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!

In the October Newsletter

newspaper

The October edition of The Columnist, the monthly newsletter for members of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, is out today, Thursday the first. It features more articles than usual: California Screamin’ — NSNC President Jerry Zezima previews key details of the June 2016 annual conference — in Los Angeles! Does Free Writing for HuffPost…

Where There’s Will, There’s a Way

Will Rogers typing

President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists There is a lot to like about Will Rogers, who was a lot more than the man who never met a man he didn’t like. Born in Indian Territory (now Oologah, Oklahoma) in 1879, Rogers — part Cherokee, part cowboy, all American — was…

How’s Your Website?

you, the columnist By Dave Lieber Dallas Morning News columnist As a columnist — a creative entrepreneur who communicates to the public on a regular basis — how is your personal website doing? I mean the one you operate, not the one where your column runs as part of your media company’s website. Everyone should…

Molinari Named NSNC Vice President

Lisa Smith Molinari, whose “Meat & Potatoes of Life” column appears weekly in civilian and military newspapers across the country, is the new vice president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. “Lisa brings more to the table than meat and potatoes,” NSNC President Jerry Zezima said of Molinari, who had been an at-large board…

Poynter to Feature Horowitz in Webinar on the ‘Columnist’s Voice’

Rick Horowitz — a longtime member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and occasional workshop presenter at its annual conferences — will be featured in a webinar presented by the Poynter Institute’s News University. “The hour-long program, “Connecting as a Columnist: Your Voices, Your Choices,” will be aired live at 2 p.m. Eastern, Thursday,…

L.A. Confidentially

President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists I barged into Spielberg’s office at DreamWorks, blew past his secretary, who was sharpening a pencil, and plopped myself down in the plush chair in front of his desk. “You owe me a big one, Steven,” I blurted. “How so, Zez?” responded Spielberg, who…