In This Issue:

A Word from Executive Director Ginny McCabe

Greetings from NSNC President Lori B. Duff

NSNC 2024 Annual Conference "Commentary in Chaotic Times"

Columnist Contest Update

New Member Spotlight: Christine Heinrichs

Jobs, Resources, and Fellowships

Join us at NSNC "Writing Space"

Hi Friends,

The NSNC annual conference will be held virtually in 2024 on Friday, July 19, and Saturday, July 20. The conference will provide countless opportunities for columnists and journalism professionals to network with their peers, engage in meaningful breakout sessions, and hear powerful keynotes.

Registration is now open and those that register prior to Sunday, June 30, can save on the cost of registration. Early-bird rates are $150 for NSNC members and $200 for non-members. For more information, and to register, go to Eventbrite. The cost will go up $100 on July 1.

We are pleased to announce this year's headliners: David Chrisinger, author, "The Soldier's Truth"; Beth Lapides, comedian and author; and Scott Klug, +former U.S. Congressman, six-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, and podcast creator. The remainder of the lineup will be unveiled soon!

We have another stellar lineup planned for this year, and we look forward to seeing you at the conference this summer!

All the best,

Ginny McCabe, Executive Director

National Society of Newspaper Columnists

NSNCdirector@gmail.com

Greetings fellow columnists:

We were getting ready for our summer conference (seriously, y’all should be getting excited about it) and we were talking about what sets us apart from other writers and journalists. And what it came down to was this: we have opinions.

Not only do we have opinions, but we’re not afraid to share them. We research, we fact check, and put together cogent arguments, but we have different goals than the rest of journalists. We are not about objective journalism. We write to persuade.

Whether we do it through humor and our message is to see the funny lining in an otherwise tragic story (comedy = tragedy+time, after all) or through a sensitive retelling of hard facts, we’re here to tell you what we think. That’s a necessary part of our system. You can’t do that everywhere, for one. There are many parts of the world where we would be jailed for what we do, some places where we’d be executed. Ours is a tradition that goes back to the founding fathers

.

Wasn’t Alexander Hamilton just a blogger before the internet was a thing? Wouldn’t

@TheFederalistPapers be a TikTok Channel in 2024? At the very least a Substack.

Anyway, be proud of what you do.

Keep it up.

Come to the conference in July (virtually,

in your PJs and fluffy slippers) to help hone your craft and be inspired.

I’m glad you’re out there.

Be well and write on!

Lori B. Duff, NSNC President

lori@loriduffwrites.com

NSNC 2024 47th Annual Conference

"Commentary in Chaotic Times"

Held Virtually on July 19 & 20, 2024

This annual NSNC Conference reflects the urgency in journalism

as we learn to understand and report the news in today's changing world.

These are critical times for columnists and journalists across the globe.

Join us as we grow together!

National Society of Newspaper Columnists is pleased to announce the Keynote Speakers for the 2024 NSNC Annual Conference

Author David Chrisinger will be the Friday, July 19 Keynote in a Q&A with Bonnie Jean Feldkamp 

David Chrisinger is the author of "The Soldier's Truth: Ernie Pyle and the Story of World War II." He also serves as the executive director of the Public Policy Writing Workshop at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and the director of writing seminars for The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit newsroom dedicated to reporting on the human impact of military service. David is the author of several other books as well, including Stories Are What Save Us: A Survivor’s Guide to Writing about Trauma. 

Bonnie Jean Feldkamp is the community engagement and opinion editor for The Louisville Courier Journal and a syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate. Her columns often seek to understand how current events and family life intersect.

She teaches column-writing workshops to help others contribute their experience and expertise to important community conversations and offered a TEDx talk on how to inspire others to listen and connect.

In 2022, she received the Legacy Award from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.

Comedian and Author Beth Lapides will be the featured late-night keynoter during a Networking Event and Talk.

Beth Lapides is the creator, host, and executive producer of the legendary and revolutionary "UnCabaret," which she has shepherded through 25-plus years of weekly live shows, TV, CDs, streaming and touring.

"UnCabaret" has been called a "comedy be in" by Rolling Stone. Vanity Fair said there's "Nothing cooler." Variety called UnCab’s 25th-anniversary show “a triumph!” and "UnCabaret" a "progressive comedy institution." The LA Times called Beth the "godmother of alternative comedy." And Vulture says UnCabaret has "a magical life-giving mystique and hilarious storytelling."

Lapides is the author of the critically acclaimed original audiobook, "So You Need To Decide," which was named one of Vulture’s best comedy books of 2022. Variety called it “a potentially life-changing treasure!” Published by Recorded Books. Available everywhere audiobooks are on Amazon. Purchase "So You Need To Decide" here.

Lapides was profiled for her significance to stand-up comedy history on Vulture’s podcast "Good One."

