In This Issue:

• Join NSNC
• Meet our Newsletter Editor
• Enter the NSNC Columnist Contest
• Start the New Year with a New Assignment and Award Submissions

Hello,

Happy New Year from NSNC! We are delighted to kick off the year with our annual NSNC Columnist Contest and we look forward to seeing your entries. Also, in this issue, you'll find several resources, including job listings, fellowships, and more! Wishing you all the best in 2023!

Warm regards,

Ginny McCabe, executive director, NSNC

Columnists Are Urgently Needed

Join NSNC Today

Together We Have a Collective Voice That Matters

Do You See What I See?

by Debbie West, newsletter editor, NSNC

In the course of the last 20 years, I have interviewed astronauts, astrophysicists, biochemists, religious leaders, Nobel Prize winners, and remarkable young PhD students. What do they all have in common? Surprisingly, not to find money or fame - they want the long-awaited truth. That's a question many ask, "What is the true meaning of life?" Dr. Lyn Evans, the lead developer of CERN in the discovery of the "God Particle" told me, "I just want to find out before I die what Dark Matter is." The mysterious thread of unnamed energy, the force that somehow binds us together lingers throughout the universe, yet still we don't know its purpose or composition. Famous neurosurgeon Eben Alexander claimed his astonishing discovery to me in a 2012 interview as we discussed his book Proof of Heaven, "There is a heaven, and it's spectacular." He was convinced that this is the solution to propel humanity towards a new era, the understanding of the human soul. Scientists today know a soul has weight and leaves the body. Researcher Jim Tucker, MD, who took over for Dr. Stevenson at the University of Virginia, told me about children who remember past lives - a remarkable discovery that begs us to consider that we have soul memories. Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the moon, convincingly told me that "We are spiritual beings having a human experience." Egypt's leading archeologists claim we are eternal beings, yet all of life's biggest questions have yet to be answered because we have no proof. Truth is often available to all of us when we seek it. This is why we need YOU, the next generation of truth-seekers to bring your curiosity, your unscathed honesty, your inner knowing to be the VOICE for the next generation. Leading us towards a united humanity that one day can finally become the peaceful, sovereign stewards of our beautiful Earth.

National Society of Newspaper Columnists

Annual Column Contest

Opens: January 1, 2023, 8:00 a.m. (EST). Closes: March 31, 2023, 11:59 p.m. (EST). Details at this link.

General Guidelines

Please be aware that if you are new to Submittable, you will have to create an account on the Submittable site in order to submit your entries to the contest.

With the exception of the Editorial Cartoon category, each entry consists of two (2) original print or digital columns, or column-like content, published between Jan. 1, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2022. Editorial Cartoon entrants must submit five (5) cartoons from 2022.

*** Each Submission Must Have an Attached PDF ***

While the NSNC does not seek to confine the term “columnist” to specific parameters, we do seek contest entries consisting of work created with the tenets of the NSNC Members' Code of Conduct in mind. The NSNC values work created with integrity that seeks to “inform, educate, and entertain readers and viewers,” and that seeks to further open discussion and the goals of free speech. 

Columns and content can consist of wide-ranging material centered on any subject, but do not typically consist of reported, “hard” news pieces. Reported columns with commentary are acceptable. 

Media outlet examples: newspapers, magazines, trade journals, blogs, user-created video platforms, podcast platforms. Please inquire if further clarification is needed.

Official rules can be found on the NSNC website.

Entry Fees

• NSNC member entry fee: $30
• Non-member entry fee: $60 
• Join NSNC (membership $75 - join here): $30
• Student entry fee: $15 (must have been a student during 2022)

Instructions

1. Enjoy discounted entry fee by becoming an NSNC member. Read all member benefits HERE.
2. Complete the online entry form below.
3. Attach 2 columns or digital content pieces, or, if entering the Editorial Cartoon category, attach 5 cartoons.
4. Print entries: PDF is preferred and can often be provided by the publication. Scanned entries converted to PDF are also okay. No scanner? Consider using a scanning app for your mobile device; for instance, TurboScan or ScannerPro. These apps can create and convert high-quality photos to full-size PDF documents.
5. Online entries: PDF converted from the webpage is preferred. Many free tools are available online or built into popular web browsers. For instance, https://webpagetopdf.com. Include URL where content was published. Please indicate whether access is restricted by a paywall -- this is for verification, NOT in lieu of a PDF attachment.
6. Multi-byline or team entries: Follow print or online entry guidelines. Also, list all contributors and a single contact address on the entry form.
7. Vlogs, podcasts, videos, and other digital multimedia content: Provide a live link to the content on the entry form, if access is not restricted by a paywall. Alternatively, attach an .mp3 or .mp4 file to your entry and list the URL on the entry form. Submittable cannot accept additional file formats; please reach out if you cannot convert your content into one of these formats. 
8. Student entries: Either print or online publications will be accepted. Please see instructions above for submission information for both formats. Entrants must have been enrolled students at their publication's school during 2022.

