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

Hartford Conferees Converse on Hartford

Laptops, smartphones, tablets, ebook readers etc.

A number of those attending the 37th annual conference of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists have reached for our own “low-hanging fruit,” the June 27-30 weekend. Indeed, creating fodder for columns and blog posts is a main purpose of programming each year. (The others include learning the latest about making and selling columns, friendship…

Columnists Expose ‘Privacy’ As Sitting Duck

HARTFORD, Conn. — The National Society of Newspaper Columnists on Sunday gave its annual Sitting Duck Award to “privacy,” but, thanks to the National Security Agency and government data mining, America almost certainly already knows that. The award goes each year to a person or subject that provides columnists with an easy topic to write…

One Last Time for Ebert: 2013 Column Contest Winners

IBM Selectric II typewriter

HARTFORD, Conn. — Chicago’s late movie critic-cum-blogger Roger Ebert has hit one last national writing contest ball out of the park. The longtime Chicago Sun-Times writer, who died of complications of cancer last April at age 70, won first place for online columns or blogs on large websites in the National Society of Newspaper Columnists…

Pretzel Logic, Anyone?

A pretzel

President’s Message By Eric Heyl President National Society of Newspaper Columnists What if you crave some pretzels? I’m sure that question is running through some of your minds as the NSNC’s 37th annual conference in Hartford draws near. You’re probably looking forward to the program as much as I am. And why not? The folks…

Annie Barr, a Voice from the Bush

Stoopendaal Map of the World - 1730

Art of Column Writing By Suzette Martinez Standring 2004-06 President National Society of Newspaper Columnists I am curious about anyone who would fly 10,000 miles from Australia to our conference in Hartford. Annie Barr is our Down Under gal from Barham, New South Wales, and wins for the longest distance traveled.  Let’s give her a…

In the June-July Newsletter

The June-July issue of The e-Columnist was emailed to members June 14. Open it to find out the latest happenings in your organization. Read President Eric Heyl’s message about the Hartford conference. Learn who’s going to the annual gathering. Enjoy Suzette Martinez Standring’s interview with the writer who’s coming all the way from Australia for…