ONA Weekly #478: AI Innovation And Local News

By on September 13, 2023

AI innovation and local news

Just added! Check out the video recording of last Friday’s Roundtable Discussion on the Latest in AI Innovation.

Microsoft’s Liz Danzico and Matt Masterson and Nota’s Evan Young discussed advancements in AI technology and tools that can help to empower journalists, modernize newsrooms and enhance publishing experiences. They also discussed opportunities and challenges associated with the emergence of AI and how best to develop approaches that benefit local news ecosystems.

Thank you to Microsoft Democracy Forward for their support of this event.

Approaches to editorial planning [Sponsored]

A stock image of a team of people sitting at a table and working on laptops.In a new post for ONA, our partners at Desk-Net explore the optimal approach for streamlining editorial planning in newsrooms with complex content workflows: planning tools versus spreadsheets. Delve into the advantages and trade-offs of each, considering factors like collaboration, integration and budget.

Whether you’re seeking the robust capabilities of planning tools, including enhanced collaboration and integration with CMS platforms, or the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of spreadsheets, make an informed decision based on your newsroom’s size, requirements, and resources.

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Manage the Daily Story Flow With Desk-Net

A stock image of a four-way crosswalk.Coordinating content in an ever-changing, fast-paced environment is challenging. As a result, newsrooms are moving away from generic tools like Excel to dedicated planning tools:
  • Streamline your content flow across platforms
  • Hand out assignments to reporters, photographers, and freelancers
  • Coordinate staff, monitor deadlines

Try Desk-Net

All about ONA23: Onward

There are 17 days until our virtual mini-conference begins. Are you ready to join us?

To recap: At ONA23: Onward, we’ll have one session on each of two tracks available at the same time from 11 a.m.–1:45 p.m. EDT (15:00–17:45 UTC) on Sept. 28–29.

We’re featuring top-notch speakers such as WIRED Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond, Washington Post tech columnist Taylor Lorenz and journalist Karen Hao for sessions on tech and innovation topics affecting newsrooms everywhere.

Register for ONA23: Onward standalone passes, with discounts for ONA members and students. If you joined ONA in Philadelphia last month, you are already registered. See you there!

More ONA23 resources

The ONA23 logo.We’re planning to upload videos from sponsored and featured sessions at ONA23: Philadelphia in the coming weeks to our resource center. Here are two videos to highlight:

From the ONA Slack community The Slack logo.

Career opportunities 

ONA’s Career Center is an excellent resource for jobs, fellowships and internships in digital journalism. Recent postings include:

Looking for a new opportunity? Add your resume to the ONA23 Resume Drop (which is for the entire ONA community and is open through ONA23: Onward).

On our radar

Directory spotlight

Inkwell

Inkwell partners with leading newsletter publishers to help them better operate, monetize, and grow. Schedule a free consultation.

Dozens of technology companies, foundations, consultants and journalism organizations contribute to ONA’s mission throughout the year. Explore our Industry Directory to discover new tools and potential partners, or learn how to get listed.

P.S. from ONA…

  • If you’re in the Omaha, Nebraska, area or plan to be, ONA’s CEO and Executive Director LaSharah S. Bunting will be on the panel at the Flatwater Festival from the Flatwater Free Press on Sept. 14.
  • ONA Director of Communications Karolle Rabarison is going to be hosting the This Week in Digital Media text newsletter starting Sept. 18.

Support ONA

There are many ways to help sustain ONA’s mission to inspire and support innovation in digital journalism.