National Society of Newspaper Columnists (NSNC)

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists is a 501(c)6 nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of California. The NSNC promotes professionalism and camaraderie among columnists and other writers of the serial essay, including bloggers. NSNC advocates for columnists and free-press issues. The society began in 1977, thanks to Larry Maddry of the (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot, who sent out letters to all kinds of columnists suggesting they get together and tell war stories, commiserate about editors and so forth. So a handful of columnists showed up in Virginia Beach in the first year of the Carter presidency, sat around in lounge chairs, drank adult beverages, told stories, met other people who did the same goofy job for a living and reflected on how happy they were to be out of the office. Who were these people? Oh, they included, among others, Maddry, Richard Des Ruisseaux from Louisville, Tom LaBelle from Grand Rapids, Shelley Rolfe and Steve Clark from Richmond, and Bob Terrell from Ashville. All white men, it turned out, reflecting the reality of newspapers — and particularly of newspaper columnists — in those days. The organization slowly grew on the strength of volunteer help and the amazing enthusiasm of people who couldn't get enough of the annual gatherings, the newsletters and the terrific friends they were making in the group. By 2000, the NSNC, then with its own Web site, had outgrown its volunteer base and hired a professional administrator. The group also began calling its conventions conferences on the theory that the latter sounded more serious. Over the years, the NSNC has worked hard to help columnists become better at their jobs, but the group has not lost the touch of zaniness that has characterized its conferences, its newsletters and especially its leaders since the beginning.