NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release

News Media Contact:
Dianne Lynch, ONA Executive Director
dlynch@journalists.org
(802) 434-6176

Tribune Publishing President and
Political Blogger to Keynote ONA Conference

Leading Internet Journalists to Gather in Chicago 

Aug. 13, 2003 (Chicago) – Jack Fuller, President of Tribune Publishing Company, and Andrew Sullivan, social and political commentator and former editor of The New Republic magazine, will be the keynote speakers for the Fourth Annual Online News Association Conference and Awards Banquet.  The conference will be held Nov. 14-15, 2003, in Chicago.

Fuller, who is the author of “News Values: Ideas for an Information Age,” will open the conference on Friday. Sullivan, now a senior editor at The New Republic and blogger for andrewsullivan.com, will speak during a luncheon on Saturday.

“ONA's annual conference is only 4 years old.  But in that short history it has established a reputation for having intelligent and thought-provoking speakers,” said ONA President Bruce Koon. “With Jack Fuller and Andrew Sullivan as the keynote speakers this year, they not only continue that tradition but double what the conference has to offer."

Fuller began his career as a 16-year-old copyboy for the Chicago Tribune and eventually worked as a reporter in Chicago and Washington D.C.  In 1986 – as the Tribune’s editorial page editor – he won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing.  He became editor of the newspaper in 1989 and was later appointed publisher and CEO. He was named president of Tribune Publishing in May 1997 and joined the Tribune board of directors in July 2001.  

Fuller is also the author of six novels: “Convergence,” “Fragments,” “Mass,” “Our Fathers’ Shadows,” “Legends’ End” and “The Best of Jackson Payne.”

Sullivan, who was named Editor of the Year by Adweek and received National Magazine Awards for Reporting, General Excellence and Public Interest during his tenure at The New Republic, is known for his provocative commentary on social and political issues, including most recently gay marriage and the war in Iraq.  He has appeared on several television and radio programs, including Nightline, Larry King Live, CBS Evening News, and National Public Radio’s Fresh Air, and is the author of “Virtually Normal: An Argument About Homosexuality,” “Same Sex Marriage: Pro and Con” and “Love Undetectable: Notes on Friendship, Sex and Survival.”

In addition, Sullivan is a contributor to The New York Times Magazine and writes about American politics for the Sunday Times of London.

"Jack Fuller heads up a company that's been one of the industry's leaders in online journalism and media convergence," said Conference Chair Jonathan Dube. "Andrew Sullivan has helped demonstrate the power of independent publishing with his influential Weblog at AndrewSullivan.com. Coming from very different perspectives, these two speakers will complement each other nicely, offering online journalists unique insights into the future of digital media."

In addition to the two keynote speeches, the 2003 ONA conference will feature several panel discussions on vital topics relevant to any online news site.   The conference will conclude with the prestigious Online Journalism Awards, which showcase the best in online journalism in the past year. The awards are co-sponsored by the University of Southern California (USC).

The conference will be held at the historic Omni Orrington in Evanston, Ill.  Registration fees begin at $299 for ONA members and $475 for non-members.  Discounts are available for students, early registrants and companies sending large groups.  Early-bird registration is available until Sept. 12. For more information and to register, visit
http://www.journalists.org/Programs/Conferences.htm

Sponsors for this year’s conference include: Platinum – Tribune Interactive (latimes.com and Chicago Tribune Internet Edition); Gold – MSNBC.com; Silver – washingtonpost.com, New York Times Digital, USAToday.com and Knight Ridder Digital; Bronze – Google and PRNewswire; Media – Market Wire. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Mark Leonardi at ona@mla-events.com.

The Online News Association was founded in 1999 by several working members of the online press. ONA is open to journalists from around the world who produce news on the Internet and other digital platforms.