ONA touts 2026 convention plan
The Online News Association has unveiled a preview of ONA26, its annual journalism conference, planned in Chicago on March 30-April 1, 2026, and the program it is developing.
Each year, ONA brings together the people leading change and adaptation across journalism to learn, connect and dig into the big issues impacting our work,
the organization said in its preview of the upcoming conference.
For 2026, ONA has formulated three cross-cutting themes that will permeate the program, including changing patterns of news gathering and delivery, community resilience and safeguarding democracy.
Combined, these themes show how newsrooms are redefining their purpose in the wake of technological change, fragmentation of the audience, and mounting pressure on press freedom – as accessibility becomes more and more important to the realization of the way journalism is delivered and consumed by the public.
A space to learn, connect, and adapt
According to the organizers, ONA26 is not only organized to share tools and strategies but also aims to provide a supportive space to journalists that face uncertainty in any part of the industry.
We hope that attendees have a great experience at ONA26 in terms of learning new best practices, strategies, case studies, frameworks, tools and more,
said Niketa Patel, CEO and executive director of ONA. Given that we’re living through unprecedented times, we want attendees to feel like ONA26 is a safe space for them to convene, be inspired, feel seen and supported.
Patel added that longtime attendees and first-timers alike often describe ONA gatherings as distinct from other industry conferences — less transactional and more collaborative.
It’s a time to strategize, learn through successes and shortcomings, and explore clear-eyed solutions that help our community not just survive disruption but grow through it,
she said.
Accessibility and community resilience
The ability to access and the strength of community resilience are a big part of ONA26, especially in the development of programming on the different tracks and session types.
According to Patel, the topics of the conference were chosen to appeal across the geographical areas, newsroom role, and scale.
Within the context of changing trends in the news-gathering and delivery process, the sessions will focus on how generative AI, social video, audio, newsletters, and creator-model journalism are transforming the newsroom strategy. The program will as well be focused on practical lessons and interactive formats along with the high-level discussion to enable newsrooms to experiment and adapt.
The community resilience theme concerns the other aspect of journalism other than storytelling, which is placing newsrooms as a bridge and companion in their respective communities. Sessions will include the ways journalists are aiding audiences to settle complicated topics like climate change, immigration, and crisis in their localities using case studies and practical workshops.
A third theme, safeguarding democracy, is concerned with the public-service role of journalism in a period when democratic institutions and press freedom are being increasingly challenged in all parts of the globe. In 2026, the election coverage, civic engagement, misinformation, and danger of being powerless when holding power accountable will be analyzed in the form of programming.
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Integrating DEIA across the program
Although accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion are not a distinct panels or sessions at ONA26, Patel said that such views are actively integrated into the conference.
Having diverse perspectives in newsrooms is crucial for moving our industry forward, and ONA is committed to supporting equitable practices in news,
she said. Speakers are encouraged to center DEIA considerations within their sessions, particularly through adaptive leadership programming and audience-focused tracks.
ONA also emphasizes diversity during session selection and design to ensure a broad range of voices and experiences are represented across the program, Patel said.
She also added that the conference underscores new practices whereby journalists and news entities are mobilizing communities to develop trust, credibility and civic involvement as it is all about long-term sustainability. With news organizations currently facing the threat of declining trust, limited sustainability, and partisanship, ONA26 will offer both utility and collective self-reflection.
Now more than ever, ONA26 serves as a vital place for our community to understand what’s happening now and what’s coming next,
Patel said. It’s the place to build skills that help journalists thrive through change and connect with others navigating similar challenges.
Who ONA26 is for
ONA26 is targeted to a broad spectrum of the journalism ecosystem, especially those who aim to change the world around them and their companies.
According to Patel, that includes journalists, independent creators, audience and product experts, technologists, media executives, funders, students and educators
— reflecting how modern journalism increasingly spans roles beyond traditional reporting.
More information regarding featured sessions and overall schedule of the entire conference can be found on the ONA26 conference site. ONA26 is going to be held in Chicago, March 30 to April 1, 2026, and is currently open to registration.
Registration for a conference pass costs $495 for members and $675 for nonmembers through Feb. 26. After Feb. 26 and until registration closes on March 30, a conference pass will run members $600.
Hashim Quraishi is a reporter and writer from Kashmir. He covers nonprofit organizations who support journalists and journalism for The Word.
Quraishi’s work often explores conflict, memory, and power through a deeply thoughtful and critical lens. As a keen observer and reflective thinker, he writes to uncover the stories that are often silenced — amplifying voices from the margins and challenging how the world remembers.
To read more of his work, connect with him on Medium at @hashimquraishi24.
This is news. This article uses interviews with people whose experiences, lives, or expertise are relevant to a topic along with facts and research to tell a story about an issue.
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