Many journalists will arrive a day before the official start of the Online News Association conference to partake in specialty workshops, limited space is still available.

A free presentation is open to all ONA members and conference attendees Thursday evening at 6:15 p.m. is the American University panel discussion on the state of the media featuring Craig Newmark of CraigsList.org, Susan DeFife of Backfence.com and Mark Clemente of ABC News (details below).

Four sessions on Oct. 5 produced by the ONA in conjunction with other leading news organizations are planned.

CRAFTING MULTIMEDIA CONTENT: A hands-on workshop
This session will focus on editing and packaging multimedia stories. In the morning, Stan Heist, the NPPA television photographer of the year, will show how he begins the editing process in the field as he creates tightly crafted natural sound-driven stories. Participants are encouraged to bring an example of multimedia from their site. Heist will critique several stories. In the afternoon, Will Yurman, a photographer and multimedia producer from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, will guide a hands-on session on packaging multiple stories. The example for this session will be produced with SoundSlides in a Flash wrapper.

The session starts at 9 a.m, at washingtonpost.com in Arlington, Va, a short Metro ride from the Capital Hilton: Take the Orange Line from the Farragut West station (Location: NW corner 18th & I Sts. NW or SE corner 17th & I Sts.) toward Vienna. Get off at the Courthouse exit. Walk 0.08 mile SE to 1515 N. Courthouse Rd.

CITIZEN MEDIA SUMMIT II: Citizen Ventures
How are citizen efforts being launched? Who's writing for them? Are they making enough money to survive? Are they journalism or social networks? Hear from the hands-on pioneers blazing new trails in the growing field of user-generated content.

This ssession is organized by J-Lab.
Location: Capital Hilton; Time: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The fee is $140 for ONA members, $150 for non-members. Space is limited. Click here to learn more; the session is filled.

DIGITIZING THE PRINT NEWSROOM: How to prepare your newsroom for the digital future
This ASNE-ONA seminar is a special workshop for top print and online editors that will focus on strategies to handle the convergent present and prepare for a unified future.

Registrants needing a ride from the hotel to Gannett/USA TODAY headquarters should assemble in the Hilton lobby comfortably ahead of the bus departuring at 8:30 a.m. If you are arranging for your own transportation, you can park for free; enter the property by the guard hut near the flagpoles. The address is 7950 Jones Branch Road, McLean, VA 22108.

After the session concludes at about 4:30 p.m., participants can choose a bus that will go to the Hilton or a bus that will depart for American University for the above 6:15 roundtable: The Future Is Here: Now What?" After that session concludes, transportation is available back to the hotel for the opening reception, from 7 to 10 p.m. Welcoming remarks from USA TODAY's editor Ken Paulson will occur after 8 p.m.

The day's agenda:

9:30 a.m.: Preparing the newsroom: Issues confronting editors as they go digital
Leaders: Anthony Moor, editor, Orlando Sentinel.com; David Ledford, vice president, news/executive editor, Delaware News Journal; Mike Riley, editor, Roanoke Times
11 a.m.: The first 10 years was easy: What's ahead in digital journalism: Kinsey Wilson, executive editor, USA TODAY; Neil Budde, GM/executive producer, Yahoo! News
Noon: Lunch
Getting it done: Practical examples of what it takes to work in a converged world
1 p.m.: Real-time news: Martha Angle, associate editor, Congressional Quarterly/CQ.com; Neil Chase, editor, continuous news, NYTimes.com; Rajiv Chandrasekaran, managing editor, continuous news, Washington Post
1:45 p.m.: Video: Chet Rhodes, deputy multimedia editor/breaking news, washingtonpost.com
2:30 p.m.: Blogging: Whitney Matheson, Pop Candy blogger and columnist, USA TODAY; Patrick Cooper, OnDeadline blogger, USA TODAY
3:15 p.m.: Break
3:30 p.m.: 60 ideas in 60 minutes: Christine Montgomery, Director of Electronic Publishing, St. Petersburg Times. [Courtesy, Howard Finberg, Poynter Institute]
This workshop takes place at USAToday offices in McLean, VA. Transportation will be provided from the Capital Hilton, leaving promptly at 8:30 a.m.

