Living the “ONA” Life

Last week, a couple of The Beacon staff and I attended the Online News Association (ONA) Conference held in Washington D.C.

My first time in the nation’s capital was unforgettable. Not only was I on the same rooftop at the Watergate Hotel as Carl Bernstein, but everything was absolutely a learning experience.

 

A quick pose at the Watergate Hotel before we unexpectedly saw Carl Bernstein.

 

The first day of conference kicked off with a “first-timer’s” orientation. It was the first networking event, and the room was filled with enlightening conversations.

ONA featured some of the brightest minds in digital journalism. The keynote speakers were outstanding and inspiring.

The opening keynote, entitled “Trust, Truth and Questions for the Media,” was a panel moderated by Brian Stelter of CNN featuring Nikole-Hannah Jones of The New York Times, Michelle Holmes of Alabama Media Group, Asma Khalid of WBUR, Elle Reeve of Vice News Tonight and Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks.

 

Opening Keynote Panelists

 

7 things I learned from them:

1. Journalists must represent the powerless.
2. Journalists should create a deep understanding of the underrepresented communities and listen to deep conversations.
3. There is a fine line between neutrality and objectivity. We should not be seduced by neutrality.
4. Use social media to search for stories coming from underrepresented communities.
5. We need to stop covering the same communities, same people all the time.
6. Report with racial lens and learn to establish trust.
7. We need to focus on stories that do not involve the Trump administration.

“There are so many inequality and segregation issues out there that did not root from the president,” Jones said. “It has always been there. He just made these issues transparent.”

 

David Fahrentold of The Washington Post and I

 

One session featured the famous David Fahrentold, an investigative reporter with The Washington Post who is a Pulitzer Prize winner.

5 tips for expert interviewing (Fahrentold Edition):

1. If people lie, let them tell the whole lie first then jump in and walk them through the lie.
2. Social media is a tool for crowdsourcing. For example, you can use Twitter to gather information.
3. Store all the information you can find, so when you need it again, you can go back and check again.
4. Organize your notes! It will be useful in the future.
5. When you walk into interviews, you have to completely be prepared and knowledgeable with information.

 

More with the Washington Post

 

Another thing that journalists should be mindful of is that trust requires:

• A way for the public to be heard.
• A way for the newsroom to listen.

We must build relationships and check in with them consistently. Don’t just reappear when you need something.

.@MichaelOreskes said “think of journalism as a process of engaging with the world, instead of as a product” #ONA17 @NPR

— Rachel Ramirez (@rachjuramirez) October 6, 2017

.@kristenhare said facts and truth are 2 different things. Facts are the numbers, while truth is something you see w/ your own eyes. #ONA17

— Rachel Ramirez (@rachjuramirez) October 6, 2017

.@AshleyAlvarado said that listening is a journalist’s superpower. #ONA17

— Rachel Ramirez (@rachjuramirez) October 6, 2017

.@jimbrady said that journalists need to improve conversations in newsrooms. #ONA17

— Rachel Ramirez (@rachjuramirez) October 6, 2017

.@JenniferBrandel said that the 3 T’s: time, treasure and talent can build relationship and trust with the audience.

— Rachel Ramirez (@rachjuramirez) October 5, 2017

One session was a talk led by quantitative futurist, Amy Webb. By closely examing fundamental shifts in human behavior or trends, she was able to point out what is in store for the future of journalism.

We also attended networking events hosted by Facebook and the Knight Foundation, TEGNA, The Washington Post and Google.

 

From left to right: News Managin Editor Olivia Sanchez, Me (Senior Reporter/Multimedia Producer), The Beacon Advisor Nancy Copic and Editor-in-Chief Rachel Rippetoe

 

The final keynote address featured a satiric panel entitled “When Satire Is The Most Effective Political Coverage.” The speakers were Francesca Fiorentini of AJ+, Matt Negrin of The Daily Show, Melinda Taub of Full Frontal and were moderated by Versha Sharma of NowThis.

And while my body demanded for coffee every hour (Thank you, Google for the free coffee), I had an amazing time at #ONA17. My mind is currently filled with story ideas, and I cannot wait for next year’s conference in Austin, TX.

-Rachel Ramirez