NSNC 2026 Columnist Contest - Deadline Extended to May 1

Consider a Gift to the NSNC Education Foundation

NSNC 2026 Columnist Contest - Deadline Extended to May 1

Contest submissions will be accepted through May 1! 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.

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

Stances with Wolves

Mexican Wolf

Ben S. Pollock NSNC President Columnists get labeled as opinionated. This was brought home again after the Tucson shooting. Americans saw on the air and online — come on, paper? — as many pundits as politicians (and rarely people with facts, like FBI spokesmen). The funny thing is, few NSNC members are op-eddies. The society…

In the February Newsletter

newspaper

In your email mail box: The February issue of the e-Columnist contains: – President Ben Pollock opines on opinions, and the reluctance of many columnists to express them, to take stances. – Dave Lieber’s “you, the columnist” is about a black writer whose picture at the top of his column draws vicious hate mail, mostly…

Egypt Protest Coverage Difficult

Egyptian authorities have attempted to halt live broadcasts from Cairo. According to the New York Times, shaky and grainy pictures have been sent using an undisclosed backup system. The best television coverage of the protests came from Al Jazeera English, one of the most influential broadcast networks in the Arab world. Al Jazeera it is not…

Pyle Historical Site Update

About 30 journalism students from Indiana University visited the Ernie Pyle State Historical Site recently. The site is closed and half of the letters, and many of the uniforms, World War II era gear and other artifacts have been removed. The materials are warehoused in Indianapolis, where state museum officials say they will be utilized in…

Column Ripens in Op-Ed Pantry

Free-form round loaf of bread

Food writer Mark Bittman of The New York Times this week ends his weekly recipe column “The Minimalist.” It’s run more than 13 years, nearly 700 columns. A serious reporter and witty commentator, Bittman actually is moving on to a new column, on the Times’ op-ed pages and in a blog, about the politics of…

NJ Member Seeks Newsletter Subscribers

In his other life as a journalist, Greg Rummo writes a Sunday column for several newspapers in New Jersey including The Suburban Trends, a newspaper published in his hometown of Butler, NJ by North Jersey Media Group (www.northjersey.com ). Rummo invites you to visit his website; www.gregrummo.com for a sampling of recently published columns and feature articles. He sends out an “html”…