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Your connection to industry & member news  | Nov. 20, 2025
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We are thankful for you! We're thankful for you and appreciate your friendship, support and involvement in the S.C. Press Association!
SCPA and SCNN will be closed Nov. 27-28.
There will be no eBulletin next week because of the holiday.
We hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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2026 Press IDs available It's time to order your staff's 2026 press IDs. High-quality plastic photo ID cards are available for SCPA news organization members at $7 each (or $10 with imprinted PRESS lanyard).
Repositionable PRESS windshield clings are also available for $3 each.
SCPA press credentials are recognized by state police and emergency officials, and may be used for admission to the S.C. Legislature press area.
All full-time and part-time regular staffers are eligible to order IDs, but all orders must include editor's name so we can verify eligibility if needed. Freelancers must contact their editor to order a card.Â
Orders are processed quickly once you've submitted this form. Orders typically ship within three business days. Once we receive your order, SCPA will calculate your total (including shipping) and email you an invoice that can be paid online or by check.
If you need help or have questions, contact us.Â
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By Eric P. Robinson, USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications
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| âMan Bites Dogâ Case Against Lawyer Could Have First Amendment Chill
Someone alleging that media coverage has hurt their reputation will often sue the media outlet(s) for libel. If that person is involved in a court case and alleges that media coverage of the case is making it difficult to have a fair trial, they may ask the court to limit participantsâ statements to the media. But in a bit of a âman bites dogâ twist, one of the defendants in a pending civil wrongful death case over the 2023 killing of Scott Spiveyâwhich has not been criminally prosecuted but remains under investigationâis suing the attorney for Spiveyâs family for allegedly âengag[ing] in ⌠acts ⌠for purposes of self-promotion and self-aggrandizementâ that have created âa media and social media firestormâ that has âdirectly harmed Boydâs ability to obtain a fair trial in any related civil or criminal matter[.]â In his lawsuit Weldon Boyd is seeking a declaration from the court that attorney Mark Tinsleyâs actions are improper, and reimbursement of the expenses of bringing the legal action. Boydâs lawsuit explicitly states that he âexpressly waives any claim of damages against Tinsley and does not seek an award of actual or punitive damages ⌠.â In response to the lawsuit, Tinsley wrote in a text to The (Myrtle Beach) Sun News, âI won't be bullied, especially by the likes of Weldon Boyd.â Because of the First Amendment right of free speech and the Sixth Amendment rights to speedy and public criminal trials by a jury of oneâs peers, the courts have been extremely wary of attempts to restrict media coverage of ongoing civil and criminal cases. Read more
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SCPA partners with A-Mark Foundation to offer $15,000 investigative journalism prizeInvestigative reporters are trained to follow the money, but it takes resources to follow the money. Thatâs why the South Carolina Press Association and the A-Mark Foundation are once again partnering to offer $15,000 worth of cash prizes for S.C. reporters and their newsrooms.
First place: $5,000 for the journalist(s) and $2,500 to the news organization
Second place: $3,000 for the journalist(s) and $1,500 to the news organization
Third place: $2,000 for the journalist(s) and $1,000 to the news organization
In its second year, the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism is open to all journalists and all news organizations in South Carolina, including newspapers, broadcast outlets and online news publications. The A-Mark Foundation is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in 1997.
How S.C. Press Association members can compete: First, second and third place winners from all divisions of (28) Investigative Reporting will compete alongside S.C. Broadcasters Association member entries for the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism in South Carolina. The deadline to enter is Dec. 5. Upload entries and letters of explanation at scnewscontest.org. There is no additional fee for SCPA members to enter this competition; (28) Investigative Reporting division winners will be automatically entered by SCPA.
View full criteria and details here.
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Nick Main joins Summerville Communications as multimedia account executive
Summerville Communications Inc., which publishes The Journal Scene and The Berkeley Independent, has hired Nick Main as a multimedia account executive.
