 |
|
|
Your connection to industry & member news | March 19, 2026
|
Thanks to SCPA members participating in Sunshine Week!We've seen so much great work this week and will continue adding to this list:
Please share your Sunshine Week articles, Op-eds, projects and events!
| |
 |
By Richard S. Whiting, FOI Chair
|
| Journalists, do what is right, what is good, what is justStand your ground.
This isn’t about your rights in a self-defense situation. No, this is a message to fellow journalists, journalists in print and broadcast media who might on occasion and even frequently feel beaten. They are beaten down by those who spew the mantra “fake news,” “you’re a lousy reporter” and, in some cases, worse.
Let’s not deny or obscure the facts. The field of journalism is suffering. While TV news outlets might be – or, at least, appear to be – on firmer platforms, newspaper journalists have watched as time and time again their platform seems more like the trap door of a scaffold as newspaper newsrooms are gutted and jobs are lost.
Some of us no doubt have considered following fellow journalists who entered a new life, one that lets them continue writing – only, the writing they craft very often is spin, PR news releases and feel-good stories for their employers. Something is lost in the process. They become a shadow of their former selves as they let loose those qualities that initially drove them to the profession. Truth and justice take a backseat to more reasonable work hours, having more personal time and free weekends and, yes, likely a better paycheck and benefits. Shedding their former selves can be easily rationalized.
While many large and small newspapers continue to silence their presses and cease to cover their communities, while TV corporations cave to government pressure and pull stories before they air for fear of reprisal, there remain journalists who, with the full support of those who sign their paychecks, continue to dig, to investigate and serve as the people’s watchdogs.
Sometimes they are appreciated and thanked. Other times they continue to be maligned with personal attacks, largely on social media posts that contain their stories. Read more
| |
Need a refresher on political advertising rules? SCPA has several advertising guides available if you’re ever unsure about an ad.
With election season in mind, here’s a refresher on political advertising for S.C. newspapers.
Political advertising is subject to legal requirements not found in non-political advertising. Those requirements are concerned with disclosure of the sponsor of the advertising and the rate charged for the advertising space. Before determining which requirements must be met, you must first determine if the advertising relates to a federal candidate, a candidate seeking state or local office, or a ballot issue.
If you have any questions about an ad’s content or advertising rules, give SCPA a call at (803) 750-9561 or email us.
| |
April 9 is national day of action connecting communities with trusted local newsAmericans overwhelmingly say that local news and information is the most important and most trusted source they rely on.
On April 9, 2026, Local News Day will help millions reconnect with the local outlets that strengthen our communities, keep us informed, and hold leaders accountable.
Local News Day is inclusive and nonpartisan. Newsrooms, schools, libraries, businesses, community groups and individuals across the country are invited to take part in this nationwide movement.
SCPA is an inaugural partner. Here's how your newsroom can sign on. Participating newsrooms will: - Be featured in the Local News Locator Tool on localnewsday.org
- Receive a turnkey activation toolkit with templates, graphics and messaging
- Boost visibility, brand recognition and subscriptions on a national stage
| |
 |
By Eric P. Robinson, USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications
|
|
Challenge to new Pentagon media rules is a sign of the timesAmong the various threats, complaints and ( likely unconstitutional) actions that the Trump administration has taken against the media, The New York Times reports that Defense Department officials are upset about a box on The Washington Post website soliciting tips about the military.
The box, labeled “Help us report on the Pentagon,” asked “Defense Department civilians and service members” to let the paper know of “changes within the Pentagon and throughout the U.S. military.”
The department’s lawyers repeatedly mentioned the solicitation during a court hearing in a case brought by The Times challenging new agency policies placed on journalists’ activities and coverage. This led many news organizations with long-time commitments to covering the Pentagon to relinquish their press passes rather than comply with the new rules. Most of these news organizations now cover Pentagon press briefings and events by obtaining daily press passes, rather than more permanent credentials.
While the new policy recognizes that the receipt of classified information by reporters is protected by the First Amendment—the legacy of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the New York Times v. U.S. “Pentagon Papers” case and other court decisions—it adds that reporters who solicit such information could result in revocation of their press credentials and “consideration of whether [such a reporter] pose[s] a security risk.” Read more
| |
|
| | Thanks 2026 Annual Meeting sponsors!
| |
50 years at The Gaffney Ledger
Publisher Cody Sossamon, Business Manager Gina Dorman Poole and Graphic Designer Moose Littlejohn celebrate 50 years of employment at The Gaffney Ledger. They were all hired in 1976.
| |
Turtle Times: 15 editions strong
This year marks the 15th edition of The Turtle Times, and for the past eight years, I have had the privilege of leading this tradition at Summerville Elementary School. Each year, a new group of fifth graders steps into the role of journalist through our partnership with The Summerville Journal Scene, and they rise to the occasion.
