Selected articles from the NSNC newsletter; only members get the entire contents of the monthly newsletter
President’s Message First published in the November 2010 issue of the e-Columnist By Ben S. Pollock NSNC President “Politics make strange bedfellows” goes the quote by 19th-century newspaperman Charles Dudley Warner, and this fall it’s been columnists getting renown for jumping on the mattress. Columnists, commentators, news analysts, bloggers, interest-group hacks, cable yaks — aren’t…
President Ben Pollock explores the various aspects of certification and the values of being a member in good standing of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Past President Suzette Martinez Standring writes about “Milking the Writing Cow.” You’ll also see what some of your colleagues are writing about and what others are doing to advance…
you, the columnist By Dave Lieber Fort Worth Star-Telegram Do you have a harder time concentrating these days because of distractions? Does it take a greater effort to make time to read, research, write and get things done? Is keeping to a long-term plan tough in the midst of an over-stimulated day? …
President’s Message By Ben S. Pollock NSNC President “Defining and analyzing humor is a pastime of humorless people.” — Robert Benchley To avoid betraying my idol, Mr. Benchley, I’ll rationalize. This is not analysis but a lesson on creating humor. Books I’ve been reading have given me a clue on crafting…
NSNC’s monthly newsletter is written by, for and about columnists. In the October edition of the e-Columnist, distributed to members by email on the first of the month: President Ben Pollock gives a lesson on creating humor … In “you, the columnist” Dave Lieber shows how to “Tune Up Your Creativity Chamber” … Membership Chair…
Snyder’s Block by Laura Snyder I have seen the future, people, and the future is the iPad. The iPad is an understated piece of technology that will derail any thoughts you may have had that newspapers will continue in dead tree form. I know all the arguments. Some of them I made myself. The one…
President’s Message By Ben S. Pollock NSNC President September 2010 Ben Pollock Last year I asked my Facebook friends on my “Wall,” where conversations are texted (Is this English?), “Why are people so upbeat on Facebook?” I’d been on Facebook a few months, having been sold on it by NSNC veteran Dave Lieber (who pushed…
NSNC’s monthly newsletter is written by, for and about columnists. In the September edition of the e-Columnist, distributed to members by email on the first of the month: — President Ben Pollock describes a Facebook experience which points up sharp divisions of opinion about the emerging role of social media in modern journalism … —…
you, the columnist Social media was built for YOU So why aren’t you doing a better job? By Dave Lieber NSNC Education Foundation Secretary I heard somebody say the other day that the only thing social media does for you is make you less social. Knew you’d like that. You’re a…
By Ben S. Pollock NSNC President Thank you for electing me president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Didn’t you hear? I have not published a running column since Sept. 16, 2001. Instead I’ve written at benpollock.com/brick for nearly seven years. After the first year, the water warms up. Blogging is how I’ve coped…
By Laura Snyder Nationally Syndicated Columnist Over the years, many young people have e-mailed me a number of questions that boiled down to one burning, all-encompassing query: How do you become a columnist? They may think they are asking me how to get a job in the industry, but they would be asking…
you, the columnist By Dave Lieber NSNC Education Foundation Secretary I was cleaning out the office the other day and came across my notes from my very first NSNC conference in Portland, Oregon in 1993. I remember it like yesterday. (Cliché alert!) I wasn’t a columnist when I arrived, but was one…
By Robert L. Haught Haughtline Dweethly magazine Some outrageous insinuations are being made about Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan by a nationally syndicated columnist with a reputation for smearing reputations of public figures. Kagan has been the target of some harsh political attacks since President Obama selected the former U.S. Solicitor General to…
By Laura Snyder Nationally Syndicated Columnist Our new Vice President, Ben Pollock, was the brains and momentum behind our membership poll this winter. The results that came in from 183 respondents were actually very surprising to the board and served as a wake-up call. As it turns out, we had been operating on…
You, the columnist By Dave Lieber davelieber.org A little disgusted is how I feel when I read these words from Time magazine book reviewer Lev Grossman about how writers are going to have to write differently for people who read their work on cell phones or who can’t focus too long on one subject: …
Snyder’s Block By Laura Snyder Nationally Syndicated Columnist I was sitting in my rolling adjustable chair with my bare feet propped up on a plastic stool, peering at my computer and tweaking my column. Looking out my window, I saw that it was a beautiful day after a month of frigid weather. Why am…
President’s Message By Samantha Bennett NSNC President Just a quick update this month, and an opportunity to connect and make a difference. Future of NSNC Task Force member Russ Lemmon represented NSNC at the CNJO (Conference of National Journalism Organizations) winter meeting in Florida, and he has come back to the board with a…
