Meet the 2016-2017 Executive Board!

It is with great pleasure that we present to you the 2016-2017 ONA Mizzou executive board!

President: Rose McManus

@rosemcms

Hello, my name is Rose McManus, and I am the president of ONA Mizzou. I am an Ohio native currently pursuing a master's degree in convergence journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia. 

In the past, I have worked for the Kansas City Star, POLITICO Europe, and the Columbia Missourian. I am known for wearing lots of black and being a little obsessive about Instagram. In my free time, I can be found at a coffee shop or exploring the Midwest on my road bike.

Three reasons to learn data visualization

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Eric Fischer

By Sarah Darby

As journalists and communicators, we all want to tell compelling stories. Although many of us specialize in a specific area of storytelling such as convergence, broadcast, print, photo or strategic communication, at some point, we will all be asked to tell stories using new tools and platforms.

As technology evolves, media professionals must also evolve in order to reach audiences. The concept of Computer Assisted Reporting has been around since the 50s, but use of technology in newsrooms looks a lot different than it did then.

From the board: Why ONA Mizzou

The 2015-2016 ONA Mizzou executive board
(not pictured: Madison Feller) Photo by Mark Hinojosa

From the Executive Board

This Thursday at 6 p.m., we will be holding a general meeting for ONA Mizzou. We are a group of students who are passionate about digital media. We come together to learn new skills, share ideas and help each other succeed in the digital space. And we want you to join us.

Six takeaways from ONA15

By the ONA Mizzou Executive Board

Photo by Sarah Darby

The Online News Association's annual conference is recognized as one of the premier conferences for all things related to digital media and the future of news. Every year, huge numbers of journalists travel to the conference to learn about new journalism technologies and to discuss ways to advance the industry.

If you're like our executive board, you couldn't make it to the conference in Los Angeles last week for ONA15. But, we're always interested to see what happened, and one of the best things about an online organization is that they're really good about putting things online. As we dug through the conference content, here were a few of our favorite sessions.

Welcome to ONA Mizzou!

It's that time of year again! Everyone is arriving back on campus, anxiously awaiting a new year of classes.

Since 2011, ONA Mizzou has provided a space for students across campus to learn more about digital media outside of class.

As the world of media continues to change, digital media skills are becoming increasingly essential for young journalists. Students don't have to search hard for evidence of the importance of these skills.

On taking a break...again

By Katy Mersmann

From Flickr user Jason Howie

We have talked about it before: the need to take a break and a breather from the newsroom to maintain some semblance of sanity. At Mizzou, we've taken to calling it #MyPersonal45, encouraging student journalists to take a 45 minute break, everyday, from work and stress and do something they really care about. (And then tweet and tell us what they do!)

So, it was kind of fitting when I was perusing the national ONA Twitter account and saw a link to a Poynter story about the mental exhaustion social media managers and reporters face when following graphic, disturbing stories. The problem is especially pervasive right now, with images of horrific executions of journalists coming out of Syria. Poynter quotes Bruce Shapiro, executive director of The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, who mentions that the images and stories can be especially challenging because so many of the social media managers following them are young and inexperienced, and not used to viewing extreme suffering.

Leave it to the users—leveraging audiences to vet content

By Kara Tabor

via SEOPlanter/Flickr

Speak the truth, or get demoted on social media. That's the impetus behind Facebook's newest feature allowing its users to sort the truth from the fake --and no, I'm not referring to whether or not your friends' Instagram snap truly has #nofilter. With the addition of an option to label a post as false information (within the post reporting feature that already gives users the ability to flag content that they may object for any of a variety of reasons), users can now have their say in one of the fundamental questions of the internet: Is this for real?

Five takeaways from ONA 2013 for students

By Elise Schmelzer

The student newsroom at ONA13.
Photo courtesy of Laura Davison.

For some, this weekend was filled with tailgating and college football. Others spent the weekend in Atlanta learning about the future of digital journalism at the Online News Association's annual conference.

Laura Davison, an MU graduate student and former secretary of ONA Mizzou, was selected to work in the conference's student newsroom. Along with 19 other students, she spent the weekend recording the conference through blog posts, tweets and videos. From what they've collected, here are five ideas from the conference that students can apply to their own work.

Meet the new ONA Mizzou student leaders

President: Andrew Gibson

Andrew Gibson is a senior majoring in convergence journalism and minoring in information technology and business. He has experience with video, audio and print, but his passion is for online journalism. Analytics make him happy, but HTML makes him drool.

Born and raised in Denver, Andrew has interned at KCNC-TV in Denver and The Colorado Springs Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colo. He will work as the online intern at the Orlando Sentinel during summer 2013.

Outside of journalism, Andrew enjoys Denver Broncos football and is always hunting for the perfect latte.

