The Poynter Institute'ss News University (NewsU) announced today that it is partnering with The Online News Association (ONA) to deliver a series of webinars in 2009 that will focus on applying cutting-edge technology innovations to journalism. This innovative training initiative combines ONA'ss expert membership with NewsU'ss training expertise and unique e-learning site. ONA and NewsU plan to create engaging training sessions that address topics important to anyone producing news for the Internet.
Now more than ever, journalists need focused, inexpensive and accessible help using new technologies that add depth and scope to their online storytelling, said ONA President Jonathan
Dube. Our goal in partnering with NewsU is to leave journalists inspired and empowered to try something new.
ONA and NewsU are both critical resources for journalists, journalism educators, journalism students and anyone else looking to advance their skills in the rapidly changing world of
digital media, said Howard Finberg, director of interactive learning at The Poynter Institute. By bringing together NewsU'ss technology with ONA'ss thought leadership, we have an
opportunity to create tremendous training for journalists and others interested in online news.
Rather than looking at today'ss tools, like Twitter or Facebook, the training sessions will focus on the very latest technologies and how they can be used in everyday journalism. The
first Webinar, scheduled for January 28, 2009, covers Semantic Web, which is the extension of the World Wide Web that enables people to share content beyond the boundaries of applications
and websites.
In addition to January'ss Webinar, three others are planned for March, May and September. Webinars are free for ONA members and feature a nominal charge for non-members. Replays of the
Webinars will also be available on NewsU.
About Poynter'ss News University:
NewsU (http://www.newsu.org) is committed to providing interactive, inexpensive courses that appeal to journalists at all levels of experience and in
all types of media. Officially launched in April 2005, NewsU offers an innovative approach to helping journalists enhance their skills. News University is the e-learning project of The
Poynter Institute, and is supported by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
About the Online News Association:
The Online News Association (http://www.journalists.org) is the world'ss largest association of online journalists, with more than 1,700 members.
ONA'ss mission is to inspire innovation and excellence among digital journalists to better serve the public. The membership includes news writers, producers, designers, editors, bloggers,
photographers, technologists and others who produce news for the Internet or other digital delivery systems, as well as academic members and others interested in the development of online
journalism. ONA also administers the prestigious Online Journalism Awards at its annual conference, held this year Oct. 1-3 at the Hilton San Francisco.