Lorien Mattiacci works with Emily Bowers at the American Copy Editors Society national conference in Chicago earlier this year. Courtesy of Chris Campbell
By Amy Diaz
Lovingly referred to as “the academic spackle” of the journalism department, the USF St. Petersburg Online News Association fills in the gaps of digital media education.
The USF St. Petersburg student chapter of ONA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting journalists, was founded in 2015. The club explores issues related to the creation and consumption of online media through workshops, research, events and group projects.
President and founder Lorien Mattiacci will graduate in December with a master’s degree in Journalism and Digital Communication. Mattiacci spent her graduate school career creating and maintaining ONA and ensuring that it meets the needs of students interested in digital media.
“I think the digital communication skills are necessary 21st century-worker skills in any career,” Mattiacci said. “Sometimes it takes institutions like higher education a while to catch up with the current needs of students so I want students to have a place where they can do that.”
Mattiacci envisions ONA as a place where students can study new skills, practice them and hang out with other students who also “geek out” over digital media topics.
Ideally, a student would come in with a specific interest. For example, drone journalism.
“There’s not a drone journalism class here at USFSP. And so then we would go to our advisers, and we’d be like, ‘We need a drone,’” Mattiacci said. “We need someone who knows how to operate it, and we need to start networking to see how many drone journalism experts we can get in here.”
In the past, students have formed groups to study micro-topics including video storytelling, broadcast journalism and podcasts.
In addition to specific focus groups, ONA hosts events and brings in professionals to speak on topics related to digital media and journalism.
In 2016, ONA brought in Adam Playford, the Tampa Bay Times deputy editor overseeing investigations, to speak about data journalism at the “Data Playdate.” Playford worked on the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative story “Failure Factories.”
The club has also invited Alexios Mantzarlis , an internationally recognized fact-checker from The Poynter Institute, to speak. Students who have graduated from the journalism program and begun their careers in the field have also spoken at meetings and events.
“A lot of the speakers are experts on certain subjects, so they’re almost like leading a workshop in their own way and offering their expertise on a certain subject,” said ONA Vice President Graham Colton. “The main reason we bring in speakers is to have an authoritative voice on a certain topic from their field to show us how it’s done.”
In addition to having speakers come to them, ONA members have gotten to travel and work with professional journalism groups as well.
Earlier this year, seven ONA members travelled to Chicago and served as the digital newsroom covering the American Copy Editors Society annual national conference. The conference welcomed over 800 editors and writers, including people from publications like National Geographic, the New York Times and Buzzfeed.
Students covered the three-day conference in a variety of ways, producing a total of 18 posts consisting of 10 text-based posts, five videos and three podcasts. The team also posted on ACES’ Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts.
“It kind of replicated the real world fast-paced newsroom experience of meeting the deadlines and collaborating with your teammates, so I found it to be very beneficial experience,” Colton said.
The team got experience, but also had the opportunity to work with professionals in the field and gain exposure.
“Not only are you practicing and honing your craft, but the people with whom you’re doing it are these editors at these legacy publications,” Mattiacci said. “And the people you’re doing it for are these editors of these legacy publications.”
Mattiacci has been able to make connections for jobs and internships for students in the association.
ONA adviser Casey Frechette said this kind of opportunity is rare.
“I think that’s one of the most exciting things for students who get involved, the connections and the connectivity to a lot of different groups and professionals including people that are in the top of their field,” Frechette said.
This Thursday, ONA will have Shannon Gazdacka, a USF St. Petersburg graduate and former ONA member, speak about videography in room 107 of the Peter Rudy Wallace building. Mattiacci is currently working on putting together a speaker series for the future.
The organization filled its board positions for the fall semester, but there will be three openings in spring for vice president, treasurer and secretary. Students interested in joining the board can shadow current board members this semester to learn about the position.
Students from all departments are welcome to join. The organization can be found on PeteSync.
