The National Society of Newspaper Columnists (NSNC) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the launch of the 2025 Annual Columnist Contest. The contest will officially kick off on January 15 and run through April 15, 2025. To enter the contest, click go to https://nsnc.submittable.com/submit
Sunshine Week, March 16-22 is an annual event in March that highlights the importance of public records and open government. NSNC supports and celebrates Sunshine Week Here's a list of upcoming events: https://sunshineweek.org/events-calendar/.
The National Society of Newspaper Columnists Education Foundation is a tax-exempt charitable organization [501(c)3] devoted to the education and training of new and experienced columnists everywhere. Donate here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/NSNCEdFnd
We are excited for What’s in-store for NSNC members this year. We just launched the 2025 NSNC Annual Columnist Contest, so you’ll want to be sure your membership is up-to-date. Also, if you have ideas, suggestions, etc., please share them with our President Meredith Cummings at meredithcummings@gmail.com or Executive Director Ginny McCabe at nsncdirector@gmail.com. Thank you for your support of NSNC!
Dorothy Brush, an octogenarian from Tennessee, was not up to traveling to California for last year’s conference. But she reports that “my brain is still working well and I continue doing two columns each week, plus a few features, too.” NSNC named her Columnist of the Year in 2004 for her courageous battle against cancer,…
Mental Health America presented a special award, The Bell Award for Significant Contributions to Mental Health Journalism, to Steve Lopez of the Los Angeles Times at a media awards luncheon in Washington, D.C. Lopez, the 2009 conference keynote speaker, is the author of “The Soloist,” which inspired the film of the same name. He won…
What is the story behind National Columnists Day? By Dave Lieber Secretary, NSNC Education Foundation Columnist, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Website: Yankee Cowboy The office memo changed the course of my writing life. Back in the 1980s, I was a staff writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Gene Roberts, the great editor, sent us a note…
By Samantha Bennett NSNC President Hope you’re all getting registered and making your hotel and travel arrangements for the conference in Ventura! Now more than ever, we need our network and the professional advice that our speakers and panelists will provide. I joined representatives of other groups at the Council of National Journalism Organizations’…
Freelance writer Ben Shaberman of Baltimore has had a book published. “The Vegan Monologues” is a collection of “humorous, intelligent and insightful essays on vegan life.” The book explores the lighter side of the meat-free lifestyle. Shaberman’s reflections will put a smile on the faces of vegans and omnivores alike. Shaberman’s essays have appeared…
NSNC Education Foundation President Jim Casto has a new book out. “The Great Ohio River Flood of 1937” is his 10th book and his fifth straight “Images of America” book for Arcadia Publishing. The retired Huntington (WV) Herald-Dispatch associate editor is prolific to say the least. A review in the newspaper by Dave Lavender told…
NSNC Annual Columnist ContestDeadline Extended Until May 2 Words you probably never hear from your editor: Deadline extended! You can count on NSNC for a lot of things. State-of-industry knowledge. Writing clinics. Good friends. Count our “contest deadline extensions” among those. This year we’re extending the deadline to Friday, May 2. Categories include humor, sports,…
Happy National Columnists’ Day and Ernie Pyle Remembrance Day! We celebrate on April 18 to honor the accomplishments of Ernie Pyle and all of those who are dedicated to column-writing today. The National Society of Newspaper Columnists, founded in 1977, created National Columnists’ Day to be celebrated each year on April 18, in memory of…
Suzette Standring is now the Chief Correspondent for Firefighters Vs Cancer, http://www.firefightersvscancer.org, a website that promotes early cancer detection for firefighters, who have a significantly higher risk of occupational cancer. Suzette will share their stories, and the website also has a purchase link for OneTest early cancer screening kits available to the public. She also…
Sunshine Week occurs each year in mid-March, coinciding with James Madison’s birthday, March 16 (1751). Madison was a driving force behind the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and presented the first version of the Bill of Rights to Congress. He also was the fourth president of the United States. Coordinated by the nonpartisan Joseph L. Brechner Freedom…
Jerry Zezima Celebrates 40 Years of His Syndicated Humor Column! This marks the 40th anniversary of my syndicated humor column, which is distributed to 600 newspapers nationwide and abroad by Tribune News Service. I began writing my column in 1985 at my hometown paper, the Stamford (Conn.) Advocate, which still runs it. I write humor…
