ONA 2008 Conference: what to expect?

I’m traveling tomorrow to Washington, D.C. for the ONA 2008 Conference.

In years past, this conference has been insulated from the funereal atmosphere at other conferences I attend that specifically target newspapers. Talk of layoffs, buyouts and new digital demands didn’t surface at ONA. The halls pulsed with optimism and exceitement.

It will be interesting to see if that same level of positive energy is present this week. I hope so.

I can’t help but recall the first few years of ONA, when the optimism of us news geeks was tempered by the head-in-the-sand approach many of our employers were taking in the relatively new age of the digital revolution. Complaints of “they just don’t get it” were all too common.

Now the pendulum has swung fully.

The future of many mainstream news companies rests on the shoulders of those who attend this conference. And the need for innovation has never been greater.

It’s good to see conference planners are aware of the topic that needs top billing: The business of news.

This confab has grown from a plucky little gathering to one of the most important confabs for the media business each year. Naturally I’m looking forward to it and will be posting updates on the blog and Twitter. Stay tuned.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply