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

Full speed ahead! NSNC Sails Into the New Year

By Lisa Smith Molinari NSNC President One year ago, NSNC was in a very different place than it is today. Like most journalism organizations experiencing Digital Age shifts, NSNC was seeing a decline in dues-paying members, a reduction in income, and increasing difficulty raising funds. Some got desperate, and either agreed to be swallowed up…

Read more →

NSNC Annual Column Writing Contest Opens!

By Suzette Martinez Standring, NSNC Executive Director Get ready to win!  The annual NSNC Column Writing Contest is now open, and the entry process has been streamlined and made easier for both contestants and judges. First, second, and third place winners receive cash prizes!  Simply upload your entry into one or more categories.  An entry…

Read more →

Ask Alex: Stuck in a Writing Rut

Dear Alex, How can a writer rebrand themselves; what columnists have done so successfully? After writing a book and hundreds of blog posts, I’m officially uninspired writing for my particular niche market. Sincerely, Same old, Same old This Month, Dave Astor and Mike Morin offer advice: Dear Same old, Same old, Leonard Pitts Jr. is…

Read more →

Dessert With Discussion: Three Cincinnati Icons Come Together for NSNC18 dessert

By Bonnie Jean Feldkamp Communications Director and NSNC18 Conference Chair The Cincinnati Zoo, Graeter’s Ice Cream, and Cincinnati Public Radio come together for a special afternoon on Friday, June 8th, during the NSNC annual conference. Attendees will enjoy “Sundae Service” courtesy of historic Graeter’s Ice Cream at the Treetops Facility in the Cincinnati Zoo while…

Read more →

Media Trolls Make the Naughty List: Tweet Them Their Lump of Coal

By Paul Lander NSNC Member Yes, I admit it, I am way too proud of accumulating 41K+ Twitter followers and inappropriately boastful of the occasional death threat.  And, that Judd Apatow has retweeted me six times, causing my mom to say, “That Judd seems like such a nice boy.”  So, it’s no wonder I get asked,…

Read more →

Psychological Chocolate: Why Giving Feels So Good

By Lisa Smith Molinari NSNC President Does this sound familiar? You’ve finally arrived home after numerous trips to the local strip malls to buy the latest toy for your niece, twinkle lights for the porch, ear warmers for your spouse, and supplies to bake 12 dozen pecan tarts for the neighborhood cookie exchange. Then, it…

Read more →