Note: Entries that do not include a clear publication date may be disqualified. Please make every effort to attach files where the date is listed on the page, in the URL, or otherwise apparent. Examples of places where dates might be displayed include a visible time-stamp, copyright notice, or printed publication date. Screenshots converted to .jpg can also be uploaded to help establish the publication date of online material.

Judging decisions are final. Second, Third, and Honorable Mention places may not be awarded in a given category.

Certificates will be issued to winning columnists at each level. 

Categories

All categories now open to students.

A. General Interest, Print

B. General Interest, Online and Multimedia Digital Content

C. Humor, Print 

D. Humor, Online and Multimedia Digital Content

E. Sports, Print AND/OR Online/Multimedia Digital Content

F. Lifestyles, Print AND/OR Online/Multimedia Digital Content

G. Crisis, Print AND/OR Online/Multimedia Digital Content

H. Social Justice, Print AND/OR Online/Multimedia Digital Content

I. Editorial Cartoon, Print AND/OR Online/Multimedia Digital Content

Responses to FAQ

Winners are announced online via video published on the NSNC website as well as announced at the Annual NSNC Conference.

Yes, columnists can enter in multiple categories.

Yes, media outlets can submit entries from multiple eligible columnists; for example, a newspaper submitting writer content.

No, pseudonyms are not permitted - author names must appear on column or clearly referenced within digital content.

Eligible works are those published for the first time between Jan. 1, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2022.

The “online” categories are reserved for content published exclusively online. 

No, works originally published in print and subsequently published online are not eligible for the online categories and should be submitted in the appropriate print categories.

Contest Director Contact Information

Adam Earnheardt, Contest Chair: acearnheardt@ysu.edu

Please direct contest inquiries to the above email.

NSNC Mission Statement

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists was founded in 1977 and exists to promote education, professionalism, and camaraderie among columnists and other writers of the serial essay, including bloggers. Membership is open to general interest, humor, items, op-ed, video, multimedia, or other columnists. Academics and student columnists also are eligible to join. The annual conference is NSNC’s primary event. The educational group also publishes a monthly newsletter, maintains the NSNC website, and advocates for columnists and free-press issues. 

Start the New Year with New Assignments

&

Award Submissions

The Bryan Times, a part of the AIM Midwest newspaper family, is seeking an energetic Editor to lead its award-winning journalism staff in one of the best small towns in Northwest Ohio. The Editor needs newsroom management experience, versatile journalism skills, print and digital background, and ability to coach colleagues to do their best work. The Editor must be a self-motivated, community-oriented, creative, hands-on person who can communicate clearly and make smart decisions. The Editor oversees a staff of 4-5 reporters, stringers, and photographers in our 5,500-circulation daily newspaper focusing on local news, features, photos, and sports content in print and online. Bryan, Ohio, is located in the tri-state area, between Fort Wayne, Indiana; Toledo, Ohio; and Hillsdale, Michigan. Our community features excellent public schools and a strong health-care system. Interested candidates should apply online to Publisher Sally Heaston at sheaston@bryantimes.com. Include a detailed resume, cover letter, and example of your work.

The Religion News Association helps journalists across the globe cover religion with balance, accuracy, and insight.

Religion News Association is the premier association for journalists who cover religion. As a member of RNA, you'll have access to the tools, resources, and support you need to be an effective religion reporter.

The Overseas Press Club Awards are open for entries. Freelancers may be eligible for financial aid if they can’t pay the full $200 entry fee.

Deadline Jan. 31.

These annual awards are for INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE in Newspapers, News Services, Digital, Magazines, Radio, Podcasts, Television, Video, Cartoons, Books, and Photography

Metcalf Institute fosters informed, inclusive public conversations about environmental issues by conducting science training for journalists, communication training for scientists, and a variety of public programs.

Based in the URI College of Environment and Life Sciences, Metcalf Institute collaborates with academics, state and federal agencies, non-profits, businesses, community representatives, and news organizations nationwide to develop customized programs and resources that improve and expand news coverage of environmental topics.

The Metcalf Institute will hold its annual Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists in June. In 2023 it will focus on achieving an equitable transition to clean energy. Deadline Feb. 6etcalf Instit

Northwestern University is accepting nominations for the James Foley Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism. Deadline Feb. 10.



"Here, at Northwestern’s School of Communication, we engage in serious play – in our collaborations, our research, and our deep scholarship that creates real impact in the real world."