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!

NSNC Membership – Join or renew today!

Join or Renew Your NSNC Membership Online Whether you write for newspapers, magazines, newsletters, trade journals or you create a podcast or write digital content, or you manage your own blog … whether you’re on staff, a freelancer, syndicated, self-syndicated or independent, if you write opinion or provide commentary, we invite you to join the…

NSNC Announces Winners and Finalists of 2024 Annual Columnist Contest

NSNC is pleased to announce the winners and finalists of the 2024 Annual Columnist Contest. Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rsKFedu_jH5tYw6_hN1pRltusDBuJ2sX7QIv4hhGp1E/edit?usp=sharing 2024 NSNC Columnist Contest Winners (for work done in 2023) Social Justice 3rd Naomi Ishisaka, The Seattle Times 2nd Suzette Hackney, USA TODAY 1st Amelia Robinson, Columbus Dispatch Crisis Commentary Honorable…

Congratulations to NSNC Member Mary C. Curtis

Congratulations to NSNC member Mary C. Curtis who contributed an essay in a just released book of essays: “We Refuse to Be Silent: Women’s Voices on Justice for Black Men,” along with other notable women such as Isabel Wilkerson, Donna Brazile, Michelle Duster and Darnella Frazier (a citizen journalist who recorded the George Floyd murder). For more about…

Congratulations to NSNC Member Dave Astor on His Third Book

Dave Astor’s third book — “Misty the Cat…Unleashed” — has just been published. It includes several mentions of the NSNC, for which Dave was a board member from 2009 to 2023 and he remains copy editor of the NSNC newsletter. In Dave’s part-factual/part-fictional book, the asthmatic Misty slips his harness during one of his daily leashed walks…

What Columnists Need to Know About AI and ChatGPT

NSNC Presents an Upcoming Webinar: What Columnists Need to Know About AI and ChatGPT Thursday, June 27, noon to 1 p.m. EST Cost $15 for NSNC members; $25 for non-members In this webinar, a panel of industry experts will discuss AI and ChatGPT and how they are impacting columnists today. The panel will provide insights…

2024 NSNC Annual Conference Line-Up and Schedule

NSNC Virtual Conference Schedule 2024 Commentary in a Chaotic World July 19 & 20, 2024  Held Virtually Friday (7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.) and Saturday (11 a.m.- 5 p.m. EST) Virtual Conference Friday 7 p.m. – Welcome and announcements – Ginny McCabe, NSNC executive director, and Lori Duff, NSNC president 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. –…