WASHINGTON — The Online News Association (ONA) has selected 26 innovative women working at the forefront of digital media for the 2019 Women’s Leadership Accelerator. The Accelerator is a yearlong program aimed at advancing women in digital journalism through intensive training on leadership and management skills, coaching and practical guidance to navigate career challenges.
The 26 participants — selected from a pool of more than 400 applicants — represent five countries and include entrepreneurs, freelancers and leaders at diverse news organizations, from local news to broadcasting to international digital media. Women in the program are focused on social impact, creating new ways to reach their audience and innovating within legacy news organizations.
The 2019 Women’s Leadership Accelerator includes:
These 26 women will kick off the 2019 program with a week of intensive workshops and one-on-one mentorship with industry leaders Feb. 10–15, 2019 at the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center in Los Angeles. ONA provides coaching and support throughout the year, and the program concludes at the 2019 Online News Association Conference (ONA19), Sept. 12-14, in New Orleans.
ONA continues to adapt lessons from the Accelerator to training opportunities for women beyond the flagship program, in response to high demand for more support of women leaders in the industry. In 2018, the program expanded to include programming for more women in journalism, including training tailored to women in local news, as well as events in Austin, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, London and Pittsburgh.
“The Women’s Leadership Accelerator is helping women in digital media advance their careers and building a strong network of women who support each other as they solve tough challenges,” said Jennifer Mizgata, ONA’s Director of Programs. “Through our intensive work with exceptional leaders in the program and by offering new workshops and talks, we’ve been able to make an impact on the media ecosystem in a real way as women have moved up the ladder and helped raise other women up.”
The Women’s Leadership Accelerator is tuition-free thanks to the support of lead funder Dow Jones Foundation, and additional support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Ethics & Excellence in Journalism Foundation, WordPress.com VIP, KCRW, KPCC + LAist, John S. Knight (JSK) Journalism Fellowships and MM.LaFleur.
If you are interested in supporting the 2019 Accelerator program, contact Jessica Strelitz, Head of Strategic Partnerships, at jessica@journalists.org.
About ONA
The Online News Association is the world’s largest association of digital journalists. ONA’s mission is to inspire innovation and excellence among journalists to better serve the public. Membership includes journalists, technologists, executives, academics and students who produce news for and support digital delivery systems. ONA also hosts the annual Online News Association conference and administers the Online Journalism Awards.