, Executive Director/CEO of ONA, and Charo Henríquez, ONA Board President and Deputy Washington Editor for Strategy and Operations at The New York Times. Immediately after the session, join new and old friends for refreshments and networking during the Welcome Reception.
Register by Aug. 8 for a discounted pass
ONA25 conference passes are available to ONA members at a discounted rate through Friday, Aug. 8. Four-day passes for ONA members are $495; the price increases to $600 on Aug. 8. Non-member passes are $675.
The ONA25 pass includes access to four days of in-person learning and networking with the ONA community; the Midway exhibit area and career events; the opportunity to attend select RSVP-only workshops and special events; and direct connections to ONA supporters and industry recruiters. Explore more of the schedule and register today.
Beyond the conference
ONA offers opportunities all year to learn with like-minded peers, collaborate on pressing questions and form deeper connections.
