Get Involved

There are a variety of ways to get involved with ONA’s annual conference, detailed below. Many include complimentary registration.

Subscribe to the ONA25 Newsletter for regular updates about the annual conference.

Open opportunities

If your organization is looking to connect with leaders and innovators in digital media, we provide a wide variety of compelling sponsorship opportunities and can craft something to meet your goals and needs. Reach out to Head of Strategic Partnerships Hanaa Rifaey: hanaa@journalists.org.

The 2025 Online Journalism Awards honor excellence in digital journalism around the world. Finalists and winners represent a wide range of nonprofit, public, academic, major media, independent and emerging technology organizations. ONA25 will include the the OJA Luncheon on Friday, Sep. 12 at 1 p.m. ET. 

2025 Online Journalism Awards submissions are open from April 3 – May 15, 2025. Learn more and submit your work for consideration.

The ONA Midway is the destination for our community to learn about emerging and established tools and products through direct interaction with companies and organizations – including start-ups – and complemented by curated programming. ONA conference attendees come to the Midway for opportunities to learn about and try new products, to dive deeper into the tools they already use and bring back fresh ideas to amplify their news work.

ONA25 will feature several Midway learning sessions, highlighting topics of importance to the ONA community and featuring experts offering perspectives from inside and outside of the global newsroom.

Learn more and apply by July 17.

Upcoming opportunities

ONA is grateful to the dedicated volunteers who help make our annual conference a warm and welcoming environment. Please be sure to subscribe to our conference newsletter for the latest details on when to expect volunteer opportunities to open for ONA25.

Closed opportunities

Most of the programming for the annual conference comes together through our Suggestion Box, our public call for session and speaker ideas. Our volunteer Program Committee reviews all submissions. We expect to share the conference schedule on a rolling basis beginning in June. Selected speakers receive a complimentary badge to ONA25.

Submissions for conference programming through the Suggestion Box are now closed. The submission period was March 4-27.

The Online Journalism Awards (OJAs) are a great way to connect with other talented colleagues and get a behind-the-scenes look at some truly inspirational journalism projects.

We consistently receive feedback that contributing to the OJAs is a fulfilling way to connect with and give back to the digital journalism community while lifting up outstanding work.

This application process is now closed. The submission period was April 4 – May 15, 2025.

Screeners

A group of 150+ volunteers serve as the first set of eyes to evaluate submissions. Over three weeks, screeners review an average of 25-30 submissions across a variety of OJA categories. Their scores and comments ultimately help determine which submissions move to the semi-finalist round of review, where a panel of judges will select finalists and winners.

We look for volunteers with a wide array of expertise, backgrounds and perspectives across the field. If you have experience in reporting, video, audio, data visualization, product, editing, audience engagement, technical innovation and beyond, we encourage you to apply.

Judges

OJA finalists and winners are selected by a jury of peers. Senior-level professionals working in digital journalism review the semi-finalist submissions, as determined by screeners, and convene to discuss and determine finalists and winners for their assigned categories.

Judges are selected through an application process or by invitation from ONA’s Board of Directors. We encourage aspiring judges to first serve as a screener to gain an understanding of the OJA review process. Past screeners are considered strong candidates for serving on a judging panel.

Over three weeks, judges review 15-30 submissions for categories in which they have extensive knowledge and expertise.

The 2025 MJ Bear Fellowship is a year-long opportunity that honors ambitious journalists under 30 years old from around the world and supports them as they lead a digital journalism project.

MJ Bear Fellows receive:

  • Complimentary registration and travel scholarships to attend ONA25 in New Orleans and connect with the industry’s leading thinkers and doers
  • Three coaching sessions tailored to the fellowship cohort’s interests and goals
  • ONA membership for three years.

This application period closed on June 26.

The MJ Bear Fellowship is made possible through generous contributions by the MJ Bear Estate, friends of MJ Bear and ONA, MSN International and Microsoft.