This is a guest post written by Diana Abeleven, Journalism and Media Lead at ONA24 presenting sponsor Canva.
This year at ONA24, Canva and Flourish — acquired by Canva over two years ago — are bringing actionable, hands-on workshops designed to elevate visual and data storytelling skills. We’re proud to be presenting sponsors of ONA24 and thrilled to support journalists with the tools and resources we’ll be sharing.
Journalists face a myriad of pressures today: navigating digital transformation while reaching audiences across an increasingly fragmented media landscape, all with tighter resources. Journalists are expected to do more with less, and it’s with this understanding that we’ve curated a series of workshops and sessions exclusively for the ONA24 audience, crafted to help navigate these challenges while embodying a Canva core value of making complex things simple.
Our program kicks off on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 10:00 a.m. with our workshop Elevate Your Newsroom’s Impact: Master Multi-Platform Strategies. By the end of this deep dive, you’ll be better equipped to master the art of cross-platform storytelling, staying true to your brand while effectively engaging your audience wherever they are. Due to high demand, we encourage you to pre-register to secure your spot.
On Thursday, Sept. 19, Flourish will host Charting the News: Mastering Data Storytelling in the Newsroom. Flourish’s experts will guide you through selecting the right charts, ensuring they effectively tell your story, and applying techniques that make your visuals stand out. Whether you’re working with election results, sports stats, or streaming numbers, this workshop will equip you with the tools to transform raw data into compelling visual narratives.
Canva Studio at ONA24
Beyond our programming in the main agenda, we have an incredible lineup of industry leaders who will be sharing their expertise, practical skills, and fresh perspectives in our Canva Studio, located in the Piedmont Room on LL3. Sign up for any of the sessions listed below by visiting events.canva.com/canvastudio-ona.
Wednesday, Sept. 18
- 1:00-2:30 p.m. – Transforming Narratives: Advanced Techniques for Journalists led by Cristi Hegranes from Global Press, will teach you practical methods to challenge stereotypes, use dignity-driven language, and effectively communicate the impact of narrative change to your audience. It’s a chance to refine your practice and contribute to a richer, more nuanced portrayal of the communities you cover.
Thursday, Sept. 19
- 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. – Design for Nondesigners: Empowering Journalists with Visual Storytelling with Canva Designer, Catie Takimoto. Perfect for journalists wanting to enhance their visual storytelling without a design background. Dive into the fund a.m.entals of design—from typography and color theory to mastering Canva’s intuitive tools. You’ll leave equipped to create stunning visuals that will elevate your reporting and engage your audience across platforms.
- 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Risk Profiling for Reporters and Newsrooms again led by Cristi Hegranes. As the election season heats up, this workshop is crucial for reporters and newsroom leaders aiming to ensure safety and resilience. You’ll delve into risk profiling techniques, learn how to manage diverse risk profiles within your team, and gain strategies to support your newsroom during high-pressure coverage.
- 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. – The Perfect Pitch: Mastering Media Kits with Canva led by Katie Mercer from BlueEngine. This dynamic workshop is tailored for news professionals who need to create compelling media kits that capture the attention of advertisers, philanthropists, and potential readers. You’ll learn the essential elements of an effective pitch, explore design best practices, and leave with a polished media kit ready to go.
- 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. – Social Media Mastery for Nondesigners: Creating Compelling Static and Video Content. This workshop covers the essentials of designing impactful social media content that stands out in crowded feeds. It’s a hands-on opportunity to learn how to produce high-quality graphics and videos optimized for various platforms, no matter your design background.
Friday, Sept. 20
- 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – Explore Canva’s Magic Studio. This session will immerse you in the latest AI features designed to help you streamline workflows, spark fresh ideas, and add creativity to your storytelling. Whether you’re looking to enhance your efficiency or simply make your content more captivating, this workshop offers practical tips and inspiration to elevate your work.
- 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. – Data Visualization 101: A Guide for Non-Experts hosted by Jeremy Caplan of CUNY’s Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, is not to be missed. This session debunks the myth that data visualization is only for experts. Journalists of all experience levels will learn how to transform data into eye-catching, interactive visuals using Flourish, from exploring creative chart types to experimenting with new narrative formats like scrollies.
Saturday, Sept. 21
- 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – Build your election toolkit with Flourish. Bring your own data to this hands-on session and learn from product experts how to format it, build charts, and take your projects to new heights. No data? No problem! We’ll have a sample dataset and examples to get you started. From local elections to national results, the Flourish team. will cover templates, tips, and tricks to help you transform your data into compelling stories for election night and beyond.
Journalists play a crucial role in elections—serving as gatekeepers of information amidst a sea of misinformation. With the rise of visual communication, conveying information visually is crucial to capturing the attention of busy voters. Leaning into the upcoming U.S. election, we have developed new resources to support journalists in their mission to deliver accurate and impactful election content and will also spend some time during the ONA24 conference to unpack this further with guests.
Our participation and incredible line-up of workshops are designed to equip journalists with practical, hands-on skills that will help them thrive in today’s visual-first media landscape, making them a must for anyone looking to boost their storytelling.
Also, don’t miss the Data & Design Desk in the Canva Studio—where you can troubleshoot with our friendly team. Whether you have queries about your Canva account or want to learn how to do something specific, our team will be on standby to assist you.
Lounge space is limited. To register for any Canva Studio session or book your Data & Design Desk consultation, visit events.canva.com/canvastudio-ona.
At Canva, we’re committed to investing in the future of journalism. We’re excited to equip you with new tools and the knowledge to elevate and empower your storytelling.
See you at ONA24!
