Online News Association Welcomes LaSharah S. Bunting As its New CEO and Executive Director
Online News Association, the largest digital journalistic organization in the world, is pleased to welcome LaSharah S. Bunting as its new chief executive officer and executive director, beginning March 13.
While at Simon & Schuster, LaSharah worked as Vice President and Executive Editor, acquiring and editing nonfiction titles, with an emphasis on deeply documented narratives that address the complex themes of our time.
At the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, where she was formerly the Director of Journalism, she oversaw funding for programmes that helped speed up the use of new technologies in newsrooms, promoted diversity and inclusion, and bolstered the training of journalists.
From providing financial support during her time at the Knight Foundation to advising ONA on numerous programmatic initiatives like the Women's Leadership Accelerator, the Challenge Fund for Innovation and Journalism Education, ONA's annual conference, and more, LaSharah has been an ardent supporter of the ONA community for a long time.
"Following a thorough and comprehensive search process, LaSharah emerged as the clear choice to lead ONA into its next era,” said David Smydra, ONA Board President. “The Search Committee was deeply impressed with LaSharah’s appreciation for ONA’s role in the industry, her vision for how ONA can best serve the journalism community and her executive leadership abilities to get the job done. We are excited to begin working with her.”
“It is my privilege to join the incredible team at the Online News Association, whose work inspires innovation and excellence in journalism,” LaSharah said. “I have been part of the ONA community for more than a decade, and I have experienced firsthand the inclusive and collaborative spirit of the organization. As journalism continues to evolve, I believe ONA’s mission is more vital than ever. I look forward to partnering with our staff, Board of Directors, members and supporters to grow the organization and expand our impact across the industry.”
Before joining The Atlantic, LaSharah spent 13 years at The New York Times, where she held various editorial positions including Senior Editor for Digital Transition, where she oversaw the creation of a team charged with introducing digital literacy and structural reform throughout the paper's newsroom.
She also directed breaking news and oversaw the department's daily report, multimedia projects, and audience engagement as an Editor on the Times' National Desk.
She worked as the Editor for Frank Rich's Sunday Op-Ed column and as an Assignment Editor on the Metro and Arts and Culture pages. She was previously an Editor at the Dallas Morning News. She serves as an executive for Outlier Media, Open Campus, and the Dow Jones News Fund.
When LaSharah takes over as ONA's CEO and Executive Director, she'll be the organization's first person of color to hold that position.
Irving Washington, the most recent Executive Director of ONA, left the organization on December 31, 2022, to take a position as Senior Fellow for Health Disinformation at the Kaiser Family Foundation. When Irving announced his intention to step down as ONA's Executive Director in July 2022, the Board of Directors immediately set about finding his replacement.
Cara Erickson, a VP at executive search firm NewCoordinates, was hired to manage ONA's search for a new CEO. LaSharah will be attending the upcoming online and in-person meetups, as well as the ONA23 conference in Philadelphia, PA, from August 23rd to the 26th.