About ONA membership
Membership in the Online News Association connects you with the sharpest minds in digital journalism — multi-platform news professionals who are rethinking the industry, finding innovative ways to tell stories with emerging technology and starting up the news sites of the future. Members also enjoy a range of benefits, from discounted training, conferences and seminars to regional, national and international communities and events.
ONA membership is open to anyone working for a journalism organization or supporting journalism communities, academics, students and members of the public interested in online news.
Annual Membership
$75
Three-Year Membership
$150
Student Membership
$25
Already a member?
Access the ONA member platform to review benefits, update your profile, browse the directory or renew your annual membership. You also have the option to contribute additional support to ONA’s work by making a donation any time.
Member Benefits
- Access to ONA’s online membership directory
- Complimentary registration to virtual AI training sessions
- Exclusive opportunity to join the AI Innovator Collaborative
- Generous discounts on registration fees for the annual Online News Association Conference
- Discounts on entry fees for the Online Journalism Awards
- Discounted or complimentary tickets to virtual and in-person meetups
- Eligibility to run for a seat on ONA’s board of directors
- Eligibility to vote in the annual election for the board of directors
- Opportunity to be featured in Office Hours, ONA’s Linkedin newsletter, when you are looking for your next career move
Networking
In addition to exclusive access to the ONA member directory, take advantage of these networking opportunities across ONA:
- Online networks: Share, discuss and learn with other members through ONA’s Slack, Twitter/X and LinkedIn communities. Check out a full list of where to connect with ONA online.
- ONA meetups: ONA holds regular meetups, both virtually and in-person, focused on networking, skills and career development, new technology and journalism issues. Check out our list of ONA events.
- Career Center: ONA’s online job board, open to the entire digital journalism community, offers access to hundreds of career opportunities. For recruiters, we offer a targeted approach that allows you to find only the most relevant candidates, including instant resume access, easy online account management and significant discounts for ONA members. For job seekers, we offer free access to everyone in the journalism community, member and non-members, including confidential resume posting, career-related content and multiple ways to search for jobs.
How membership supports ONA
Being a member supports a number of critical initiatives offered by ONA, including:
- Providing free resources including tip sheets, presentations and audio and video recordings from our events
- Offering a variety of fellowship and grant programs supporting the innovative work of individuals and organizations
- Offering leadership training focused on promoting women to top positions in newsrooms
- Recognizing the best in digital journalism with our Online Journalism Awards
- Through our meetups, creating regular opportunities to meet and discuss all things journalism virtually and in-person
- Weighing in on key legal issues of the day through our Board Legal committee, including the filing of amicus briefs in court cases important to digital journalists
Membership Categories
Professionals
Open to any person whose principal livelihood comes from creating, producing, or supervising the creation or production of journalism for digital distribution.
Academics
Open to high school, college and university faculty and other academic professionals with research or teaching interests in journalism produced for digital distribution.
Associates
Open to members of the public with an interest in online journalism, including those who work in media but are not directly involved in the production of digital journalism.
Students
Open to high school, college and university students with an interest in journalism produced for digital distribution.