I first did this presentation at the 2018 NABJ Annual Convention and Career Fair in Detroit as part of the Innovation Bubble. They are really cool one-hour sessions where you can learn about digital tools and resources you can use in your newsroom that help you work smarter and better.
I was asked to do a session on all the digital tools, apps and resources that I use in my job every day. I thank VP-Digital Amir Vera for inviting me to present my “black bag” of what I use. The goal of my presentation is to show you things you could use tomorrow in your newsroom.
Click here to see my Prezi presentation with all the tools I shared. Please feel free to add your favorites in the comments or reach out to me if you have any questions!
I usually have this post done the Monday after the 18th annual Online News Association conference. But there was so much to unpack I needed extra time to process everything. And for those of you who didn’t make it this year, it was just as good as it looked on social media, so I hope you’re preparing for New Orleans next year. So here’s my review.
The ONA board is very popular! We have a record 22 folks running for six board seats, including me. No matter who wins, the board will be in a great position to help implement ONA’s strategic plan, already in progress. Click here to see the video, listen to the audio or read the social media on the candidate’s forum. Did I mention there was a bar? You have until Sept. 27 to vote, here.
Partial group photo of #NABJAtONA
#TheBrownAndTheBeautiful photo at ONA, styled by Paul Cheung.
2. Diversity a thing! I remember when there were so few of us attending the ONA conference that we all fit into a picture. But not this year! My #NABJ tribe took a photo but had to take several in order to get everyone, and we still didn’t do it. I saw many more people of color and got to see many friends I made at my first (and the last true) Unity convention in Chicago in 2008. And my heart was warmed seeing how many NABJ members say they will attend ONA in 2019. Overall, the diversity at this year’s conference was pretty good. Wait until New Orleans! #NABJAtONA
The HBUC Fellows and Leader Michael Grant at ONA’s awards banquet.
3. The ONA HBCU Fellows crushed it — again! THESE are the #ONA18 HBCU Digital Journalist Fellows at our awards banquet. Left to right: Xavier McKnight (Savannah State); Leah Proctor-Ford (Spelman); Shayla Simmons (Tennessee State); Kyla Wright (Hampton); Daja Henry (Howard); and Program Lead Mentor Michael R. Grant (Grambling State). I strongly encourage you to check out their work here, under HBCU FELLOWS REPORTING. And if you’re looking to diversify your newsroom internships, contact them; they’re all seniors! Or contact me — I’ll help you find them and other deserving students of color in need of paid internships.
4. I get by with a little help from my friends. I have to thank all of my friends who stopped by to speak with the HBCU fellows. They took time out of their busy schedules to share their experiences and wisdom with these young people. Most importantly, they made the HBCU fellows really think about the realities of a journalism career. So shout out to my boss Mandi Woodruff, executive editor at LendingTree; Rochelle Riley, award-winning columnist at the Detroit Free Press; 2018 CNN Diversity Fellow and SB Nation staff writer Tyler Tynes; Sarah Glover,NABJ President and NBC Social Media Editor; Ebony Reed, director of innovation and the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Futures Lab at the University of Missouri; Imaeyen Ibanga, senior producer and presenter with AJ+ and ONA board member (vote for her here); Akoto Ofori-Atta, senior editor of The Trace; and Jamal Jordan, 2017 CNN Diversity Fellow and digital storytelling editor at the New York Times.
Award winner Marissa Evans.
5. And the winner is… This is my mentee Marissa Evans. Marissa worked in the Online News Association Student Newsroom (along with Anna-Lysa Gayle) in 2012. She is now the health policy reporter at the Texas Tribune. She was one of a few journalists of color to win an ONA journalism award for her story comparing the childbirth process in Poland and Texas. Marissa won a grant from the Pulitzer Foundation to pay for her trip to Poland (after meeting the granters at NABJ in New Orleans) to report on the story. These awards are prestigious and they are always competitive, but the right person won. P.S. If you’re looking to hire a talented journalist for your newsroom, you should definitely give Marissa a call. Or email me here — I have a lot of people who would be great for your newsroom. Seriously.