Follow Andrew Gibson on Twitter. 

Celebrate the holiday season with Mizzou's journalism organizations

The holiday season has arrived, and that means it's time for MU's journalism students to celebrate. Join the Online News Association and the school's other journalism organizations for a mixer on Thursday, Dec. 6, at 5 p.m in the Neff Hall Student Lounge. There will be dessert (lots of it) and conversation for all, but only one group will walk away as the champion of the trivia contest. All journalism students are invited to the mixer, which will be a great opportunity to learn how to get involved in MU's journalism organizations.

Letters Home: Bart Bedsole

Bart Bedsole is an anchor for KZTV in Corpus Christi,
Texas. He graduated from the Missouri School of
Journalism in 2000 with a degree in broadcast
journalism.

The following letter was submitted June 22, 2012

DEAR MYSELF AT AGE 20...

Be very thankful. You are among the final generations of young broadcast news reporters that will graduate to find a job that provides a decent salary and a photographer to work with. Ten years from now, people hired for the same position will be required to shoot their own stories, as well as post it all online in more places than you can imagine, and you will do it all for less money.

Don't rush to move on to higher markets or positions, because happiness and success can be found anywhere.

Spend more time on your writing and less building your resume tape. Your coworkers will respect you more for it.

What the Poynter eyetracking study means for tablet publishers

By Dalton Barker

Poynter recently conducted a study that tracked the eye movement of people reading and navigating through three tablet layouts.

This study came at the heels of another study published in the Sacramento Bee about reading newspapers on tablets versus in print. It showed that people viewing newspapers on tablets account for 7 percent of total Web page views and that 10 percent of tablet users read news on their tablets daily.

So, what does this mean? We already know the shift toward digital is coming and, in many places, is already here. Look at Thursday's headline about Newsweek. Instead, the question becomes, How do online publishers maximize the tablet experience? Poynter's study shows online news can be tailored to individual users, but making sure that happens is one of publishers' biggest tasks.

LIVEBLOG: Highlighting the work of the Missouri Honor Medal recipients

5:05 p.m. All meeting guests are signed in and have cupcakes!

5:10 p.m. ONA Mizzou Secretary Laura Davison reviewed investigative reporter John Ferrugia's work. Ferrugia works at KMGH-TV in Denver and is a 1975 Missouri School of Journalism graduate.

5:15 p.m. Davison also looked at Adam Moss, editor-in-chief of New York Magazine. Under his tenure, the publication has won more awards than any other magazine, and it "publishes new content every six minutes," according to the Nieman Journalism Lab.

5:20 p.m. ONA Mizzou President Erin Dismeier highlighted National Geographic photographer Jodi Cobb.

Dismeier also looked at the work of 1982 Missouri School of Journalism graduate alumnus Jeff Leen, the assistant managing editor of The Washington Post's investigations unit.

ONA Mizzou Treasurer Stacey Welsh also gave the lowdown on columnist Mona Eltahawy, who writes about Arab and Muslim issues. She lectures about how to use social media effectively in those communities.

5:21 p.m. A video was played that discussed Eltahawy's arrest for spray painting over anti-Muslim messaging in a subway.

EVENT ALERT: Missouri Honor Medal recipient review

WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 11, 5 p.m.

WHERE: RJI 100A (Palmer Room)

The Missouri Honor Medal recipients are coming to your classes, but do you know why? Spend an hour with ONA Mizzou to find out who the honorees are and why the Missouri School of Journalism has chosen to recognize their work. 

The ONA Mizzou student leaders will show you the notable achievements of each recipient to prepare you for when they speak on campus.

You can also win door prizes, eat cupcakes and learn about how to get involved with the school's digital journalism club!

Letters Home: Bridget Doyle

Bridget Doyle is a reporter for the
Chicago Tribune. She graduated from
the Missouri School of Journalism in
2009 with a degree in magazine
journalism.

The following letter was submitted June 14, 2012

Choosing to become a journalist in a time when there's very little security in the industry already requires a passion and a leap of faith worth applauding. It's a high-demand, (generally) low-paying field, but it's one of the most rewarding career paths out there. You're changing lives, making personal connections, telling stories and exposing truths. It takes a great amount of commitment and drive to succeed in journalism in 2012, but if you're at the Missouri School of Journalism, you're already forging a path of success. I offer advice not as a journalism veteran, but as a reporter with three years of experience surviving in an exciting and volatile media world.

Always, always take the extra work. When you land your first internship or job - or even while at the Missourian or Vox - you will stand out if you raise your hand. It's not about just camping out at Lee Hills Hall for face time. When your editor/boss/superior asks who will take on the extra story or work a Saturday shift, volunteer. Sure you'll whine and grumble to your friends when they're headed to tailgate on Saturday and you're rolling six notebooks deep, but the extra effort is what bosses notice. Be the person who's willing to step up and take the unwanted work without expecting extra compensation. It's a tough business out here right now, and it's the people that haven't become complacent that most often hold onto their job.

