Miscellaneous articles.
On Saturday, June 10, 2017 Maureen Dowd of the New York Times received the 2017 Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. The event was part of the NSNC’s annual conference held at the Manchester Radisson in New Hampshire. Lisa Smith Molinari is the 2017 president and Mike…
By Lisa Smith Molinari NSNC President The theme for this month’s NSNC Annual Conference – “Live Free and Write – But Not for Free” – was no afterthought. We all know that column writing is a craft, not a job; a form of art, not a task; a manifestation of expression, not a business. However,…
By Dave Lieber Dallas Morning News columnist First, I write the column. This is about what’s next. Did Breslin do this? * I write the headline. If I fail on this and nobody likes my headline, all the work I did for a 900-word column goes to the crapper. I know this from…
Suzette Martinez Standring to receive Will Rogers Humanitarian Award Suzette Martinez Standring is one of the busiest members of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. She bylines a syndicated spirituality column and writes a blog, she has authored two award-winning books widely used in journalism classes, she speaks at national workshops and conferences on a…
This is the 18th in a series of articles about recipients of the NSNC’s annual Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement Award. By Dave Astor Archivist National Society of Newspaper Columnists Carl Hiaasen is a columnist, novelist, and on the list…of Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement Award winners. The multitalented writer received the honor at our 2010 conference…
By Chandra Bozelko Prison Diaries became the first regular, inmate-written byline in 2012. Consider that: with the wealth of knowledge and stories that incarcerated people have, no one gave even one of them a regular byline in a news publication until well into the 21st century. Sure, inmates published here and there, but a regular spot…
A Political Roundtable The 2017 conference in Manchester, NH, June 8-11, includes a political roundtable on Friday afternoon from 2:00 to 2:50 p.m. that will discuss all that has happened in this oddity of a political season. Emmy award winning Scott Spradling will moderate this discussion. Spradling is a former reporter, anchor and political director for WMUR-TV in…
By Mike Morin Conference Chair Spiny cockleburs put Manchester on the map. Chances are you use the product inspired by the annoying burs that stick to your clothes while hiking. Velcro was born out of the hook and loop configuration of spiny cockleburs. So thank Swiss engineer George de Mestral and New Hampshire every time…
by Bonnie Jean Feldkamp Director of Media We’re talking to columnists about what it means to be an opinion writer in today’s market. This is the second article in the series. Adversity inspires solidarity. When things go wrong we turn to those who understand and support. As members of the press, things have definitely gone…
by Maggie Van Ostrand NSNC Member NSNC conferences are a whole lotta fun, full of great information and advice, and not to be missed. But what they don’t tell you when registration time rolls around again can be the most memorable part: the leaving. I’m not talking about the Glad-I’m-Going-Home part, I’m talking about the…
By Bonnie Jean Feldkamp NSNC Media Director For those who’d prefer to listen to this article you can do so at this SoundCloud page HERE. Many in the industry have discussed both sides of this issue. Some refuse to write for free and ask others to do the same in hopes that they’ll enact change…
Guest Column By Joseph E. Rathjen Member, National Society of Newspaper Columnists Attribute … Attribute … Attribute. Authors hear that word constantly from responsible editors who have only their publication’s and their writers’ best (legal) interests at heart. Plagiarism is an accusation that echoes through a newspaper’s editorial halls like a sonic boom and one…
By Suzette Martinez Standring National Society of Newspaper Columnists Looking for new studies and experts to quote? Whatever type of column you write, professional authority and the latest research will bolster your position. One of the most valuable tips shared at a NSNC conference was the website, www.newswise.com. Now I use it daily to find…
Love’s Columns’ Labor’s Lost? By Ben S. Pollock NSNC Director of Online Media What’s the value of a columnist writing for no pay for a city’s newspaper (rather, its website), which it terms “a labor of love”? It turns out to be a trick question, or at least with no easy answer. A highlight of…
By Ben Pollock President National Society of Newspaper Columnists Updates on the topic follow the article, including: “Suspected Plagiarist Resigns” George Waters Longtime NSNC member George Waters, having read recently about a newspaperman stealing columns from a number of humor writers, “Googled” some of own better lines and found he was paid the compliment of…
The second day of the NSNC conference opened with breakfast in the beautiful Magnolia Room of the Macon Marriott where columnists heard from humorist speaker, author, and columnist Lauretta Hannon, the Cracker Queen, who told about her childhood and how she has overcome adversity and poverty with a sense of humor and a memoir about…
President Ben Pollock welcomed NSNC conferees, guests, speakers, honorees, newcomers and returnees to the 36th annual NSNC conference. President Pollock said, “…this is our first visit to the Deep South. As a third-and-fourth generation Arkansan, I proudly say, ‘It’s high cotton.’” A wide range of activities have been planned by host, Ed Grisamore — too…