6. Amy Webb was…soothing! Her panel, “Tech Trends For Journalists,” is always packed. It’s known for dropping some serious wisdom — and scaring the crap out of us. But this year, Amy flipped the script and focused on the optimistic side, and gave us cocktails to boot! You can view, listen to and read about her session here — and I highly recommend that you do.
Emma Carew Grovum (leader, Journalism Mentorship Collaborative), Kim Bui (board secretary), Mandy Jenkins (board president) Benet Wilson (board VP), Charo Henríquez (board member) and Rubina Madan Fillion (board candidate).
The annual #BlackGirlMagic photo at Amy Webb’s tech trends presentation.
7. Women rule. This is a photo of women who are kicking ass, both on the ONA board and in their careers. I hope that every one of them ends up running ONA, now and in the future.
8. Time management. The truth is, I *suck* in this area. There was always a workshop to attend, a person to have coffee with, mentees to hug, board duties to perform, receptions and parties to enjoy, dinners to eat and cocktails to enjoy (thanks, Mandy Jenkins for making me stay up when I really wanted to sleep).
Companies participating in the ONA Midway.
9. I saw the future of journalism. One of my favorite things about the ONA conference is The Midway. I call it an exhibit hall on steroids because you have great companies creating interesting tools and tech that help us do our jobs smarter and better. There are hands-on demonstrations and presentations on what’s next. Check out this 2:10-minute video on what you missed.
10. The ONA staff kicks ASS! Led by Executive Director Irving Washington, this staff — a perfect blend of full-timers and great consultants — always manages to raise the bar with our conference every year. If there were issues, we never saw them. Every single time I saw a member of the ONA team, they were cool, collected and smiling. And a BIG shout out to the newest member of the staff, Diana Lopez, who started on the job mere days before we descended on Austin.
The 2015 Southeast Journalism Conference will be hosted by Georgia State University at its Student*University Center and the Ramada Plaza Capitol Park Atlanta on Feb. 26-28, 2015. Members and non-members alike are invited to attend this fantastic learning opportunity for journalism students across the southeast.
MARCH
The Society of Professional Journalists’ Spring Conferences are day-long professional development meetings bringing area journalists, students and journalism educators together in one place to hear from industry experts on topics ranging from improving writing to leveraging technology in today’s new media climate. Networking opportunities at the conferences allow participants to build relationships that can lead to the sharing of the best practices in newsrooms. Enhance yourself and your journalism career by attending a Spring Conference in your area. For more information, click here.
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) will host the Region III conference March 5-8, 2015, aboard the Carnival cruise line to the Bahamas. This conference will feature diverse programming for freelance and transitioning journalists, public relations practitioners, entrepreneurs and students.
Join the Online News Association for its first international conference, ONA London: Mobile, March 6, 2015, at Reuters UK headquarters. This one-day event will bring together top minds in the industry to discuss mobile design, content and distribution, providing practical tips and inspiration to rethink how media approaches mobile news.
Journalists, media and communication professionals and students are invited to participate in the 2015 National Association of Black Journalists Region VI Conference, March 13-14,2015, in Oakland, California. The event – which takes place at the Waterfront Hotel in Oakland’s Jack London Square – will begin with a Friday night mixer reception at Lungamore’s @ Jack London Square followed by a full day of workshops, which will offer information and discussion on the impact and future of technology in the media and communications industries. Saturday’s sessions will end with a dinner/dance open to all participants.
APRIL
The Center for Journalism Ethics will address ethics in sports journalism at its seventh annual conference, Fair or Foul: Ethics and Sports Journalism, April 10, 2015, at Union South on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The conference will feature Robert Lipsyte, veteran sports journalist, author and current ombudsman for ESPN, as keynote speaker. The program will include panels on privacy, editorial independence in a world of sponsorship and rights fees, representation of minorities, and the bounds of civil discourse in a sporting context.
