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Your connection to industry & member news | Jan. 22, 2026
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SCPA to announce News Contest winners Jan. 26Winners from the 2025 News Contest will be posted online for proofing on Monday, Jan. 26, no later than 5 p.m.
The list will include winners from the News, Associate/Individual and Collegiate contests.
Judges are currently hard at work reviewing entries. So far, 65% of the judgements have been submitted. We hope to have the rest back by Monday. If any judgements are still outstanding after the initial announcement on Jan. 26, additional winners will be added to the Google Sheet in real-time as they come back from judging.
You'll have until Feb. 2 to proof your newspaper’s winners and submit corrections.
Secret winners, President's Cup winners and Best of the Best will be announced at the SCPA Annual Meeting on March 6.
Check out the Annual Meeting schedule of events and register by Feb. 20.
Thanks to members of the Virginia Press Association for judging our contest! SCPA will return the favor by judging VPA's contest next month ( and we still need 10 more judges so please volunteer).
Please note Collegiate Awards will be presented at the Collegiate Meeting on March 27 at SCPA Offices in Columbia.
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SCPA preparing necrology report for Annual MeetingSCPA will recognize the members we've lost in the past year at our Annual Meeting on March 6, 2026. If you've lost a friend, family member or colleague in our industry that should be included in SCPA's necrology, please email us. If you've read his or her obituary in the eBulletin over the past year, we've already included them in the necrology.
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Please pay SCPA annual membership dues soonSCPA members should have received 2026 membership dues invoices last month. Please pay dues in January. If you haven't received your dues invoice or have any questions, please contact us.
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|  | SPECIAL THANKS to all of our members who volunteered to judge the Virginia Press Association's contest next month! Be on the lookout for your judging assignments from VPA!
If you have not yet volunteered to help, we're still short a few folks (two daily writing, four weekly writing and three digital/multimedia judges) so please sign up to help!
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SCPA hires USC J-School masters student to help with Annual Meeting prep, SCPA communications
SCPA has hired USC international graduate student Kino Ambrister as a communications and design intern for spring semester.
A Bahamian native, Kino is a first-generation Master’s student with a major in Mass Communication and a concentration in strategic communication management.
Aspiring to have a job in the marketing and public relations industry, he worked as an intern account representative at a local marketing agency and as an enrollment communications specialist at another local insurance company.
He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from Benedict College where he graduated Suma Cum Laude. “While completing my practicum experience at SCPA, I hope to build my professional persona, gain extensive writing experience and glean novel knowledge in the news industry that can benefit me eventually,” he said.
Aside from being a teaching and research assistant at USC, in his free time, Kino enjoys cooking, reading and being adventurous in the city he calls his home away from home.
Kino's email is kino@scpress.org.
Maya Ambuehl and McKenzie Bargeron will also continue to work as SCPA interns this semester.
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SC lawmakers vote to stop Clemson and USC contracts with athletes from being disclosed
CLEMSON — South Carolina legislators are set to pass an amendment specifying revenue-sharing contracts between universities and their athletes are not a public record.
The move is meant to head off a lawsuit from a Mount Pleasant businessman and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) advocate against the University of South Carolina, seeking copies of name-redacted contracts between the university and its football players.
The state’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) law specifically says schools do not need to disclose athletes’ contracts in response to an open records request “unless they” — the university — “are a party” to the deal.
The amendment, which representatives voted in favor of 111-2 on a second reading, deletes the phrase “unless they are a party” and makes it so all NIL deals are private, regardless of the university’s role.
Rep. Davey Hiott (R-Pickens) brought the amendment to the floor on Jan. 15, arguing South Carolina and Clemson are paying athletes revenue-sharing dollars with “private money” brought in by their athletic departments, mainly from television contracts.
Forcing universities to share how much they are paying their athletes, Hiott said, would put them at a competitive disadvantage because schools in other states don’t have to disclose the particulars of their payrolls.
“Every athlete that gets a dollar, they’d have that information,” Hiott said. “How much the quarterback made, how much the center made, how much the running back made, we'd be at a complete disadvantage because we will be the only state that would require that.”
“South Carolina's 4-8 season, Clemson's 7-6 season, will be pretty good seasons going forward,” Hiott continued. “We need to emphasize to the courts, to the judge that's hearing this, that the intent and the accuracy of this money is it is not FOIA-able.”
A lawsuit in Richland County, brought by grain merchant Frank Heindel, has argued revenue-sharing deals should be disclosed because they contracts with a public institution, much like coaches’ contracts.
By Jon Blau, The Post and Courier | Read more
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Editorial: Make SC sheriffs tell us when people die in their custody
When a man was killed in a golf cart collision in Charleston County a week ago, the Sheriff’s Office issued a news release announcing the death and the agency’s ongoing investigation. Ditto a fatal collision in Meggett days earlier.
Officials issued news releases to announce they had charged a Summerville man with a fentanyl-induced homicide, that they had charged a Charleston man with exploitation of a minor and a Wadmalaw Island woman with murder. And of course there all those news releases about charitable activities.
But when an inmate died last month in the county jail — which the Sheriff’s Office runs — crickets.
As The Post and Courier’s Alan Hovorka reports, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office has decided the coroner should announce when people die while they’re being held involuntarily by the Sheriff’s Office. Perhaps eventually the Sheriff’s Office will announce the deaths, after the coroner finishes her investigation, if it feels like it — although not if the coroner says a death was from “natural causes.”
