Recently I was asked to compile a list of journalism organizations that recent college grads or early career professionals should know about. There are plenty of options so no matter your interest or focus, there is likely one that’s right for you. Some are more about the business of journalism than the craft, but that’s pretty important these days, too.
Searching around, I was unable to find a definitive list, so I thought I’d post the one I submitted here. Let me know if I’m missing any.
- Online News Association
- Online Publishers Asociation
- Society of Professional Journalists
- Newspaper Association of America
- Radio and Television News Directors of America
- Suburban Newspapers of America
- Inland Press Association
- American Society of Newspaper Editors
- Associated Press Managing Editors
- Asian American Journalists Association
- National Association of Black Journalists
- Associated Press Sports Editors
- American Association of Sunday and Features Editors
- Society of American Business Editors and Writers
- National Press Photographers Association
- Society for News Design
- Investigative Reporters and Editors
- Poynter Institute
- American Press Institute
- Maynard Institute
- National Writers Union
- National Newspaper Publisher Association
- Southern Newspaper Publishers Association (and almost every state has a publisher association as well)
[Added 9/8/09 from suggestions in comments]
- Criminal Justice Journalists
- The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association
- American Copy Editors Society
- Native American Journalists Association
- Unity, Journalists of Color
- New England Newspaper and Press Association
- National Association of Hispanic Journalists
Note: these are all U.S.-based organizations that are at least big enough to cover more than one state.
Mark Briggs 
Posted in 
Great list, Mark. Looks like you got most of them I could think of, plus a few I couldn’t. Here are a couple more to add:
- Criminal Justice Journalists (http://www.reporters.net)
- The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (http://www.nlgja.org)
The list looks great, Mark. Here’s one to add to it:
American Copy Editors Society (www.copydesk.org)
New England Newspaper and Press Association, a.k.a. NENPA, is the culmination of a recent merger of the New England Press Association and the New England Newspaper Association.
http://www.nenpa.com/
Thanks Sean, Emily and Nick. Appreciate you helping me fill in the gaps.
Don’t forget the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, or the South Asian Journalists Association.
Here’s the address for the American Society of Business Publication Editors:
http://www.asbpe.org
American is missing from the name of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. See http://www.sabew.org for more information.
The correct name for AAJA is Asian American Journalists Association (www.aaja.org)… and there’s also a Native American Journalists Association (www.naja.com)
And, there’s a quadrennial convention of AAJA, NABJ, NAHJ and NAHA under the “Unity, Journalists of Color” umbrella: http://unityjournalists.org
Thanks Gil, David, Lauren and Alexa. I’ve added everybody’s suggestions and corrections to the post now.
Oh, and these are just the American ones, but great list. Maybe it would be an idea to make a wiki and let other countries add to the list?
A definite add: Society of Environmental Journalists (sej.org) — hands down one of the best, most collegial and most useful journo groups out there!
Nice list, Mark… Two more for it:
Association of Health Care Journalists
http://www.healthjournalism.org
(with a Webinar Wednesday (today)
Education Writers
http://www.ewa.org
… and (did I miss it above?)
http://npc.press.org/
The National Press Club
Time to cross-ref the list with the one at Poynter…
http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=896
American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA)
http://www.asja.org