Journalists will gather for two days of training sessions, awards ceremonies and networking April 10-11, 2015 for the Midwest Journalism Conference at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis International Airport Hotel and Suites at 34th Avenue South and American Boulevard in Bloomington, Minnesota. Planning is under way for the 2015 conference and we welcome your suggestions for speakers, sessions and events.
Join hundreds of journalism colleagues in California’s Silicon Valley — an intersection of health and technology, and home to Health Journalism 2015. Register to visit area sites during field trips, hear from world-class health experts and journalists during panels, take part in skill-building workshops, and more. The conference will help reporters, editors and producers cover the latest in medical research, health technology, public health issues, the business of health care, health policy matters and journalism. The conference kickoff speaker will be Stanford University physician and bestselling author Abraham Verghese.
The Missouri School of Journalism and the Reynolds Journalism Institute will host Journalism Interactive, the conference on journalism education and digital media April 24-25, 2015. The keynote speaker will be Vivian Schiller, who was most recently global chair of news at Twitter. Her address, “Beyond the Buzzwords: What It Means to Be a News Organization in the Digital Age,” will focus on the impact of emerging technologies on both the practice of journalism and the business viability of news media companies.
AUGUST
The National Association of Black Journalists will hold its 40th Annual Convention and Career Fair August 5-9, 2015, in Minneapolis. Thousands of journalists, media executives, public relations professionals, and students are expected to attend to network, participate in professional development sessions and celebrate excellence in journalism. See a list of workshops here.
Excellence in Journalism will be held September 18-20, 2015, in Orlando, Florida. The conference is a joint event with the Radio Television Digital News Association, the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
Record-breaking numbers of journalists travel to the Online News Association’s annual conference each year to learn about new tools, techniques and technologies, to discuss advancements and challenges in the industry, take advantage of the rare opportunity to network face-to-face, and share best practices with peers from all over the map. Join ONA September 24-26 in Los Angeles.
OCTOBER
The Global Investigative Journalism Conference is the world’s largest international gathering of investigative reporters. It will hold its next conference in October in Lillehammer, Norway. The conference will be hosted by Association for Critical and Investigative Press (SKUP), Norway’s investigative journalism association.
If you have items you wish to include, please email them to me at benet AT aviationqueen DOT COM. Thanks!!
The 2015 Southeast Journalism Conference will be hosted by Georgia State University at its Student*University Center and the Ramada Plaza Capitol Park Atlanta on Feb. 26-28, 2015. Members and non-members alike are invited to attend this fantastic learning opportunity for journalism students across the southeast.
MARCH
The Society of Professional Journalists’ Spring Conferences are day-long professional development meetings bringing area journalists, students and journalism educators together in one place to hear from industry experts on topics ranging from improving writing to leveraging technology in today’s new media climate. Networking opportunities at the conferences allow participants to build relationships that can lead to the sharing of the best practices in newsrooms. Enhance yourself and your journalism career by attending a Spring Conference in your area. For more information, click here.
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) will host the Region III conference March 5-8, 2015, aboard the Carnival cruise line to the Bahamas. This conference will feature diverse programming for freelance and transitioning journalists, public relations practitioners, entrepreneurs and students.
Join the Online News Association for its first international conference, ONA London: Mobile, March 6, 2015, at Reuters UK headquarters. This one-day event will bring together top minds in the industry to discuss mobile design, content and distribution, providing practical tips and inspiration to rethink how media approaches mobile news.
Journalists, media and communication professionals and students are invited to participate in the 2015 National Association of Black Journalists Region VI Conference, March 13-14,2015, in Oakland, California. The event – which takes place at the Waterfront Hotel in Oakland’s Jack London Square – will begin with a Friday night mixer reception at Lungamore’s @ Jack London Square followed by a full day of workshops, which will offer information and discussion on the impact and future of technology in the media and communications industries. Saturday’s sessions will end with a dinner/dance open to all participants.
