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Your connection to industry & member news | Oct. 2, 2025
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News Contest rules, entry platform live on Friday
SCPA still needs judges for Kentucky! SCPA’s contests would not be possible without volunteer judges from our partner swap state! Members of the Kentucky Press Association recently judged SCPA's contests and now it’s our turn to return the favor! We still need 15 news, six ad and four collegiate judges to review KPA’s Contest entries later this month. Sign up today!
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|  | Thanks to our nearly 25 SCPA members who attended last Friday's SC Investigates training. Special thanks to SC Investigates Board members (pictured left to right): Glenn Smith, Richard Whiting, Gina Smith and Herb Frazier for the great advice shared.
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Moultrie News launches paid subscription model
Starting Dec. 3, the Moultrie News in Mount Pleasant will transition from a free distribution model to a paid subscription-based newspaper mailed to subscribers.
"Local journalism is strongest when its community supports it," said Amy Sutton, publisher of the Moultrie News, in a letter to readers. "Your subscription is not just a payment—it’s an investment in preserving Moultrie’s stories, achievements, challenges and history for future generations." Read more
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Shirley Staples Carter reflects on a journey of leadership, community and student success at USC
Shirley Staples Carter, Ph.D., has been a pillar of the USC College of Information and Communications community since she started as the director of the USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications in 2003.
As the first director of the SJMC after the creation of the college, Carter helped the school build a new community alongside their colleagues in the School of Information Science. She also had the privilege of experiencing the joy of faculty and students alike when the school moved into its new home at 800 Sumter Street.
Through all of the vicissitudes, Carter maintained a singular focus on providing a learning environment that would enable every student to thrive. Her mark on the School of Journalism and Mass Communications is indelible.Here are a few reflections she shared as her time in the school comes to a close.
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|  The Post and Courier Education Lab recently hosted a forum on the evolving landscape of charter schools in South Carolina. The discussion was presented by the South Carolina Children’s Fund and hosted by the USC College of Education. Moderated by Education Lab reporter Ian Grenier and Editor Adam Parker, the panel featured Chris Neeley, superintendent of the S.C. Public Charter School District; Trevor Ivey, Executive Director of Liberty STEAM Charter School; Derek Black, Constitutional Law Professor at USC; and Meka Childs, Director of Education Choice and Family Engagement with the S.C. Department of Education. Watch video here. (Photo by Perry McLeod/Special to The Post and Courier)
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State Election Commission lawyer vows to protect confidential voter information
A lawyer for the State Election Commission pledged Friday that when the agency develops a proposed agreement with the federal government regarding giving the feds private voter information on 3.4 million South Carolina voters, the agency will hold a public hearing and seek citizen comment.
“The Election Commission is not going to share anyone’s data unless and until they have an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that protects the security of confidential information,” Elizabeth Crum, an attorney for the commission, told state Judge Daniel Coble.
Crum added, “If we get an MOU with the Department of Justice, it will be discussed in open session by the commission and any vote will taken in open session.”
The Election Commission is operating in good faith and will follow state laws, which protect privacy, Crum told Coble.
Crum spoke during a hearing at the Richland County courthouse in which lawyers for Anne Crook, a Calhoun County educator, are asking Coble for a restraining order to prevent the Election Commission from turning over personally identifiable private information to the Justice Department.
By John Monk, The State | Read more
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Pain pills and ATM cash: Ex-Spartanburg Sheriff Chuck Wright will plead guilty to fraud, drug counts
SPARTANBURG — Former Sheriff Chuck Wright has agreed to plead guilty on federal charges, according to a court filing by the U.S. Department of Justice.
In the Sept. 25 information filing, the federal government accuses Wright of the following:
- Stealing money from the sheriff’s chaplain’s benevolence fund to pay for illicit narcotics.
- Allowing employee L.B. Watson to receive around $200,000 in salary and benefits without doing work.
- Obtaining 147 oxycodone and hydrocodone pain pills for personal use through the guise of a drug takeback program.
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After SLED investigated Howard Knapp car use, it gave report to SC AG, sources say
Former State Election Commission director Howard Knapp, who was fired by the commission last week for unclear reasons, has been in controversy before.
It was a quiet controversy; few knew about it.
More than a year ago, Knapp was investigated by the State Law Enforcement Division for possible misuse of state vehicles and credit cards, according to sources familiar with the situation.
