We’re pleased to learn the Online News Association has received an American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Power of A Silver Star Award in recognition of The Challenge Fund’s contributions to the local, national, and global communities.
“Their story exemplifies how associations make a difference every day – not just to the industry or profession they represent, but to society at large,” said High “Mac” Cannon, MPA, CAE, Executive Director of ACEC of Metropolitan Washington and chair of the Judging Committee.
The Challenge Fund, a project funded by the Democracy Fund in collaboration with the Excellence and Ethics in Journalism Foundation, the McCormick Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Rita Allen Foundation is designed to innovate both local news reporting and journalism student training.* Each year, faculty in college and university journalism programs around the country submit projects to incorporate student journalists into the process of local reporting. Winners receive a $35,000 mini-grant to implement their project.
The impact of the program is two-fold. First, the Challenge Fund helps increase the number of reporters working on local news stories. Second, the fund promotes the innovation in local news by emphasizing projects that incorporate new technology, techniques, partnerships, and approaches in reporting.
Among first year winners, projects have tackled the impact of rising sea levels on south Florida communities, built a collaborative around digital investigative journalism in Georgia, and produced investigative stories on mold in New York City Housing Authority tenements. This year’s winners are fact checking claims made about the African-American community, using listening stations to gather information from members of traumatized communities, and using virtual reality to tell the stories of marginalized youth.
The Democracy Fund is proud to support the work of ONA and congratulate them for their recognition by ASAE.