APRIL
The Center for Journalism Ethics will address ethics in sports journalism at its seventh annual conference, Fair or Foul: Ethics and Sports Journalism, April 10, 2015, at Union South on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The conference will feature Robert Lipsyte, veteran sports journalist, author and current ombudsman for ESPN, as keynote speaker. The program will include panels on privacy, editorial independence in a world of sponsorship and rights fees, representation of minorities, and the bounds of civil discourse in a sporting context.
Journalists will gather for two days of training sessions, awards ceremonies and networking April 10-11, 2015 for the Midwest Journalism Conference at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis International Airport Hotel and Suites at 34th Avenue South and American Boulevard in Bloomington, Minnesota. Planning is under way for the 2015 conference and we welcome your suggestions for speakers, sessions and events.
Join hundreds of journalism colleagues in California’s Silicon Valley — an intersection of health and technology, and home to Health Journalism 2015. Register to visit area sites during field trips, hear from world-class health experts and journalists during panels, take part in skill-building workshops, and more. The conference will help reporters, editors and producers cover the latest in medical research, health technology, public health issues, the business of health care, health policy matters and journalism. The conference kickoff speaker will be Stanford University physician and bestselling author Abraham Verghese.
The Missouri School of Journalism and the Reynolds Journalism Institute will host Journalism Interactive, the conference on journalism education and digital media April 24-25, 2015. The keynote speaker will be Vivian Schiller, who was most recently global chair of news at Twitter. Her address, “Beyond the Buzzwords: What It Means to Be a News Organization in the Digital Age,” will focus on the impact of emerging technologies on both the practice of journalism and the business viability of news media companies.
AUGUST
The National Association of Black Journalists will hold its 40th Annual Convention and Career Fair August 5-9, 2015, in Minneapolis. Thousands of journalists, media executives, public relations professionals, and students are expected to attend to network, participate in professional development sessions and celebrate excellence in journalism. See a list of workshops here.
Excellence in Journalism will be held September 18-20, 2015, in Orlando, Florida. The conference is a joint event with the Radio Television Digital News Association, the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
Record-breaking numbers of journalists travel to the Online News Association’s annual conference each year to learn about new tools, techniques and technologies, to discuss advancements and challenges in the industry, take advantage of the rare opportunity to network face-to-face, and share best practices with peers from all over the map. Join ONA September 24-26 in Los Angeles.
OCTOBER
The Global Investigative Journalism Conference is the world’s largest international gathering of investigative reporters. It will hold its next conference in October in Lillehammer, Norway. The conference will be hosted by Association for Critical and Investigative Press (SKUP), Norway’s investigative journalism association.
If you have items you wish to include, please email them to me at benet AT aviationqueen DOT COM. Thanks!!
Tonight we’re unveiling the first of a free series of digital skills webinars — New Year, New You, Part 2. At 8:30 p.m. ET, we’re holding our first webinar, “Tech & Tools Journalists Can Use.” Our panelists — Benet Wilson, Emma Carew Grovum, Ingrid Sturgis, Marissa Evans, Jeannine Hunter and Romy Camille — will share and demonstrate their favorite tools, websites, apps and technology. We’ll take your questions and the webinar will be recorded for those who can’t make it. Our media partner for this event is AllDigitocracy.org. You can still register, here.
It’s 2015, and yes, we’re all making our New Year’s resolutions. One of yours should be to step up your digital journalism skills to keep you relevant in your current newsroom or help you become a star in a new one.
To that end, NABJ’s Digital Journalism Task Force and the Diverse Social Media Editors and Digital Journalists Facebook group will host a free series of webinars — New Year, New You, Part 2 — in January, all designed to boost your digital skills in 2015. Click here to see what we did in 2014.
First up, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, at 8:30 p.m. ET, is “Tech & Tools Journalists Can Use,” a free hour-long webinar where panelist will share and demonstrate their favorite tools, websites, apps and technology that help them do their jobs smarter and better. We’ll leave time for questions after the presentation, which will be recorded. Our media partner for this event is AllDigitocracy.org.
