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!

2016 Column Contest Winners Announced in Los Angeles

Winners in the 2016 annual column contest of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists were announced Saturday night (June, 25) at the awards banquet of its 40th annual conference, held in Los Angeles. Each contestant submitted three columns or blog posts that were published in calendar year 2015. First place in each category is receiving…

Sitting Duck Award for 2016 – It’s Huuuuuuge!

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists has given its 2016 Sitting Duck Award to GOP presumptive presidential nominee Donald J. Trump. “Much like in the Republican primaries this year, the columnists’ vote for Trump was no contest,” said NSNC president Lisa Smith Molinari. “His margin was huuuuge.” The society met in Los Angeles over the weekend. The…

Cognac the Magnificent

President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists During his 30-year reign as the king of late-night TV, “Tonight Show” host Johnny Carson assumed the role of many characters in skits performed with sidekick Ed McMahon. One of his most popular was Carnac the Magnificent, the turbaned wise guy who would divine…

NSNC Conference, Anywhere, U.S.A.

by Maggie Van Ostrand NSNC Member NSNC conferences are a whole lotta fun,  full of great information and advice, and not to be missed. But what they don’t tell you when registration time rolls around again can be the most memorable part: the leaving. I’m not talking about the Glad-I’m-Going-Home part, I’m talking about the…

The Advantage of Conference Connections

By Suzette Martinez Standring 2004-06 NSNC president Thousands (more likely, hundreds) of “friends” and “likes” on social media do impress, but personal connection still reigns.  Nothing beats conversations, shared laughs, and the give-and-take of new ideas. That chance returns with the NSNC’s annual meeting in Los Angeles on June 23-26, 2016. Back in 2000, I was…

The Flip Side of Writing for Free

By Bonnie Jean Feldkamp NSNC Media Director For those who’d prefer to listen to this article you can do so at this SoundCloud page HERE. Many in the industry have discussed both sides of this issue. Some refuse to write for free and ask others to do the same in hopes that they’ll enact change…