CLASSROOM CONVERGENCE: The future is here, now what?
American University and USA TODAY provide a free day of programs designed to help educators bring converged and online media into curriculum and research. Day includes a visit to USA TODAY's converged newsroom, a close-up look at American's online production and an evening reception and panel discussion.
Transportation from the Hilton will be provided, leaving promptly at 8:30 a.m.

Morning session: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
The Real World -- A Visit to USA Today, Gannett Headquarters, McLean, Va.

Teaching for multiple media in light of a changing marketplace
10-10:45 a.m.: Teaching the future digital workforce: Jody Brannon, Ph.D., MSN.com
GUIDE TO THE SESSION
11 a.m.-noon: The first 10 years were easy: What's ahead in digital journalism. Kinsey Wilson, executive editor, USA TODAY; and Neil Budde, general manager/executive producer, Yahoo! News
Noon to 1 p.m.: Tour and lunch
1:05-1:45: Bus to American University
Afternoon session at American University
Educators and Convergence -- The American University
2-2:50 p.m.: Curriculum strategies & best practices
Finally, a chance to share your curriculum approach and drill down on syllabi. Let's talk about what works rather than what doesn't. We share best practices in teaching convergence, online writing and other successes based on your classroom work. Led by Amy Eisman, SOC Director of Writing Programs, who teaches writing for convergent media and Media @ the Millennium, Elizabeth Osder, teaching a class in online commnities at USC's Annenberg School of Communication and Sandeep Junnarkar of the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. Please share your syllabi in advance: E-mail it now to Wendell Cochran.
3-3:50 p.m.: A.U.'s Publishing Lab: A Case Study in "Entrepreneurial Curriculum"
Convergence V.06: Going 'live' with students -- Join the hubbub in American University's new converged newsroom where students produce a twice-weekly online news magazine called the American Observer. Lynne Perri, Observer executive editor and AU journalist in residence, leads the discussion.
4-4:50 p.m.: Critical Issues and Academic Research
This "poster style" session will allow faculty and students to share their research interest, papers and ideas for investigation. What are the critical social, cultural and technological tends that are shaping media consumption and usage? What related disciplines do we need to draw from to measure, understand Web 2.0 concepts and the new trends in the creation of authority and credibility? What are the legal and policy issues that convergence journalists face? Nora Paul of Minnesota and Mike Lenert from the University of Nevada-Reno lead the discussion.
5-6 p.m.: AU School of Communication Reception -- participation is limited to educators (drinks and hor's doerves will be served).

6:15-7:15 p.m.: American University Forum Event
"The Future is Here, Now What?"
Online Journalism is more than 15 years old, so the new media is not new anymore. Now what? This university-wide event features three panelists in new media, content and journalism.

Craig Newmark, founder of CraigsList
Michael Clemente, executive editor of ABC News Now
Susan DeFife, president of backfence.com.

All ONA conference attendees are invited. To get to AU (map) from the hotel, either take a cab or the Metro (Red Line) to the Tenley station, and then the AU shuttle, which runs fairly faithfully every 10 to 15 minutes; the bus drivers are alerted to ONA members hopping aboard. That shuttle ride is less than 10 minutes to campus. The session is held in Mary Grandon Center. Directions and map to AU

7:30 p.m.: Buses depart for Capital Hilton. Educators' and ASNE workshop participants have priority; other space may be available for other riders going to the hotel.

Transportation will be provided from the Capital Hilton to USA Today, for the morning session, leaving promptly at 8:30 a.m. Participants flying into Dulles International may find it easier to take a cab from the airport to USA TODAY in nearby McLean, Va (7950 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, VA 22108)