ONA’s annual conference is a community gathering unlike any other. Each year we design a unique-to-ONA learning experience that connects industry leaders and emerging talent with the latest innovation and insights to tackle journalism’s big, hairy challenges.
Today we’re excited to share a first look at the program for the in-person component of ONA23, Aug. 23–26, in Philadelphia. This is a partial schedule, with more networking events, sessions and speakers to be added on each day of the conference as we confirm dates and times.
Special thanks to our sponsors.
What’s new this year
ONA23: Philadelphia will deliver dozens of interactive sessions over four days. The emphasis will be on collaborative discussions and hands-on learning, complemented by a more lean-back virtual event a month later for ONA23: Onward, Sept. 28–29.
Check out a few specific elements we’re introducing to the in-person experience:
Day 1 (Wednesday, Aug. 23) will offer workshops centered around Career Development. The lineup will include opportunities for first-time managers, early career journalists and audience engagement professionals. Plus, attendees looking to boost investigative reporting skills will have a chance to join an in-depth workshop, presented by University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, on mining public records to tell powerful, data-driven stories. To create an optimal learning experience, several of the workshops on Wednesday will have limited capacity and require an RSVP. You can select RSVPs when you register for a conference pass. If you already completed ONA23 registration, make changes any time by clicking on the personalized link in your confirmation email and choosing sessions under “Select Courses and Events.”
Note: You will not be able to RSVP for sessions and/or workshops that have overlapping times.
Throughout the conference, every session will conclude with a built-in moment of prompted conversation to make it easy for attendees to connect and share perspectives. Those great hallway conversations ONA is known for now have a home within the structure of the conference.
Our popular Table Talks will take place at day’s end on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. These sessions are focused, but informal, conversations on specific topics and serve as an opportunity to download what you’ve been learning about each day and spark new ideas with fellow attendees. We hope Table Talks will also be a great way to connect with others ahead of evening receptions, dinners and fun in Philadelphia.
Take a look at the sessions and workshops we have confirmed for the conference so far — with many more to come! We will continue adding to the schedule through mid-July.
How the ONA23 program takes shape
Community input through the Suggestion Box and the volunteer ONA23 Program Committee drive much of the conference programming.
The Suggestion Box, which was open for input from March 1–22, serves both as a way to pitch specific sessions and to seed topic ideas and speakers. The program committee reviews each submission and recommends sessions that best respond to the areas the ONA community has identified as most valuable:
- Audience development and metrics
- Emerging technology
- Innovative news storytelling
- Leadership development and culture
- Revenue, content strategy or product
If you submitted ideas to the Suggestion Box, our goal is to let you know by the end of May about whether or not your pitch was accepted.
Your ONA23 conference pass
Registration for ONA23: Philadelphia includes a pass to the virtual follow-up, ONA23: Onward. ONA members receive a significant registration discount. If you already know you can’t miss this year’s conference, register now to take advantage of the Early Bird rate. Prices increase on June 8.
Need help making the case to attend? Check out our five-step guide to convincing your boss.
