RTNDA Changes Name to Reflect Expanded Focus

On Oct. 13, the Radio Television News Directors Association will change its name to the Radio and Television Digital News Association in an effort to expand its services beyond the traditional broadcast market.

“For some not familiar with RTNDA, the name “Radio Television News Directors Association implies that we might not have services, information or importance to anyone who wasn’t a news director,” the association said in a statement. “As you all know, that’s not the case. RTNDA is for all electronic journalists. RTDNA will also be for all electronic journalists, including the newest members of our newsrooms working on the digital platforms.”

RTNDA is the world's largest professional organization exclusively serving the electronic news profession, consisting of more than 3,000 news directors, news associates, educators and students. Founded as a grassroots organization in 1946, the association is dedicated to setting standards for newsgathering and reporting. It recently came under the new leadership of Jane Nassiri after longtime president Barbara Cochran resigned in June. In announcing the new name, the association said its goals won’t change, but will instead reflect the realities of today’s news industry and hopefully avoid the problems facing their colleagues in print journalism.

“Why make this change now? It seemed a particularly appropriate time, now that our industry is going through a metamorphosis and RTNDA is as well,” the association said. “We’ve struggled, as every other journalism organization has, to define ourselves in this new media world. As the industry emerges from this period battered and bruised, but certainly still intact, much to the chagrin of all who pronounced it dead long ago, so will the new RTDNA. We emerge ready to lead digital journalists into the future under new leadership, a new roster of services to help all you in your newsrooms each day, and a renewed commitment to protecting the rights of all journalists.