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"I think that in the past two days we've had the opportunity to face some of the most important issues facing online news," said Jonathan Dube, chair of the 2003 ONA conference, which drew nearly 300 to Evanston for an in-depth look at the state of online journalism.

The two-day conference gave the diverse group of participants opportunities to learn from each other, share best practices and discuss a range of issues challenging the industry. Chief among the latter: how to grow audience, how to make money and how to beat the competition.

David Blomquist of the Detroit Free Press said "underneath a very happy conference, there is a conference of two cities, of two online differences. "A large number of sites that most folks have are trying to make the Web pay for itself. ... We cannot continue to give out what we do for free."

Outgoing ONA president Bruce Koon sees two basic issues are pressing online news.

"Unfortunately, there's still the business model. The fact is quality news and journalism costs money. This new technology is drastically changing the model," said Koon, executive editor of Knight Ridder Digital. "There is still no big budget behind it. Second, there's the uncertainty. It's a very different field to work in because we do not know where it's going to end up."

Participants could choose from panels including "What's law got to do with it?" and "Covering war in a digital desert" as they explored the various facets of an evolving medium.

They also gained a better sense of the "players" in online journalism.

"In the beginning, mainly tech people were working on Web sites," said William Yelles of The Hollywood Reporter. "Now we'll see more people with traditional backgrounds, not just computer geeks."

Online journalists need many of the same skills as print or broadcast journalists. But, Blomquist contends, "People who can tell a good story in words can find partners who can help them tell that story in Web, TV, interactive," said Blomquist. "We can teach the technical stuff pretty easy. That's not the obstacle."

Blomquist said the critical skill is being able to tell a story. "Tell me something I don't already know, and tell me today."

Experts shared their experience in how to tell a story to their audiences in an appealing way, particularly the hard-to-reach 18-24 demographic. For instance, Rob Curley, online general manager of the Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World -- or, as he describes it, "head dork in charge of the nerdery" -- provided a case study on how to create a college-oriented site.

Academics were looking for tools to carry back to their students to equip them for the future.

"It's great to put faces with names," said Dr. Jane Singer of the University of Iowa, who attended panel discussions on convergence, legal issues facing online journalism and weblogs. Each is an issue that students need to understand.

Participants could see first hand what is occurring in online journalism. "It's exposure to what other people are doing," said Amanda Hirsch, panelist from PBS Interactive.

Members also could brainstorm solutions for similar problems of online journalism. "It's interesting to talk to people who are facing the same kinds of things I am," Yelles said.

With the increase in online journalism, many wondered if it would cause the decline or end of broadcast and print journalism. "The Web complements both in a non-threatening kind of way. The Web is a great way to get more information out and reach more people," Singer said.

Members were exposed to a wealth of information. "We've heard a lot of people say 'There's three great conferences, and I want to go to them all,' " Koon said. As a result, ONA is considering extending the conference to three days to allow participants to visit more of the panel discussions.

Koon said he would like to have "more hands-on craft" at next year's conference in Los Angeles. "We have new planning approaches. For example, what happens if we set up blogs and Web conferences," Koon said. "Technology allows us to be in touch and helps shape what we want to do."

The conference ended with an awards banquet celebrating the best online journalism such as breaking news, creative use of the medium, and enterprise.

As Dube summed it up: "The conference has been a great success. We have had record attendance for an ONA conference -- a testament to how strong our industry is and how important news organizations view the Internet as the key to their future success."