NSNC (Nat. Society of Newspaper Columnists)

Visit to The Civil Rights Institute: Choosing Humanity Over Otherness

Today America is in the midst of a tectonic shift regarding money, culture, and a fear of outsiders. Fifty-six years ago, these same issues divided our country. At the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) in Alabama, I came face-to-face with past laws that justified abuse and oppression to Black American citizens. For today’s younger generations, […]

Unicorn sighting: politician who loves journalists

Unicorn sighting: Imagine a former member of the U. S. House of Representatives who embraces the Fourth Estate and finds journalists vital.  Below is the kind of no-nonsense, straight talk from Lee Hamilton who now serves as Director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University.  His talk was aimed at columnists who attended the […]

Writing about Controversy and Hot Button Issues

There are aspects aplenty to controversy. When tackling fifty shades of truth, being “gray” doesn’t grow a readership. Yet life is never black and white. Family. Politics. Feminism. Race. Religion. How best to take a decisive stand on polarizing topics? It’s not a writing formula, it’s a mindset, and the following columnists share theirs. Mary […]