ONA12 Student Newsroom Picked From Promising Digital Journalists Worldwide


WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - Jun 4, 2012) - The Online News Association, the world's largest membership organization of digital journalists, is pleased to announce the members of the ONA12 Student Newsroom, chosen from more than 400 applicants across the globe, who will provide intensive coverage of the Online News Association Conference & Awards Banquet, Sept. 20-22 in San Francisco.

For the third year running, Google will provide a $20,000 scholarship to cover registration, travel and lodging expenses for the 20 students attending the conference.

Mentored by working journalists and journalism professors, the mix of graduate and undergraduate students will bring a rich, varied set of multimedia skills and fresh perspective to conference coverage, using a range of digital formats and styles, including interactive text and graphics, live blogging, slideshows, audio and video.

"This year saw double the number of applicants, and once again, the high overall quality made the selection process particularly challenging," said Jane McDonnell, ONA Executive Director. "It's a good sign for the profession to see such an impressive combination of professional experience and academic credentials."

Under the direction of Committee Co-Chairs Sara Kelly of National University, Michelle Johnson of Boston University and Curt Chandler of Penn State University, the student team will be getting right to work. In the weeks leading up to ONA12, they'll give attendees a comprehensive preview, including details on session topics and interviews with conference presenters and speakers.

The students are:

  • Aubrey Aden-Buie, Graduate, University of Miami
  • Katherine Borgerding, Senior, University of Oklahoma
  • Casey Capachi, Graduate, University of California Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism
  • Nicole Chavez, Senior, University of Texas at El Paso
  • Qin Chen, Graduate, University of Miami
  • Lindsey Cook, Junior, University of Georgia
  • Marissa Evans, Senior, Marquette University
  • Amy Friedenberger, Senior, University of Pittsburgh
  • Hilary Fung, Junior, Northwestern University
  • Anna-Lysa Gayle, Junior, Howard University
  • Jessica Huff, Senior, University of Texas at Austin
  • Emaun Kashfipour, Junior, University of Maryland, College Park
  • Jill Knight, Senior, Pennsylvania State University
  • Shako Liu, Graduate, University of Southern California
  • Krystina Martinez, Senior, West Texas A&M University
  • Heikki Pölönen, Graduate, University of Tampere, Finland
  • Kelsey Rolfe, Junior, Ryerson University, Canada
  • Nicholas Slayton, Senior, University of Southern California
  • Jeff Stern, Junior, Elon University
  • Brandon Weight, Junior, Syracuse University

About ONA
The Online News Association is the world's largest association of digital journalists. ONA's mission is to inspire innovation and excellence among journalists to better serve the public. The membership includes news writers, producers, designers, editors, bloggers, developers, photographers, educators, students and others who produce news for and support digital delivery systems. ONA also hosts the annual Online News Association conference and administers the Online Journalism Awards.

Contact Information:

For more information, contact:
Jane McDonnell
Executive Director