EVENT ALERT: Recapping the Online News Association Conference

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 27, 5 p.m.

WHERE: 42 Walter Williams

The 2012 Online News Association Conference, one of the nation’s largest digital journalism gatherings, happened last week in San Francisco -- and ONA Mizzou is highlighting the event for those of us who couldn’t make it. Join ONA Mizzou, ONA Northwestern, Futures Lab Director Mike McKean, RJI Communications Director Brian Steffens and other faculty members as they share what they learned at #ONA12. We'll  focus on innovations you can add to your journalism repertoire today.

Come with questions and your game face: We'll be playing Buzzword Bingo (we'll explain, don't worry) for the chance to win fabulous ONA12 gear.

Itching to read about the conference before Thursday? Check out coverage from the conference's student newsroom, Gannett's ONA12 Tumblr and Poynter's "12 bite-size takeaways" from the event.

Also, we highlighted three conference sessions in a post last week.

Can't go to the 2012 Online News Association Conference? Learn from it anyway.

By Andrew Gibson

Not everyone can go to the 2012 Online News
Association Conference, but that doesn't mean you
can't learn from ONA12.

Thursday marks the start of what might be the world's most talent laden and genuinely awesome gatherings of digital journalists.

The 2012 Online News Association Conference, happening in San Francisco through Saturday, features the likes of Liz Heron, Wall Street Journal social media and engagement director, and Juana Summers, a Politico national reporter -- and 2009 Missouri School of Journalism graduate -- who's been following around GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan.

In other words, Thursday marks the start of three heavenly days.

And of course, you're not going.

Well, neither am I. But there's still something you can do: scan the conference schedule. Maybe that sounds boring, but if you take five minutes, you might read about a session that intrigues you. Maybe something you want to learn about on your own. It's not necessary to fly west to learn data journalism, you know.

(For the record, ONA will livestream some parts of the conference. You should also follow the #ONA12 hashtag.)

Here are three sessions that caught my eye:

Facebook mobile-ad revenue expected to grow, but still looking for business model

By Erin Dismeier

Facebook's mobile-ad revenue is projected to grow, but
the service is still looking for a sustainable mobile model.

Facebook or Twitter?  Even though Facebook achieved popularity sooner, a recent report by online marketing-research firm eMarketer shows Twitter in 2012 will take in more U.S. mobile-ad revenue than Facebook.

This is partially because Promoted Tweets, a huge ad-revenue source for Twitter, are well-integrated into the service's "core user experience," making the "shift toward displaying mobile advertisements relatively simple," according to eMarketer. 

"Dick Costolo, Twitter CEO, boasts that Twitter was developed with mobile in mind," according to Digital Trends. "As the company began selling mobile ads earlier this year, just weeks into its mobile ad program, the company garnered more ad revenue from its Promoted Tweets program on its mobile platform than on its desktop app."

Letters Home: Jeremy Harlan

Jeremy Harlan is a photojournalist for CNN in Washington,
D.C. He graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism
in 1999 with a degree in broadcast journalism.

The following letter was submitted June 25, 2012

Dear ONA Mizzou,

Being #2 is for pencils.

I don't know if Greeley Kyle still has that line hanging somewhere in his office, but it's forever etched in my head. And today, as I write this letter back to you, it's the first thing that comes to mind as advice for Mizzou journalism students.

Sure, there are some anecdotal suggestions: don't drink the water on international assignments. Have an overnight bag sitting under your desk for breaking news.  Always carry a disc, mic, and battery on the plane to still do TV when the airline loses your gear.

But none of that's a concern if you don't have the drive and desire to WANT to be in those situations.

ONA Mizzou on summer hiatus

Looking for another Letters Home post?

You'll see one -- but not until school starts in August. The ONA Mizzou student leaders are taking a summer blogging break to focus on jobs, internships and maybe even relax.

We do have several more letters ready to publish, though, so be sure to check back here Mondays starting in mid-August. In the meantime, you can reabsorb the advice Missouri School of Journalism alums have already shared.

Other ways to get involved with our club:

• Passionate about a topic in digital journalism? Email us with your idea, and we'll help you get published on this blog.

• Find an interesting article about online journalism? Tweet it to us @ONAMizzou or post it on the ONA Mizzou Facebook page.

• Did you go to one of our events last semester? We're always looking for suggestions for new programs. Send ideas to the email given above.

• Want to connect with digital journalists worldwide, find job openings and meet local newsies? Consider joining ONA Central, our parent organization.

Image courtesy of Flickr user CC Chapman