Arlington, Va. Feb. 12 2008 – The Newspaper Association of America has chosen 10 newspaper-industry professionals to participate in the 2008 Digital Media Fellowship program. The yearlong program is designed to develop the leadership and business skills of newspaper professionals as newspapers expand their digital portfolios.

The fellows will develop a newspaper marketing plan for the target market of Greensboro, N.C. The plan must include creation of a social networking Web site and a niche site for the market. Two professionals in the online newspaper field will serve as mentors. This year’s project is a departure from previous fellowship assignments, where 10 fellows were divided into three groups, and each group worked with a mentor to develop a strategic business plan for a smaller-market newspaper’s Web site.

“This change comes as we try to prepare these fellows to thrive in an industry undergoing rapid change,” said Jeanne Fox-Alston, NAA vice president for talent management and diversity. “The program is looking forward, providing participants with hands-on, practical experience that will prove invaluable as newspapers continue to increase their digital offerings.”

In early spring, the fellows will meet in Greensboro for a mid-year training program. The teams will present their business plans later in the year to a panel of digital media executives.  The fellowship program begins during NAA’s Connections 2008 in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 23-24, and concludes during NAA’s Connections 2009.

The 2008 Digital Media Fellows are:

Tina Gill (Mentor)
General Manager, Interactive Media
The Virginian-Pilot Media Companies, Norfolk, Va.

Lisett Araujo
Multimedia Manager
The Miami Herald

Anna Costello
Digital Media Development Supervisor
St. Petersburg Times

Susan Eggenberger
Online Product & Sales Manager
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Jamie Gonzales
Sr. Editor/Multimedia
Visalia (Calif.) Times-Delta

Cynthia Philpot
Consulting Services Deputy
Morris Digital Works, Augusta, Ga.

Zella Evans (Mentor)
Business Development Associate
McClatchy Interactive, Raleigh, N.C.

Tracie Liguid
Lifestyles Producer
The Virginian-Pilot (HamptonRoads.com)

Mark Millsap
Director of Advertising
The Times, Shreveport, La.

Elizabeth Thompson
Media Director
The Herald-Mail, Hagerstown, Md.

Lori Todd
Interactive Business Dev Manager
The Sun News, Cleveland, Ohio

Monique Watford
Online Traffic/Audience Manager
Austin American-Statesman

The program, which began ten years ago as a training ground for new-media professionals, has evolved in response to newspapers’ need for more strategic-oriented talent. Since its inception, more than 120 newspaper professionals have participated in practical learning experiences that have helped them to build a solid foundation in new media.