Conference Chair Brian O’Connor in a conference recap at the annual membership meeting reported that the Detroit conference finished in the black. The effect of the downturn in the economy has been felt in conference attendance by many organizations. O’Connor emphasized the need for a committee of members to manage various aspects of the conference…
Best-selling author Jeffrey Zaslow has snared another fantastic book deal. He will assist Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and her husband, recently retired astronaut Mark Kelly, in telling the story of their life before and since the January shooting rampage in Tucson in which she suffered a severe head wound. NASA astronaut and Navy Capt. Mark…
By Suzette Martinez Standring NSNC Past President It was a Detroit I had never imagined – re-energized, creative, and hellbent on resurrection. The conference title, “Rebound in Motown,” was an apt metaphor for both Detroit’s transformation and our own evolution as columnists. The educational programs were as inspiring as the social activities. I suspect Conference…
Larry Cohen, a familiar face at many conferences, is NSNC’s new Vice President. He was elected at the general membership meeting which closed the 35th annual conference in Detroit. Cohen will fill out the term of Karen Rinehart, who stepped down for personal reasons. He and others on the nominating committee’s slate of officers were…
Paneling for the Benchley Den By Ben S. Pollock NSNC President Once again, an NSNC columnist conference astounded its audience with information and fun. The June 23-26 session in Detroit catered to would-be and published book writers, gave fresh tips to free-lancers (and in “custom content” not just columns), took on humor and twisted…
Government Can Seize Your Land to Build Nuke Plant An AP investigative series shows that up to 3/4 of all Nukes pose potential health problems. The problem is even more acute with Nukes that are near the end of their 40-year projected life cycle. There was a recent meltdown of a plant in Japan, the…
When columnists go to a conference, it’s only natural that they want to write about it. Below are links to articles written about the NSNC Detroit Conference. More links being added all the time. Conferees are invited to submit links or URL’s to columns and blogs they’ve written about the Detroit weekend at the contact…
EDITORIAL Detroit, Survivor of Hard Knocks By Sheila Moss, NSNC WebEditor “People who visit Detroit see only the bad things — tell them about the good things too,” said our conference host. This editorial is not about the NSNC Conference, which was wonderful and inspiring, but it is about the city that many do not…
A full and busy day of conference activities concluded Saturday night with the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement award to Roger Ebert, who appeared live from Chicago via Skype. The NSNC Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement Award is given yearly to honor a columnist who exemplifies outstanding achievement. It is the NSNC organization’s highest honor. Roger…
Jocelyn Rousey of Boston College was presented with the 2011 NSNC Education Foundation Scholarship award following lunch at an infamous Detroit landmark called American Coney Island. In accepting the award, Jocelyn commented that the thing that had impressed her most about attending the columnists’ conference was the passion for writing that columnists show. One of…
Don Fry, writing coach and emeritus faculty member of The Poynter Institute, lectured on the factors that make columns accurate, complete and fair. Don Fry’s appearance was sponsored by the Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau in order to make it possible to have a top expert in attendance. Fry said to always remember that good column…
Dossion Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle was the site of Friday night dinner sponsored by Ford Motor Company for attendees of the 35th Annual Conference of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. The Legacy Award was presented posthumously to Mike Harden of the Columbus Dispatch for his excellence as a columnist and many years…
Ben Pollock, NSNC President, opened the conference following an early morning meeting of the Board of Directors. Yes, that’s a Detroit Tigers baseball cap he is wearing. Several panels convened to speak on various topics. A crusading columnists’ panel told us what it takes to go beyond your regular column to push for justice in…
NSNC members began arriving and registration opened at the Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit. Some of the officers who arrived early were kept busy in the afternoon helping to assemble conference materials and stuff goody bags as Conference Chair, Brian O’Connor, took care of last minute conference details. President Ben Pollock personally worked at the registration table…
By Dave Lieber Fort Worth Star-Telegram Columnist www.YankeeCowboy.com I’m celebrating 20 years of NSNC membership. I got what I put into it. Great friends, more learning about column writing than anywhere else combined, an actual columnist job (hired while attending my first conference, no less), a lengthy career of growth and improvement, and, yes, worth…
Luellen Smiley, NSNC member, is the daughter of reputed mobster, Allen Smiley, who was a close friend and confidant of famous Las Vegas mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel and was just feet away from Siegel the night he was murdered. She has been a columnist since 2004 when she began writing a weekly column in San Diego called “Smiley’s Dice.”…
In the annual Pennsylvania Press Club competition, Walter M. Brasch took 1st place in features; 2nd in environmental writing; and 2nd for his syndicated newspaper column, Wanderings. In addition, Brasch and his wife, Rosemary, took 2nd place in specialty articles/labor and business. Brasch recently retired as professor of mass communications/journalism at Bloomsburg University, but is…
