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!

How to beat a bully

Dave Lieber

Fort Worth Star-Telegram Columnist Secretary, National Society of Newspaper Columnists Education Foundation www.yankeecowboy.com  By Dave Lieber [Editor’s Note: Dave Lieber’s longstanding “Really Bad Column” is changing its name to “you, the columnist.” In a reflection of changes in our industry, the old title was a mirror image of the author’s own definition of his work,…

An Irresistible Point of View

Suzette Martinez Standring

By Suzette Martinez Standring Syndicated Columnist, GateHouse News Service A definite purpose, like blinders on a horse, inevitably narrows it’s possessor’s point of view. Robert Frost (1874-1963) Wanted: a strong, personal point of view, emphasis on “personal.” No other form of journalism but column writing allows the writer’s individuality to shape both a message and…

Prez Column – Mike Argento

Mike Argento

By Mike Argento, NSNC President York (PA) Daily Record A new baseball stadium opened this summer in our small city here in the heart of what we fondly call Pennsyltucky. It’s a beautiful ballpark, even if it is still under construction. It sits in a crook of the Codorus Creek, which flows through the center…

Views on Writing Contests

Columnist

A Way to Build Name Recognition By Monica McCabe Cardoza   Entering a contest says a lot about your devotion to your craft. It proves that you take column writing seriously enough to want to be recognized for it. But before you say, “Oh, I never win those things,” consider this: Winning a top prize…

Syndication is not for sissies

By Robert Haught  Getting yourself syndicated is an achievable goal, but it doesn’t come easy. It takes a lot of hard work. That’s the primary advice offered by Jim Miller, a model of success in self-syndication. Miller, a member of the faculty for the 2007 Will Rogers Writers’ Workshop, syndicates his “Savvy Senior” column to 400 newspapers and…

Philadelphia Conference 2007

NSNC Loves Philly – Conference Highlights By Sheila Moss, Web Editor The City of Brotherly Love opened its arms to the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the Newspaper Columnists fell in love with Philly. The NSNC annual convention opened June 21st and was greeted by both the Mayor, John F. Street, and the Governor of…