SLED even completed a report on the matter and turned it over to the office of S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson many months ago, if not more than a year, sources said.
What became of the report is unclear.
Asked about the report and the SLED investigation, Robert Kittle, a spokesman for Wilson’s office, emailed this response: “We don’t confirm or deny the existence of any investigation, so we cannot comment.”
According to sources, Knapp and his wife were using two state vehicles and state credit cards to buy gas for personal use.
At some point, Knapp was made aware that he might not be in compliance with state procedures involving the use of state property, the sources said. The vehicles were returned and Knapp was allowed to reimburse the state for the gas, sources said.
The State newspaper could not determine how much state money the Knapps spent on gasoline, how much their reimbursement was or how much the vehicles they were using cost.
By John Monk, The State | Read more
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Cayce paid thousands for ‘spin job’ when reporter asked for police dept records
The city of Cayce paid a communications firm more than $26,000 for a campaign to promote its police department after a reporter’s public records request ignited concerns from city officials about a negative news story from those documents.
The thousands that the city dropped on positive publicity and media relations for its roughly 75-person police department came less than a year after more than a dozen employees left the department. Days after a WIS-TV reporter requested exit interviews for the employees who left, city officials emailed NP Strategy, a Columbia-based public relations firm, to ask for crisis communications help despite already retaining and paying a separate PR firm,
MPA Strategies.
What followed was a concerted effort on the city’s part to paint the police department in a positive light to get out in front of a potentially negative story, according to emails from city officials obtained by The State through a public records request. That story, the reporter told The State, never ran.
“This money was to continue making it seem like our [police] department was doing so well. It’s like, ‘Hey, look at us on social media. We’re doing awesome stuff,” Cayce City Councilman Hunter Sox told The State, when reached about the documents. “And it’s just covering up the fact that the department was in shambles ... everything seemed to be just a spin job, even to us.”
By Hannah Wade, The State | Read more
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FOIA Fights in Ninety Six; Promises, pushback and a $6,000 price tag
What began as two routine records requests has spiraled into weeks of unanswered emails, canceled meetings, and, in one case, a $6,000 price tag.
The Index-Journal filed a pair of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the Town of Ninety Six this summer, seeking records tied to its Money Market Deposit Account (MMDA) and the town’s 2019 forensic audit.
Nearly two months later, neither request has been fulfilled.
By Renee Ortiz, Index-Journal | Read more
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News/Media Alliance launches ad campaign encouraging readers to protect local news
Publishers are under attack from Big Tech companies that use their content without payment, draining publishers of the resources they need to keep informing and connecting their communities.
The News/Media Alliance has launched a new ad campaign in advance of its Oct. 8 Fly-In, to fight for fair treatment and compensation for the use of local news content.
SCPA members are invited to run ads in October. News/Media Alliance has created three messages available in print and digital ad formats.
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Oct. 20 is deadline for Report for America
The 2025 Report for America application is open through Oct. 20. RFA is accepting applications from news organizations interested in partnering to host emerging and experienced journalists in their newsrooms for up to three years, beginning July of 2026. The organization is interested in supporting newsrooms in South Carolina that need help covering under-covered news topics and increasing their financial sustainability.
Report for America is a national service program that places talented journalists—corps members—into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities.
More information about how the program works can be found here.
Register for one of RFA's upcoming webinars here.
Contact the recruitment team directly at recruitment@reportforamerica.org.
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How to gauge the quality of a research study: 13 questions journalists should ask
Academic research is one of journalists’ best tools for covering public policy and holding public officials accountable. It’s also a tool that takes skill to use.
Experienced journalists use research to ground their work and fact-check claims made by sources. Many journalists, however, have a tough time differentiating between a quality study and a questionable one.
We put together this list of questions to help you identify red flags in research. It can help you avoid relying on problematic findings. It can also help you scrutinize the studies that politicians and policymakers cite when defending their stances on issues.
It’s important to note that many of these questions apply primarily to quantitative research, or research that involves the analysis of numerical data.
From Denise Marie-Ordway, The Journalist's Resource | Read more
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|  At a time when Americans are flooded with information yet hungry for trust, the words we choose matter more than ever. Press Forward has created a new toolkit for newsrooms designed to help you strengthen philanthropic support, drive subscriptions and communicate your community role with clarity — without compromising journalistic standards. The toolkit offers practical, research-backed guidance on how to make the case for local news in ways that resonate with today’s audiences.
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