From brainstorming sessions to final edits, students take ownership of the entire process. They conduct interviews, take photographs, design advertisements and meet real deadlines. They quickly learn that journalism is about more than writing. It requires teamwork, responsibility and perseverance.
What I have loved most over the years is watching students grow into their roles. Rough drafts become polished stories. Hesitant speakers become confident interviewers. Ideas turn into something permanent and meaningful. They begin to understand that their voices matter and that their work reaches beyond our classroom.
By Sarah Cooke, Turtle Times Adviser | Read more
| |
USC Upstate police heavily redact report from councilmember assault case
SPARTANBURG — The University of South Carolina Upstate police and administration released an almost entirely redacted report that blacks out all the details of the assault allegations against Spartanburg County Councilmember Monier Abusaft, who was arrested March 5 on a third-degree assault and battery charge.
The department also released the arrest warrant for Abusaft’s arrest, which says Abusaft “did intentionally commit battery upon victim, Antonio L Tanner, by hitting, pushing, shoving and grabbing the victim by the neck.”
The claims echo Tanner’s statement to police, which Tanner provided to The Post and Courier. Abusaft told the newspaper that the Feb. 28 altercation that led to his arrest was self-defense after Tanner grabbed him during a run-in at the school while it was wrapping up a Black History Month event.
He said he expected to be exonerated, as he was after his last assault charge less than two years ago.
The police report sheds no light on what happened. S.C. Press Association attorney Jay Bender said the redactions were “totally absurd” and not justified by the exemptions in the state’s public records law.
Since the assault was first reported, Upstate has been opaque about what occurred. After the complaint was filed and before Abusaft was booked, Upstate police twice refused to release the report to a reporter who appeared in person as the law requires. Only after The Post and Courier wrote about the records law violation did Upstate agree to release the report.
By Christian Boschult, The Post and Courier Spartanburg | Read more
| |
Hilton Head council member chastises mayor over closed-door meetings
Closed-door discussions at public meetings have time and time again drawn the ire of critics of the Hilton Head Island Town Council.
The practice is allowed under South Carolina law, but some critics see it as a way of shielding the council from public scorn when discussing matters of high public concern.
One council member is speaking out and openly questioning the council’s use of closed-door discussions.
At a Tuesday meeting, Ward 4 Council Member Tamara Becker called the decision to discuss two items on the agenda in executive session “inappropriate.”
She criticized Mayor Alan Perry, who sets the agenda for the town council, for not answering her questions about why these items warranted private discussion.
By Li Khan, The Island Packet | Read more
| |
New data center developments in South Carolina are shrouded in secrecy, residents say
It’s a saga that might as well have been copied and pasted into small, rural communities across South Carolina and beyond.
It starts with a vote on what appears at first glance to be a nondescript zoning change, tax break or ordinance amendment. An obscure LLC appears to be involved. Residents learn after the fact, or at the 11th hour, that the vote is for a data center. By that point, the deal has been in the works for months.
While the specifics may differ, this is how it has unfolded in Colleton, Marion and Spartanburg counties over the last three months.
Amid fierce debate over the future of artificial intelligence and the pollution, water and power usage associated with data centers are the concerns voiced at recent town halls. Environmental groups such as the Coastal Conservation League have expressed worries that data center boom is leading to a proliferation in gas-fired power plants and pipelines, which in turn pollute nearby communities and unleash greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Details about the data centers — what’s required to operate them and who the end user might be — are not readily shared. Elected leaders, sometimes bound by non-disclosure agreements and the general secrecy demanded by the developers, don’t share a lot of information with their constituents. The frontmen for these data centers typically are from out of state.
South Carolina officials don’t know exactly how many data centers are located here, and calculations for the state water plan don’t account for their water usage. As new data center proposals keep popping up across the state, more and more residents are speaking out against them.
