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

Mary C. Curtis receives Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement Award

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists recently presented the Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement Award to accomplished and deeply-respected columnist, Mary C. Curtis. The award was presented to Curtis on Sat., June 11, 2022 at the NSNC Annual Conference in Birmingham, AL. Congratulations, Mary!

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Tony Norman: Outgoing President’s 2022 Conference Reflection

On paper, there are a lot of reasons why an in-person annual conference wasn’t a good idea: record high gas prices and airfare, lingering concerns about a pandemic, the probability of a low turnout, the sheer expense of a conference in inflationary times and the fact that the host state — Alabama — isn’t on…

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Winner, winner. Chicken dinner.

Okay, well you don’t actually get a chicken dinner, but you do get some bragging rights. Here’s a breakdown of all our amazing winners in the 2022 Columnist Contest (for works created in 2021): Editorial Cartoon First Place – Sage Stossel, The Boston Globe Social Justice First Place – John W. Fountain, Chicago Sun-TimesSecond Place…

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The Columnist’s Counselor: Confessions of a Perfectionist in Recovery

by Daniela Gitlin, MD  “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.” – GK Chesterton My mother, a perfectionist, believes perfection is excellence. And—this is important—if you’re not suffering, you’re slacking. For my growing up and training years, I bought that. But aging and real life—taking care of patients, writing, cooking, parenting—have taught me to pursue…

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President’s Letter, March 2022

by Tony Norman, NSNC President This is the second of two interviews with NSNC members who began as columnists, but now find themselves balancing their personal voices with the responsibility of keeping a balanced opinion page at their respective publications.  Last month, Bonnie Jean Feldkamp, the Opinion Editor of The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky talked…

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