Watch this space for other webinars we’ll be holding this month to boost your skills. And if there are webinars you want to see, let us know. Here’s to a great 2015!
It’s the end of the month, and very close to the end of the year. So below are not five, not 10 but 20 hacks, tips and tools you can try out as you work on boosting your digital storytelling skills in 2015. Enjoy, and happy new year!
When I do my free resume reviews for students and young journalists starting out, many times I either see gaps in employment or not enough internship experience or time on school media platforms.
When I discuss the findings of my reviews, I note the lack of experience or the gaps and ask what they are doing to continue to perfect their craft. I get vague answers about how hard it is to find freelance work, and the conversation peters out.
The lack of freelance work is NOT an excuse. With all the free and low-cost web-based platforms out there, there’s no reason why you can’t use them to showcase your work. I found a great article forwarded to me by one of my Twitter followers from the International Journalist’s Network blog: “Six tips for journalists on launching a successful blog.”
I blog here. I also created AviationQueen.com back in November 2010, and I regularly guest post on journalism and aviation blogs. My blog and others were godsends when I got laid off in October 2011. Some gigs were paid and some were not, but all of them got me exposure and led to job leads.
But blogging is not the only thing you can do. Create a talk show on BlogTalkRadioon the topics you hope to cover. I met Hezzie McCaleb, one of the founders of Barbershop Sports, at the NABJ convention in San Diego. Check out their website and how they use BlogTalkRadio.
Other ideas to get your work out and practice your craft:
Create your own stories using tools like Ustream and post them on your own YouTube or Vimeo channel;
Start a Tumblr blog on a specific topic;
Offer to guest blog on blogs you admire and have some expertise in;
Create your own podcasts using tools such as SoundCloud, Cinch or AudioBoo;
Comment on blogs and websites you admire, using the URL for your blog so people can follow your work; and
Sign up for social media platforms to further promote your work.
I understand that we all have bills to pay, and sometimes we have to take that job outside journalism to make sure we have a roof over our head and food in the fridge. But with all the tools out there, you have zero excuse not to keep up your journalism skills. Good luck!!
Benét J. Wilson is the vice president of education for the NABJ Digital Journalism Task Force. She also serves on the board of the Online News Association. She is the coeditor of AirwaysNews.com and a freelance aviation journalist and blogger.
With everything going on in digital journalism these days, you can never have too many tools, tech and toys at your disposal. So below are some suggested gifts to buy the ink-stained wretch in your life. Enjoy!
Mophie Juice Pack — with all the ways we use our iPhones and iPads on the job, we will inevitably get to a place where an outlet may not be available. That’s when Mophie comes to the rescue. There are different versions, but I carry the Mophie Powerstation Duo, which allows me to charge my iPhone and iPad at the same time, quickly. Nice!
Belkin Mini Surge Protector — Speaking of outlets, I carry this one, which has three plugs and two USB slots. The Belkin can be rotated to fit any outlet space.
QuietComfort 20i Acoustic Noise Cancelling Earbud Headphones — sometimes when I’m working on deadline, I need to listen to one of my calming playlists and cut out the noise in the newsroom. So I decided to pay $299.00 for a pair of these puppies, which can also be used for conversations on the iPhone.
Brydge Bluetooth iPad Keyboard — You can read my review of the Brydge here.
Newsprint skirt — I saw a woman wearing this skirt at ta journalism convention and loved it. It is custom made by theVintage Galeria Etsy store for $45.95.
AP Stylebook app– I’m loath to actually pay for an app. The most you’ll get out of me is 99 cents — until I saw this app. It costs $24.99, but it is worth every penny, putting the book on your iPhone. You can mark your favorites.
Benét J. Wilson serves on the board of the Online News Association. She is the immediate past chair of the NABJ Digital Journalism Task Force and is coeditor of AirwaysNews.com. She is also a freelance aviation journalist and blogger.
NABJDigital Blog 