ONA Student Newsroom
  • Data reveal differences in return to in-person schooling
    • June 26, 2021
  • How three news start-ups approached innovation in 2020
    • June 22, 2021
  • Sports journalists, from left, Matt Musil of KHOW TV, Emily Giangreco of KVUE TV, and John Affleck, the Knight Chair for Sports Journalism at Penn State University.
    Virtual group interviews are changing sports coverage
    • June 22, 2021
  • In their memory: Pandemic offers opportunities to transform digital obits
    • June 21, 2021
  • COVID-19 vaccine incentives: do they work?
    • June 21, 2021
  • Home
  • ONA23 Conference
  • Online Journalism Awards
  • Ethics Tool
  • Knowledge Base
  • ONA Insights
  • Member Log In
ONA Student Newsroom
  • Conference

Three ways to make the most out of ONA21’s virtual conference

  • Jade Campos
  • June 22, 2021
  • 2 minute read
screenshot of the ONA21 Midway user interface
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
0

The Online News Association kicked off its second distanced conference amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While things look a little different from the historic in-person events, here’s a few ways to make the most of the week.

Get your name out there

In a typical year with an in-person conference, attendees have the opportunity to network with people across the journalism industry. While not as easy as running into someone in the conference halls, there’s still the opportunity to connect.

David Smydra, Twitter’s senior curation lead and ONA board vice president, believes people should still schedule time in their day to network remotely and check out the virtual Midway.

In the Midway, you can see who’s at the conference. You’ll find attendees and recruiters listed on the left side of the Midway screen. This is where you’ll have the chance to schedule meetings with companies or people you might just want to talk with.

screenshot of the ONA21 Midway user interface

For any person or company you’re interested in connecting with, the Midway gives you the chance to show interest in them or request a meeting.

screenshot of networking interface for the ONA21 conference

“It takes a little more effort to create the ‘bump-ins’ of an IRL event — but it’s totally worth it,” Smydra said.

And if you’re looking for a job or are interested in graduate school, the Resume Drop gives you the chance to share your information with recruiters.

Schedule your time efficiently

To keep up with a busy schedule, take advantage of ONA’s scheduling function to get reminders of events and conversations you want to tune into. You have the ability to add things to your own calendars.

screenshot of a schedule page

Jennifer Mizgata, ONA’s director of programs, also recommends making note of sessions you’d like to attend that are happening at the same time. Many events will be recorded, so don’t forget to make your rounds and come back to things you missed.

All recorded sessions will be archived on the conference schedule where future events can also be found.

Kick back and chat

Panels and events tend to spark conversation with the person sitting next to you — and that’s still possible in the conference’s remote format.

Meghan Murphy, ONA’s community builder, recommends checking out the live video discussion after every session to chat with some other attendees.

Highly recommend joining the live video discussion space post-session when possible. It's a great way to debrief with others who are also figuring out how to apply lessons to their work — and speakers sometimes pop in to continue the conversation! Look for the orange button. https://t.co/24gfBNk1Uw

— Meghan Murphy (@mmurphydc) June 22, 2021

Also, check out the ONA21 conference lobby. A live chat function gives people the opportunity to say check in from around the globe.

screenshot of the live chat function of the ONA21 experience

What are some of your favorite tactics for maximizing your remote ONA? Tweet us @ONANewsroom with your advice and we’ll curate and share the responses.

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Jade Campos

Previous Article
  • COVID: Industry Issues

In their memory: Pandemic offers opportunities to transform digital obits

  • Gabriel Pietrorazio
  • June 21, 2021
Read More
Next Article
Sports journalists, from left, Matt Musil of KHOW TV, Emily Giangreco of KVUE TV, and John Affleck, the Knight Chair for Sports Journalism at Penn State University.
  • COVID: Industry Issues

Virtual group interviews are changing sports coverage

  • Skylar Williams
  • June 22, 2021
Read More

Special thanks to our Patron Sponsors
Google News Initiative logo

Content Authenticity Initiative logo

…and our Supporting Sponsors
Microsoft logo
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution logo

Top Articles
  • 1
    Ever heard of a ‘newsgame’? They aren’t as new as you might think
    • September 24, 2022
  • A table with three speakers sit in front of a room with people at round tables 2
    As journalists look to build trust, solutions journalism might help
    • September 24, 2022
  • Why news organizations are pivoting to short-form video and TikTok
    • September 24, 2022
  • screen shot of Zine produced by the ONA Newsroom in 2022 4
    To paper and back again – the #ONAZine
    • September 24, 2022
  • 5
    Women’s Leadership Accelerator cohorts back in person after two years
    • September 24, 2022
@ONANewsroom
My Tweets

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

ONA Student Newsroom
Daily conference coverage from ONA's student newsroom

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.