Main will focus on developing partnerships with local businesses in Summerville and the surrounding areas, helping clients connect with readers through print, digital and specialty advertising products.
âWeâre thrilled to welcome Nick to the Summerville Communications family,â said Ann Blunt, publisher and advertising director of Summerville Communications Inc. âHis passion for community engagement and his commitment to building meaningful relationships align perfectly with our mission to connect and celebrate the Lowcountry. With a strong background in communication, marketing and local outreach, Nick brings fresh energy and innovative ideas to how we serve our readers and advertising partners. We look forward to seeing the creative ways he will help our communityâs businesses grow.â
A Coastal Carolina University graduate, Main earned his masterâs and bachelorâs degrees in communication, completing coursework in organizational behavior, persuasion and leadership. During his time at Coastal, he served as a graduate assistant for the department of communication and the LiveWell Office, managing outreach campaigns, coordinating research projects and boosting engagement through social media initiatives.
By Brandon Roberts, Summerville Journal Scene | Read more
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|  | Glenn Smith, The Post and Courierâs deputy managing editor for investigations and public service, advised Winthrop University students how to be a watchdog in his talk âOpen Records: Where to look and how to askâ during MCOM Days.
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Is Charter Institute at Erskine subject to ethics laws? SC agency says no
For years, South Carolinaâs ethics agency has held taxpayer-funded charter school districts to the same government accountability standards as traditional public school districts.
But that treatment, the State Ethics Commission recently determined, should not have been applied to all charter school districts.
The agency last week notified the leaders of three charter districts affiliated with private colleges and universities â Charter Institute at Erskine, Limestone Charter Association and Voorhees Charter Institute of Learning â that their districts were not, in fact, subject to state ethics laws. Because the districts were created by private entities, the commission reasoned, they were not governmental entities and their board members and employees were not public members or public employees.
The decision does not apply to individual charter schools, whose boards and employees are considered public members and public employees under the Charter Schools Act, and thus subject to state ethics and government accountability requirements.
It also doesnât exempt privately-created charter authorizers from the transparency-focused Freedom of Information Act.
By Zak Koeske, The State | Read more
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SNPA Foundation grant establishes journalism awards for exemplary reporting in SC, other Southeastern states
The SNPA Foundation has awarded a grant to the Center for Integrity in News Reporting to launch annual journalism awards in 14 southeastern states. The awards will recognize the best examples of impartial, objective, and fair reporting in newspapers.
Each award will carry a $5,000 prize and will be presented at the annual meetings of state press associations in South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
âThe Center for Integrity in News Reporting is honored to partner with The SNPA Foundation in advancing our shared mission to restore public trust in journalism,â said Rufus Friday, Executive Director, Center for Integrity in News Reporting.
âThrough these state-by-state Integrity in Journalism Awards, we will recognize and celebrate journalists whose work reflects the highest standards of impartial, fair and objective news reporting in their respective states.â Read more
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News consumers cautious and unsure about AI use in news
Local news consumers, especially those who engage frequently with news, are generally aware of artificial intelligence usage in news reports and open to use of AI for journalistsâ routine reporting tasks.Â
That awareness and openness are among key findings in new research about local news consumersâ perceptions of AI in news. Funded by Walton Family Foundation as part of the AI Community Journalism Lab, this research was conducted by Local Media Association and Local Media Foundation in collaboration with Trusting News, and evaluated news consumersâ responses to an 18-question survey.
Though respondents indicated awareness and openness, they also indicated discomfort about the use of AI in local journalism without guardrails. In fact, 98.8% said they want a human to be involved in a newsroomâs use of AI, especially before content is published.
Lynn Walsh, assistant director of Trusting News, said the AI Labâs survey results were clear on human involvement:Â News consumers are not comfortable with AI helping journalists write.
âWhen it comes to the actual content creation, people are less comfortable with AI being used,â she said. âYou see this even if you specify that a human will be involved in the process.â
From Local Media Association |Â Read more
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