As my time as NSNC’s President grows short, I’m looking back at the eight years since I joined this unique group of journalists and realizing how NSNC has enriched my life not only professionally but personally .
Of course, I learned the tricks of the trade by taking copious notes at NSNC conferences, scanning NSNC’s The Columnist monthly news magazine, clicking the links on NSNC’s social media sites, and reading my NSNC colleagues’ books and columns.
But unexpectedly, it’s the friendships I’ve formed in NSNC that have given me the impetus to pursue this line of work. From my first conference in 2012 in Macon, Georgia, to the most recent conference in Manchester, New Hampshire, I’ve found the confidence, inspiration, and support I’ve needed from other NSNC members I’ve met along the way.
Whether it was debating the culinary merits of the chicken wrap with a table mate at a conference lunch, confiding my professional insecurities to a fellow attendee in the hospitality suite, volunteering on an NSNC committee, calling an NSNC member for mentoring, or visiting a fellow NSNC member in their hometown – I’ve made sincere friendships that are not tainted with hidden agendas or false veneers.
Journalism organizations and writing conferences are a dime a dozen. But NSNC stands out among the crowd because, in addition to education, training, and inspiration, we offer true camaraderie that becomes the foundation from which columnists and bloggers find the support to grow in their careers.
Case in point: Early on in my tenure as President, I faced a situation that I didn’t know how to handle on NSNC’s behalf. Truth be told, this happened a lot, and I often had to find my way. But on this particular occasion, another NSNC member suggested that I ask columnist John Avlon for advice.
John Avlon
But … John Avlon is a rock star among columnists. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of The Daily Beast , a political commentator for CNN , the author of many books , the former chief speechwriter for NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani when he was responsible for writing the eulogies for first responders killed in the World Trade Center bombings on 9/11, and a Yale and Columbia graduate.
I couldn’t call him!
Despite being star-struck by John Avlon, I reminded myself that he
has been a member of NSNC since 2010. He has volunteered to speak at our conferences, has donated his books to NSNC to give free with memberships, has given his advice promptly when asked, and has referenced NSNC in all of his bios. John Avlon may be a bigwig, but he has always been a loyal member of NSNC.
I sent John an email asking for advice, worrying that my relatively minor problem wasn’t really worth his valuable time.
That night, my phone rang at 10 pm. It was John, calling me after giving a speech in New York City. As he walked the street – I could hear taxicabs and honking horns in the background – he offered excellent advice to me, his fellow NSNC member, as if we were old friends. I left our conversation feeling supercharged, not only ready to tackle the problem at hand, but with a confident vision for the future direction of NSNC and my own career.
That’s what NSNC friendships can do for you.
A month or two later, John made good on an offer to give me a quote for one of my President’s messages. The quote came too late to make it into my message back then, but it is even more relevant and empowering now:
“The National Society of Newspaper Columnists is an indispensable organization of working journalists dedicated to celebrating and perpetuating a great American art form: the newspaper column. Whether in print or online, the NSNC provides professional development and a sense of solidarity for columnists and helps continue a great tradition of combining observation with opinion and speaking truth to power.”
Enough said.
