2020 was a year of adapting and reimagining. We faced the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and related lockdowns, economic crisis, widespread protests against systemic racism, racial reckoning in newsrooms and global attention on a tumultuous election season in the United States.
Through it all, our focus was supporting our community to reimagine journalism and embrace the possibilities beyond the crises — from relationships with audiences and funding models, to workforce diversity, newsroom culture and collaboration within the industry.
We ended 2020 as a team of 12 and collaborated with 15 journalism consultants throughout the year. Together, we refined organizational strategies in the context of a pandemic and built solutions for meaningful virtual connections. We hired our first Director of Finance and Administration, strengthened how we work as we became a fully remote team, practiced what we preach about well-being and shared lessons with journalism and association executives.
As we look ahead, we are also honored to share the 2020 Retrospective, which highlights ONA’s impact on the journalism industry across five areas of work:
- Training, Education and Resources
- Communities, Cohorts and Collaboration
- Awards, Recognition and Grants
- Career Services and Development
- Standards, Ethics and Advocacy
While 2020 was a uniquely challenging year, we are energized by what we accomplished and look forward to building on this work in 2021.
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We’re also always interested in exploring partnerships that align with our mission to inspire and support innovation in digital journalism. There are many ways to connect with ONA’s global community, collaborate on programs and invest in our mission throughout the year. Contact Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer Jessica Strelitz at jessica@journalists.org for details.