By Lydia Larsen, The Post and Courier | Read more
| |
Our view: Memo to City of Charleston: Do your business in public
Back in civics class, we learned governments are supposed to do their work in public. Decisions are not supposed to be done by popularly-elected officials who sneak around in backrooms to keep regular people from having a real say in decisions funded by tax dollars.
Doing things in secret is just plain wrong. It’s against the style of government that Americans picked when they shrugged off the British 250 years ago with a declaration of independence that was heard around the world.
Unfortunately, the city of Charleston seems to have forgotten how city government is the platform for elected representatives to work in the light of day on behalf of the people. Doing business in public also allows the people who pay for government to hold officials accountable and make sure they’re making decisions in the public interest.
So it’s hard to believe Charleston City Council rushed to vote unanimously Feb. 10 to approve a last-minute proposed ordinance that first saw the light of day in a committee meeting five days earlier. At the Feb. 10 council meeting, two public voices cautioned about the ordinance, only to be ignored by council members who, at the obvious behest of Mayor William “Backroom Billy” Cogswell, narrowed their blinders, didn’t talk about the issue and voted to move forward with it.
By City Paper Editorial Board | Read more
| |
Was $500 FOI fee an attempt to stymie investigation of $20,000 in H-tax award?
BLYTHEWOOD – An FOI (Freedom of Information) request for records, submitted to Blythewood town hall by The Voice on Dec. 19, 2025, pertained to the newspaper’s investigation into $20,000 awarded to UniversalCMG World Entertainment/Edward Straiter to plan and pay for Blythewood’s 2025 Juneteenth celebration.
Those funds were awarded from the H-tax (hospitality tax) revenue in March 2025.
However, the funds were appropriated by town council on June 24, 2024, from the general fund, not from H-tax revenue. The Juneteenth event had been designated in the budget as a town event to be planned by town hall and Manor staff and awarded from the general fund.
On March 24, 2025, as town staff was planning the Juneteenth event, Blythewood Mayor Sloan Griffin halted the process and turned the planning and funding of the event over to an outside agency, UniversalCMG World Entertainment, according to Jordan Langland, the Town’s marketing and special projects manager.
Griffin instructed Langland to write a $20,000 check from the H-tax account (Acct. No. 23-5110-373) instead of from the general fund to pay for the event even though, according to Langland, UniversalCMG had not submitted an application for H-tax funding as required by the Town’s H-tax policy.
By Barbara Ball, The Voice of Blythewood | Read more
| |
Former SC police official's attorney sues for Spivey records as client prepares for State Grand Jury
CONWAY — As the State Grand Jury probes the controversial Horry County police response to Scott Spivey's death, an attorney for one of the key figures in the case contends the county isn't turning over records his client needs to prepare for possible grand jury testimony.
Attorney Bert von Herrmann, who represents former Horry County Deputy Police Chief Brandon Strickland, recently filed a lawsuit against the county that alleges he has spent nearly a year unsuccessfully trying to obtain public records about the Spivey case. He originally filed a request under the state’s Freedom of Information Act.
"I want it because the law says I’m entitled to it, and that's really the only explanation I need to offer Horry County," von Herrmann told The Post and Courier.
By Nicole Ziege and Charles D. Perry, The Post and Courier Myrtle Beach | Read more
| |
Congress could change USPS finances and avoid more service cuts that disproportionately hurt rural areas
The U.S. Postal Service can't borrow any more money to cover ongoing deficits, and unless changes to its funding are made, USPS leadership has warned that the service will run out of money sometime in 2026. Elena Patel reports for Brookings. "This fiscal crisis reflects a structural mismatch between what Congress requires the Postal Service to do and how it is financed."
When the USPS was created, its financial foundations included a monopoly on letter delivery tied to a universal service mandate; however, as the number of letters mailed in the U.S. steadily declined beginning in 2007, the universal service requirement remained in place. The lack of letter revenue essentially meant USPS could no longer afford to deliver to all 169 million addresses that Congress mandated it serve with affordable rates.
Once letter revenue tanked, the USPS still delivered to every address despite the financial toll. "The USPS nationwide delivery network ensures that access does not depend on geography or profitability," Patel explains.
For rural communities, USPS mail carriers often go the "last mile" to complete a delivery. The mail is a backbone for small-town businesses, finances and even medical care. Patel writes, "Particularly in low-density and rural communities, the mail remains essential infrastructure. It delivers prescription medications, ballots, and online purchases, and it supports local small-business activity."
By Heather Close, The Rural Blog | Read more
| |
|
|
|
