$200,000 Knight Grant Seeds Business and Technology Partnerships for ONA

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - Jun 28, 2011) - The Online News Association, the world's largest membership organization of digital journalists, today announced a $200,000, two-year grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to develop business and technology partnerships.

The funding comes as ONA is redesigning its website to provide robust training, networking and tools to its more than 2,000 members around the world. The grant will support the hiring of a business development strategist to build and deepen relationships with emerging and established technology players, translating into stronger resources for digital journalists.

"ONA has been a key resource for journalists navigating the rapidly changing industry," said Jose Zamora, Knight Foundation journalism and media innovation associate. "With this grant, ONA will cement its transformation from a volunteer organization into a 21^st century professional group. The grant strengthens ONA's network and provides new opportunities to media innovators and journalism entrepreneurs."

"ONA serves as a bridge between journalism and technology, and our new business development focus will give us even more resources to connect innovative minds with innovative tools," said ONA Board President Christine Montgomery, Managing Editor of PBS.org. "ONA and Knight Foundation have the same goals for journalism -- seeding transformational, sustainable change."

The Online News Association is the world's largest association of online 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, technologists, photographers 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 hosts the annual Online News Association conference and administers the Online Journalism Awards.

About John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged.