The Online News Association, the world’s largest membership organization of digital journalists, invites applications for the 2011 MJ Bear Fellowships for early-career digital journalists, in honor of founding member MJ Bear.

For this inaugural year, the search committee will select three promising, up-and-coming digital journalists—two in the United States or Canada and one internationally, in partnership with MSN International—who are just beginning to make their voices heard in the industry.

Selected Fellows will be paired with a digital news leader as a mentor; receive an expense-paid trip to the Online News Association Conference & Awards Banquet (ONA11), Sept. 22-24, in Boston, where they’ll have a chance to share their fresh perspectives; and a free, one-year ONA membership.

The goal of the Fellowship, in Bear’s own words, is “to promote the voices of young professionals working in or training to work in the field of online news by presenting programs at ONA’s annual conference, or in other venues. The programs will be designed to explore and showcase innovations, developments and new ideas in the field.”

Applicants must be working journalists between the ages of 23 and 30 and fluent in English. They will be asked to describe their recent concepts, experiments or projects that move digital journalism forward or resulted in valuable lessons or outcomes, and also provide a recommendation and a personal statement.

“We see the Fellowship program as a great way to help the next generation of journalists innovate and succeed in the industry,” said ONA Board President Christine Montgomery, Managing Editor, PBS.org. “We’re looking for young people as eager to lead as they are to learn, who have demonstrated their commitment to pushing the boundaries in creating digital news.”

Bear, whose wide-ranging career took her to pivotal roles at Microsoft’s MSN Portals and MSN International, NPR and American University, was renowned for her kindness and digital know-how. She played a vital role in ONA’s history as a member of the original Board of Directors, helping to incorporate the organization in 1999 and serving on the Education, Fundraising, Conference and Legal Affairs committees until 2003.

So far, friends of MJ Bear and ONA have contributed nearly $40,000 to the fellowship fund. The MJ Bear Fellowship Committee will continue planning both short- and long-term goals to realize the letter and spirit of her wishes, and to build fundraising campaigns to expand the fellowships and shape the future of young journalists.

Tax-deductible donations to the MJ Bear Fellowship Fund can be made at journalists.org.

AOL‘s Tim Armstrong and NPR‘s Vivian Schiller are headlining in a discussion about reinventing media companies. I have often pointed to NPR as a brand that has worked strategically to reposition itself in a quickly changing media environment, and for all the naysaying about AOL’s ability to rebound, I have to admit I’m rather intrigued by the new management and new approach they seem to be taking. I wouldn’t count them out just yet. As I often tell people who ask me what I think about this legacy company’s or that legacy company’s chance for success, the only companies that are obsolete are the ones sitting on their hands waiting for the answers to appear. As long as companies embrace reinvention and innovation, there’s hope.

ONA has created a waiting list for those still eager to attend. Check out the lineup for yourself. If you can’t make this year’s conference, look for the ONA’s regional events and meetups.

If you have suggestions for events in your town, send an e-mail to director@journalists.org. If you’re in the New York area and want to help plan ONA events, let me know.

(Disclaimer: I am a former ONA board member and conference chair and did some early work helping the conference committee this year. I also help coordinate New York area events.)

These days, his story is not uncommon. We’ve read the stories, monitored the blogs and been inundated by newsletters announcing layoffs, sales and bankruptcies. I hear from journalists all the time who are looking for work as the industry has atrophied — too many to sit comfortably on my own perch. And although I’m hopeful that news organizations will quickly reinvent themselves, I worry about what shoring up the bottom line will do to one of the most useful techniques of innovation: failure.

Indeed, news organizations must be sound businesses to survive, but in order to find a business model that works, in order to drive the innovation and create the tools that keep us relevant, in order to get ahead of the curve, we must create an atmosphere where failure is embraced. I’m talking about failing fast and moving on. Not the slow death march and embrace of things we know aren’t working. These days we have endless research and metrics at our disposal to allow us to laser in on the right targets. That said, it is only through our willingness to fail that ultimately we’ll be able to find lasting success.

Here’s to failure…

On a side note, Arizona State University seems to be on the move these days. I have quite a few colleagues who’ve joined the faculty and staff there to work on innovative projects in journalism, including Retha Hill, who runs the new media lab at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication; Jody Brannon, who directs the Carnegie-Knight News 21 Initiative, Jason Manning, director of student media; and Len Downie, Weil Family Professor of Journalism.

The Nieman Foundation has selected its incoming class. Twenty-eight fellows from around the world will descend on Harvard for a year of study, fellowship and pampering.

Yes, pampering.

In 2003, I had the privilege of being selected a Nieman Fellow. There are no words to adequately describe what a year as an in-residence fellow at Nieman Foundation is like. One employee told me that of all the fellows at Harvard — and there are many — Niemans (mainly because of the way the program is designed) are the cream of the crop. I can’t tell you whether that’s true, but I can tell you this. It was one of the best years of my adult life.

There’s a sounding each week in which one fellow tells you his or her life story and prepares native dishes for those in attendance. It is a rare opportunity to get to know the fellows beyond their professional affiliations. In these moments, I got to know the other fellows in ways I don’t even know some of my friends.

Then there are seminars and shop talks, which bring in movers and shakers, thinkers and doers to share their wisdom and knowledge with the class of journalists.

It’s a very social year, so there are lots of receptions, campus events, get-togethers and trips. Add in a couple of classes each semester — among my most memorable were intensive Spanish (big, ummm, mistake), Genesis (my favorite), Woman Who Testify (fascinating).

The Nieman staff, led by curator Bob Giles, is gracious. They made us feel like no request was too big or too small. They spoiled us. And for that, I’m still grateful.

For some Niemans, the fellowship was not just about a year of respite, it was a much needed lifeline.

Geoff Nyarota was founder and editor of the Daily News in Zimbabwe, when under government pressure he was forced out. At one point, Geoff’s offices were firebombed. Hunted by the Zimbabwean police, Geoff and his family fled the country. Geoff joined the Nieman class half a semester before I arrived in Cambridge. Our families became very close. And, yet, he was just one of the many amazing people I spent the year getting to know.

To the incoming class of Niemans, you’re in for the time of your life. Enjoy!