2 Missouri Students Selected to Serve in the Student Newsroom at the National Convention of the Online News Association
Laura Davison and Allison Prang Were Selected from More Than 100 Applicants
Columbia, Mo. (Aug. 6, 2013) — Missouri School of Journalism master’s student Laura Davison, BJ ’13, and senior Allison Prang are among the 20 promising digital journalists selected to serve in the Student Newsroom at national convention of the Online News Association Oct. 17-20 in Atlanta.
They were chosen from more than 100 applicants. Google provides scholarship monies to cover the students’ registration, travel and lodging expenses.
ONA is a nonprofit membership organization for digital journalists, connecting journalism, technology and innovation. Its more than 2,000 members are the producers, content editors, news directors, reporters, bloggers, technologists, designers, academics and newsroom decision-makers who create and refine the online medium at breakneck speed.
“I couldn’t be more excited to see two of our students chosen for this opportunity,” said Amy Simons, Missouri’s club adviser and assistant professor of convergence journalism. “Covering this conference, Laura and Allison will get to meet with and learn from some of the most prominent in digital and online journalism today.”
Professional mentors from CNN, the Washington Post, NPR, the Los Angeles Times, ABCNews.com and other leading news organizations will personally coach Davison, Prang and the other students. The mentors will guide them before and during the conference, working one on one with them to help develop story ideas and advise coverage production.
Students also will get the chance to attend ONA13: The Town Hall of Journalism programming led by experts in digital journalism, network with attendees and acquire and flex new digital media skills. The focus for journalists, notes the conference website, is to serve the public while adapting to the fast pace of technology and the challenges it brings.
As an undergraduate Davison served as 2012-13 secretary for the Missouri club, and Simons credits her tireless work ethic in building ONA Mizzou into what it is today.
“She’s proven she’s a great leader, a great communicator and a great reporter,” Simons said.
Davison has interned for the Kansas City (Mo.) Business Journal, the Missouri Press Association and Barkley Public Relations. She has reported for the Futures Lab at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, the Columbia Faith and Values beat at KBIA-FM and worked on the community outreach team at the Columbia Missourian.
Prang is majoring in print and digital news and is focusing on the watchdog journalism interest area. This summer she is interning on projects and investigations at Bloomberg News in New York City. Previously Prang interned at the St. Louis Beacon, The Mash by the Chicago Tribune and the Kansas City Star. She also has worked for The Maneater, the independent student newspaper at the University of Missouri; Chesterfield (Mo.) Patch, the Columbia Missourian, Chicago Now and Investigative Reporters and Editors.
“Allison has seized every opportunity she’s had to improve her skills and to grow as a journalist,” said Mark Horvit, associate professor and executive director of IRE. “And not only will she benefit from this experience, she’ll also be a great asset to ONA.”
Updated: July 17, 2020