Selected articles from the NSNC newsletter; only members get the entire contents of the monthly newsletter
Early in the morning of Feb. 26, the last edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that would ever be printed on a Friday landed on stoops, porches, sidewalks, lawns, and hedges with the indifference most of us had grown used to over the years.
As columnists, we tend to write about people, and there is danger in that. We fear defamation suits.
An editor’s job is to manage content and shape submissions to match their publication’s style and objective. Working with freelancers is part of that job and there are a few simple things that will help you stand out among your colleagues and be deemed “a dream to work with.”
Connect to your local journalism leaders, expand your professional circle and your career.
By NSNC President Tony Norman and NSNC Communications Director Bonnie Jean Feldkamp Columns, as opposed to explanatory news stories, are uniquely positioned in the journalistic ecosystem to get things done. Unlike our just-the-facts reporter counterparts, we columnists get to directly call out our elected officials and community leaders, hold them to account, and ask for…
By Leighann LordNSNC Member Astronauts have to climb into the rocket. Mechanics have to get under the hood of the car. Writers have to sit down and write. But it’s complicated. Here’s my process: Pour a fresh cup of coffee. Open my journal to a clean page.Grab a pen. Stare at the page. Have a moment of clarity…
By Tony NormanNSNC President My first NSNC webinar will probably rank as my favorite virtual interview of the pandemic age for quite a while. Last month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Pamela Paul, editor of The New York Times Sunday Book Review and grand Poobah of all its book coverage throughout the week. The weekly podcast she…
By Steve AustNSNC Executive Director As the writer of thousands of columns, the author of 19 books, and a frequent TV presence, George Will looms as one of the nation’s leading conservative commentators. His erudite perspectives provide thoughtful insights on an array of economic and social issues – and, regarding his other overarching passion, baseball.…
By Lisa Smith MolinariStars and Stripes columnist, author of The Meat and Potatoes of Life: My True Lit Com (2020), and former NSNC President I arrived at Suzette’s summer house in Cape Cod believing that I was there to sample her famous gourmet cuisine and chat. The fact that she was leading a guided-imagery session…
Little did sportswriters and columnists Clarence E. Hill, Jr. and Marcus Thompson II know that covering Super Bowl LIII in Miami might be the last major sporting event they cover in-person in 2020.
If some kid hadn’t vomited on me at a David Bowie/Nine Inch Nails concert in 1995, I wouldn’t be a newspaper columnist today.
NSNC Members! We have gone to a new membership system that will allow MEMBERS ONLY to access exclusive content on this website.
The new system is member password-driven, so have yours in hand and unlock exclusive benefits to you.
Here’s how…
By Molly StevensNSNC Member Like so many others, I experienced stress and anxiety at the onset of the COVID pandemic. As a fairly recent retiree, I had worked hard to find a satisfactory balance between full and empty slots in my calendar. I struggled when faced with an abundance of free time and a serious…
A single essay of more than 7,000 words has never won the Pulitzer Prize in the Commentary category. Traditionally, a columnist has won that category with a series of columns.
By Dave LieberThe Dallas Morning News City mayors, county leaders, state governors, and presidents are expected to show leadership in times of crisis. But I would argue that now is the time for columnists and bloggers to do the same. We learned after 9/11 what a difference one great column can make for readers. Remember…
(Damn You, Noxious Virus, Causing Me More Work When You Know How I Hate to Put Off Novel Writing) By Pam J. HechtNSNC Member I have a problem that will likely prevent me from finishing this column, which is also, frankly, a flagrant cry for help. In fact, I will probably ask you to finish…
