NSNC 2026 Columnist Contest - Now Open

Sunshine Week March 15-21, 2026

Consider a Gift to the NSNC Education Foundation

Join NSNC and Reap the Benefits!

NSNC 2026 Columnist Contest - Now Open

Contest submissions now open! We are accepting entries from columnists, bloggers, and serial essayists  for our 2026 Annual Columnist Contest (for work published in 2025). We will accept entries from columnists, bloggers, and serial essayists published in 2025.  Everyone is welcome to submit. You don’t have to be an NSNC member.

Sunshine Week March 15-21, 2026

We’re counting down to #SunshineWeek 2026, March 15-21. Together, we champion #OpenRecords and #OpenGovernment nationwide March 15-21. #FOIA #transparency. Free resources: sunshineweek.org

Consider a Gift to the NSNC Education Foundation

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

Join NSNC and Reap the Benefits!

We are excited for What’s in-store for NSNC members this year. We are gearing up to launch the NSNC Annual Columnist Contest on January 15, 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!

The Takeaway from Detroit

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…

New Officers Elected

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…

President’s Column

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…

Brasch writes book on nuclear issues

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…

In the July Newsletter

Be sure to open an email with July e-Columnist in the subject line. It’s the annual conference issue of the newsletter, and it’s full of articles and photos from the “Rebound in Motown” conference in Detroit. — Suzette Martinez Standring writes a general wrapup, which contains a list of ideas that will help you be…

2011 Conference Columns & Blogs

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…