ONA11 Boston: The Journalism Now Conference

It’s hard to believe ONA11 Boston is a week away. I still remember crawling out of bed Sunday, Oct. 31 2010, in disbelief that the conference was over and I was still alive. There was certainly a Rally to Restore Sanity last year and this time it had nothing to do with the future of journalism. #

Journalism was more alive and sane than it had been in years in Washington, D.C. last year. You will not be disappointed this year either. You’ll find the drum beating louder than ever at the Boston Marriott Copley. As mentioned in the September American Journal Review, “It’s important to note that we banned the phrase ‘future of’ anything this year,” says Jane McDonnell, ONA’s executive director. #

The term wasn’t banned because we gave up on the future, the term was banned, “because journalism has already entered that future.” #

After six months of planning, I finally got a chance to really absorb what programming was offered this year. There are a lot of do not miss sessions. I thought I’d outline a few I’m really looking forward to attending. #

#

On Thursday, Brian Boyer and Ryan Mark of the Chicago Tribune are leading a session on agile product design and product management. They’ll share insights on scoping, scheduling and executing on projects in an agile-inspired, iterative-driven fashion. The Tribune news apps team has served as a model for many in the digital products space so I’m really looking forward to meeting Brian and Mark. Also, I’m hoping to learn more about the plans for the PANDA Project. #

After the agile session, I’ll be helping with the event planning and volunteer coordination. However, if I get a chance, I’m going to sneak into the career summit to see Juana Summers speak at 3:30 p.m. on the Workin’ It panel. Juana was my intern at WaPo.com. I knew then she’d be my boss one day. If you need some inspiration, head to Salon H-K to feed off the energy of this panel of young professional rockstars. #

#

Friday kicks off bright and early with Vivek Kundra, who served the Obama administration as the first federal Chief Information Officer. Even though this is a fantastic start to the day, admittedly, I’m most excited to hear the lunchtime conversation on the role social media played on both sides in Yemen, Egypt, Tunisia and Libya with Andy Carvin of NPR and Jen Preston of The New York Times. #

Other sessions I’m really looking forward to include Amy Webb’s famous tech talk and the session on making it work with a small staff. There is a great story to tell about Technically Philly and Sean Blanda tells it well. I’m hoping Sean will just livestream Amy’s talk on Technically Philly so I can watch both sessions simultaneously. #

The day winds down (or gets started for some) with a Cheezburger and maybe an update from Ben Huh on the Moby Dick Project? Also, a cold beverage with our SND friends at the Back Bay Social Club. #

#

Teresa Hanafin of Boston.com brewed up a special treat for Saturday. You will not want to miss the The Real World Boston: Augmented Social Experiences. #

My must see Saturday session is Journalists Behind Bars. Dorothy Parvaz of Al Jazeera English; John Yemma of The Christian Science Monitor; and James Foley of the GlobalPost (via Skype) continue our conversation around the Arab Spring with a discussion about their experience being held captive. It’s an honor to get the opportunity to listen to the stories of these journalists inperson. #

As others share their lists, I’ll update this post with their recommendations. I can’t wait to see everyone in Boston! #