A spokeswoman gave a convoluted answer about respecting the privacy of the deceased’s family and not releasing information prematurely, problems that could be easily resolved by releasing the details of the death but temporarily withholding the deceased's name. It’s hard to see this as anything other than an effort to prevent a repeat of 2024, when now-Sheriff Carl Ritchie unseated Kristin Graziano in part by appropriately attacking her over the 17 jail deaths during her tenure. If people don’t know about future jail deaths, there’s less risk of that happening to him.
From The Post and Courier | Read more
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No reserved seats: Supreme Court sets rules for public, press for Murdaugh appeal
No reserved seats are among the rules published by the S.C. Supreme Court Tuesday afternoon for press and public who wish to attend the Feb. 11 hearing of Alex Murdaugh’s appeal of his double murder conviction.
Arguments in the case are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday Feb. 11 and are open to the public. The hearing could be lengthy — the issues are complex and the five high court justices traditionally have been open to exploring the dimensions of cases before them.
“Reserved seating will not be offered, and seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 8:30 a.m.,” the Supreme Court said.
In a departure from normal Supreme Court practice over the years, and in an apparent nod to the journalists expected to attend, “Laptops and tablets are permitted in the courtroom provided that they do not make noise,” the Supreme Court’s notice said.
“Cell phones are also permitted, but they must be powered off. No cameras or video cameras are allowed in the courtroom, except those operated by SCETV,” the notice said.
By John Monk, The State | Read more
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Free legal training for journalists offered March 26-27 at USC
The University of South Carolina is accepting applications from print, broadcast and internet journalists for its Media Law School program, which provides the opportunity to develop a basic understanding of the law and legal system so that participants can report accurately on the many important legal issues in the news.
The program will be held March 26-27, 2026, on the University of South Carolina campus in Columbia. Applications for the program are due Feb. 13.
There is no registration fee for the program, and fellows receive a travel allowance of up to $500, three nights hotel lodging and selected meals during the conference. The program is funded by the American Board of Trial Advocates and the American Board of Trial Advocates Foundation.
For more information and to apply, visit event.sc.edu/medialawschool.
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Learn how to use Chronicling America for historical research during Feb. 10 webinar
Join the Library of Congress' Serial and Government Publications Division and the National Digital Newspaper Program on Feb. 10, at 1 p.m. to learn how Chronicling America can be used as a historical research tool.
The Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers collection provides access to select digitized newspaper pages produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP), a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress.
Participants will be introduced to the updated Chronicling America interface and learn to apply new features in order to successfully and efficiently research topics and themes of their choosing. They will also learn the benefits of including historical newspapers as a rich resource for research.
Register to attend.
This presentation will be recorded for later viewing.
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Former Darlington News & Press Publisher Morrey Thomas diesS.C. Press Association President (2014)
Morrell “Morrey” Livingston Thomas III, a devoted steward of community journalism and a member of one of Darlington’s most respected publishing families, passed away early Sunday morning, January 17. He was 69.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Kistler-Hardee Funeral Home Chapel officiated by Reverend Kevin Cauley.
Born in 1955, Morrey was the son of Morrell L. Thomas Jr., who guided The News & Press for nearly half a century, from 1966 until his death in 2005. Raised in a household where journalism was both a profession and a calling, Morrey developed a deep respect for the role of local newspapers in preserving the voice and values of a community.
He was married to Pam Thomas and earned a Master of Business Administration from the College of William and Mary. A retired Navy veteran, Morrey brought discipline, leadership, and a strong sense of duty to every chapter of his life.
Reflecting on the importance of The News & Press, Morrey once said, “If somebody had an event or if an announcement was made, The News & Press was the first place they called.” That philosophy guided not only his own work, but generations of the Thomas family, who resisted industry trends that pulled newspapers away from grassroots community coverage.
Following the passing of his father, Morrey’s sister, Ann Boyd, assumed the role of publisher in 2005. Tragically, her tenure was cut short when she lost her battle with cancer in 2008 at the age of 45. During her illness, the family turned to Morrey for help in keeping the paper running.
At the time, Morrey was deeply engaged with the Brunswick Beacon, where over 19 years he helped owner Eddie Sweatt build the paper into the largest community newspaper in the nation, boasting a weekly circulation of 17,000 and editions averaging 80 pages. Though he initially attempted to split his time between Brunswick and Darlington, it soon became clear that the family legacy needed his full attention. After his sister’s passing, Morrey returned home to Darlington to carry on the tradition begun generations earlier.
During his 12-year tenure as publisher of The News & Press, Morrey became an active leader within the South Carolina Press Association, eventually serving as its president—a title once held in the organization’s female division by his mother. Under his guidance, the newspaper earned numerous SCPA honors, including multiple General Excellence awards.
Though he acknowledged the challenges facing the newspaper industry, Morrey believed passionately in the enduring value of local journalism. “I believe in my heart that community newspapers like the News & Press will always have a place because we’re going to cover things that a daily newspaper doesn’t,” he said. “Little League games, daddy and daughter dances, the sweet things about life in your hometown—a community newspaper satisfies those needs. We also serve as a community watchdog, making sure people know what’s going on with their government, things that would otherwise go unchecked.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Morrey made the difficult decision to sell The News & Press to the Herald Group, expressing full confidence in its future. “The future of the News & Press for Darlington County and the City of Darlington could not be in finer hands,” he said.
As the community mourns Morrey’s passing, it also honors a legacy of more than 60 years of dedicated service by the Thomas family—providing critical information, thoughtful insight, and a steadfast commitment to Darlington County.
Thank you to Morrey and the Thomas family for your hard work, your judicious ethics, your generosity, and your unflagging love for Darlington County.
Read full obituary. (By Stephan Drew, The Darlington County News and Press)
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