Beth’s creativity and comedy coaching programs are a hotbed of inspired work. She’s helped standups, authors, podcasters, and screenwriters find and refine their voices and projects. Interested in exploring if Beth's program might be a good fit for you? Get on Beth's calendar for a discovery call here.

Former Congressman and News Anchor Scott Klug will be the featured keynote speaker on Saturday, July 20, at Noon. The session will be hosted by NSNC President Lori B. Duff

Scott Klug, former U.S. Congressman and six-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, is the creator and host of the popular podcast "Lost in the Middle: America's Political Orphans," advocating for the 44 percent of the American public disenchanted with the current political climate. For eight years, he served Madison, Wisconsin, in the U.S. Congress. He has led journalism and political campaign training programs abroad for the U.S. State Department, observed elections in Iraq, and directed Congressional exchange programs with Kuwait, Oman, and Egypt.

Post-Congress, he founded a successful publishing company, which he sold in 2007. He currently serves on the Board of Visitors at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

Most recently, Klug has been featured on hundreds of podcast, radio. and TV segments, advocating for the Lost in the Middle Americans. His columns have been published in various newspapers from Buffalo to Tucson. His April 4, 2024, op-ed in US News & World Report discusses the significance of independent voters in 2024. The latest episode of "Lost in the Middle" features Chuck Todd exploring the evolving role of AI in media.

Lori B. Duff is the current president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. A lawyer since 1994 and a judge since 2005, she uses her legal knowledge and analytical skills to enhance her columns and other writing. Her first novel, a courtroom drama entitled "Devil's Defense," is available for preorder and will be released in November of this year. President Duff will also serve as this year's NSNC Conference host and emcee.

For more information, and to register for the NSNC 2024 Annual Conference - Held Virtually on Friday, July 19 & Saturday, July 20, go to NSNC's Annual Conference page on Eventbrite.

The winners of the NSNC Annual Columnist Contest will be announced at the NSNC 2024 Annual Conference - Held Virtually at an awards ceremony on Saturday, July 20. After the winners announcement is made that day, you may obtain a list of the winners by going to the NSNC website: www.columnists.com.

NSNC Member News

Jobs, Fellowships, and Resources

Owensboro Times in Owensboro, Kentucky, is seeking a skilled and passionate news reporter to join our team at an innovative digital newspaper. The ideal candidate will have a background in news reporting and a strong understanding of social media platforms and strategies. Experience with photography and sports a plus. This is not a remote position.

Jackson Hole News & Guide in Jackson, Wyoming has an immediate opening for an experienced reporter to watchdog county government, as well as some general assignments, features, and breaking news. Hot topics on this beat include affordable housing, glamping, water quality, and transportation challenges that come with the territory of a thriving mountain resort town. Ideal candidates will have excellent language and writing skills, at least one year of newsroom experience, a B.A. in journalism or the equivalent, and an inquisitive nature about how small-city government functions. 

The Assembly is hiring a full-time reporter to cover higher education in North Carolina. The Assembly in Durham, North Carolina, is a digital magazine bringing backroom conversations to North Carolina’s front page. We focus on enterprise stories, revelatory scoops, and authoritative looks at undercovered topics, people, and places. Our stories surprise, inform, and leave readers with a better understanding of the state. 

Call for Award Winners, New Podcasts, Book Releases, and Other Good News

• Your newsletter (URL, topics covered, free or subscription based?)
• Your podcast (name, URL, cover art, description, date & time, where it can be listened to)
• Your upcoming book release (title, how to buy it, book cover, author headshot & short bio)
• Someone who inspires you with their grit, courage, and integrity.

Send your good news to Debbie West, newsletter editor, at westdeb7@gmail.com.

Preference will be given to current NSNC members.

Join Us in the NSNC Writing Space on Zoom

 Join us! See our meeting times and details -- on Wednesdays and Sundays -- below.

"It’s been over two years and our NSNC Writing Space is the place to get things done. Dave Lieber finished a play. Joe McGonagle, Dot Fleming, and Kathy Eliscu made huge strides into their fiction and memoir books. Daniela Gitlin made headway into her psychiatric textbook. And my own romance novel wouldn’t have gotten this far without our collective writing energies on Zoom. Join us!" Suzette Martinez Standring

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists invites you to our Wednesday and Sunday “NSNC Writing Space” where friends get together, write quietly, and get our projects done! Email Suzette Martinez Standring at suzmar@comcast.net to be put on a reminder email.

Sundays

Pacific Time:  7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. (PDT)

Mountain Time: 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. (MT)

Central Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (CT)

Eastern Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon (EDT)

Join Zoom Meeting Link

Meeting ID: 958 8989 6420

Passcode: 940130

Wednesdays

Pacific Time:  1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (PDT)

Mountain Time: 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (MT)

Central Time: 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (CT)

Eastern Time: 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EDT) 

Join Zoom Meeting Link

Meeting ID: 964 7713 8466

Passcode: 861637