If you\u2019re coming to ONA17 to level up your career, you won\u2019t want to miss these talks. From lessons on how to navigate early- or mid-career challenges to recruiting diverse newsroom talent, check out these sessions to accelerate your learning curve and achieve your goals. Got questions for our speakers? Leave them at the bottom of the page and get the conversation going!<\/p>\n
You’re #1: First timers’ orientation<\/a> If you\u2019ve never been to the conference before, it can be hard to know which of the 100 sessions to pick, who to talk to or where to go in the evenings. Luckily, you\u2019re not alone! We\u2019ll connect you with other first-timers and show you how to get the most out of your time at ONA. We’ll focus in particular on networking advice, with some tips for introverts and extroverts alike.<\/p>\n We’re ~journalists~ too: Embracing your new(ish) newsroom role<\/a> For staffers who work in audience development, product, strategy or design, it can be a real struggle to get their newsrooms to understand their roles and responsibilities. When you leave this session, you’ll know how to explain your job to your colleagues as well as the value you bring to the table. Speakers include ONA Board member and Editor-at-Large P. Kim Bui<\/strong> of NowThis, Digital News Director Laura Davis<\/strong> of Annenberg Media and Senior Multiplatform Editor Elana Zak <\/strong>of CNNMoney. The sessions will be moderated by Senior Director of UX & Design Timothy Wong<\/strong> at Gannett, who will be able to draw from his own experiences here as well.<\/p>\n Inclusive recruitment, hiring and retention<\/a> Learn how to find diverse talent for your newsroom by raising your organization\u2019s profile, building relationships with recruits online and in-real-life, developing sponsorship\/mentorship programs and more. Speakers include S. Mitra Kalita<\/strong> of CNN Digital, Latoya Peterson<\/strong> of The Undefeated\/ESPN and David Plazas<\/strong> of USA Today.\u00a0Doug Mitchell<\/strong> of NPR \/ Next Generation Radio, Elly Yu<\/strong> of WABE and freelancer Katherine Ellis<\/strong> will facilitate. Please note an RSVP is required; the link above will take you to the registration page.<\/p>\n Wonder women, unite! Navigating the digital workplace<\/a> Join this candid conversation on challenges faced by female leadership, plus advice on how to manage yourself and your colleagues. Amy Eisman<\/strong> of American University School of Communication will moderate this discussion with experienced women leaders Kat Downs<\/strong> of The Washington Post,\u00a0Latoya Peterson<\/strong> of The Undefeated\/ESPN and Ariana Tobin<\/strong> of ProPublica, who\u2019ll be taking lots of questions. If you\u2019ve already got one you\u2019re ready to ask, drop it at the bottom of this post.<\/p>\n Digital journalism insights: Lightning talks from ONA Board candidates and VIP meetup<\/a> The digital professionals running for the five open spots on ONA\u2019s Board of Directors will discuss how they balance innovation, engagement, revenue and, of course, core journalism work. There\u2019ll be a brief meetup after the lightning talks with a chance to ask the candidates questions. Stay tuned, as the full slate will be announced in early September.<\/p>\n Under the hood: Career advice for the rest of us<\/a> This session is for anyone who has moved beyond the early-career stage but is not yet an executive: middle managers, people in first-time manager roles, professionals transitioning to new roles and freelancers. Our \u201cUnder the Hood\u201d series will begin with lightning talks to introduce our experts, followed by intimate simultaneous talks in different parts of the room to dig into tough subjects. You might join Heather Bryant<\/strong> of Project Facet, Nasr ul Hadi<\/strong> of the International Center for Journalists and Stefanie Murray<\/strong> of the Center for Cooperative Media to talk about how to manage collaborative partnerships in one corner; or go across the room to join Versha Sharma<\/strong>\u00a0of NowThis to commiserate about the challenges of millennials managing millennials. Emma Carew Grovum<\/strong> of The Daily Beast and P. Kim Bui<\/strong> of NowThis will be sharing the lessons they\u2019ve learned in management. Finally, you can join ONA Board President\u00a0Joshua Hatch<\/strong> of the Chronicle of Higher Education, Brittany Hite<\/strong> of The Wall Street Journal, plus Linda Shockley<\/strong> of the Dow Jones News Fund to brainstorm how to find top talent from diverse backgrounds.<\/p>\n Table Talks: <\/a>Career building<\/a> Consistently considered one of our most popular events, our Table Talks are designed to get into the meat of a topic, so you can get into the details of what you\u2019ve been working on with top minds in the field. Join this two-hour intimate discussion to talk about challenges you\u2019ve faced and strategies you\u2019ve employed to solve them. No preparation is necessary \u2014 this is an extremely interactive event and we encourage everyone interested to participate. If you\u2019re interested in business in revenue, we recommend that you check out some of the talks in the Business + Revenue and Career Building track. Note: Topics will be announced closer to the conference and we are not taking questions for speakers in advance, since these are participatory conversations.<\/p>\n The art of getting s**t done<\/a> This pragmatic discussion will address the real-world obstacles we all face, both personally and professionally. Our to do list-slayers Elena Bergeron<\/strong> of SB Nation, Justin Ellis<\/strong> of ESPN and S. Mitra Kalita<\/strong> of CNN Digital will give insight into what it takes to achieve your goals \u2014 be they work-life balance, career advancement, starting a major project or launching a product.<\/p>\n Early-career tips from our MJ Bear fellows<\/a> Hear about how early-career journalists can get the coveted \u201cyes\u201d from newsroom leadership on their ideas, make creative projects happen and navigate potential career pitfalls from our latest class of MJ Bear fellows. These early-career journalists will also describe their innovative work in independent, community and corporate news. The Fellows will be announced in early September.<\/p>\n