Summer Blink Book Review: “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt Reba Campbell Posted 07/06/2026By Reba Hull Campbell I avoided this book because of the octopus. I loved the cover. So many friends raved over the story. But, I’d not been inclined to read the book because I typically don’t...
Jerry Bellune Obituary (1936-2026)
Jerry Odom Bellune April 30, 1936 – April 15, 2026 Jerry Bellune Editor Jerry Odom Bellune said he wanted his obituary to read: "Much-feared editor expires."When Jerry Bellune lost his hair, his enemies wondered where he hid his horns.Bellune was born in Greenville, SC, the son of Dr. A.E. Bellune and...
Elementor #46051
Blink Book Review: “The Concise Guide to South Carolina Government” by Vincent Sheheen Reba Campbell Posted 02/26/2026By Reba CampbellAs a self proclaimed “policy nerd,” I was excited to receive “The Concise Guide to SC State Government” by Vincent Sheheen as a Christmas gift.If I judged the book by its cover,...
How to attract and retain readers
How to attract and retain readers By Jerry Bellune, Writing Coach During the covid pandemic, our newspaper published the latest news from public health officials on our website three or more times a day. The news was free to all who wanted to read it. Our online traffic reached more...
Mr. Penny Pincher: The Price of Shifting Societal Norms
Mr. Penny Pincher The Price of Shifting Societal Norms By Patrick Byrne Posted 4/21/2025By Patrick ByrneMy college years were a healthy mix of alcohol incoherency, an overinflated sense of self confidence and a plethora of bad decisions. In other words, I was no different than most young adults. We’re all...
Starlink Roam: The Perfect Outdoor Companion with a New Budget-Friendly Option
Dr. Tom’s Cyber Bits & TipsStarlink Roam: The Perfect Outdoor Companion with a New Budget-Friendly Option By Thomas Hyslip Posted March 19By Dr. Thomas Hyslip For outdoor enthusiasts, RVers, and campers, staying connected while exploring remote locations has always been a challenge. But SpaceX is changing the game with its Starlink...
Jay Bender letter to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. RE cameras in the court
Jay Bender's letter to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. RE video and still photography coverage of U.S. v. Donald J. Trump The following letter was sent Aug. 4, 2023. Here is a PDF of the full letter on letterhead. By SCPA Attorney Jay Bender Jay Benderjbender@brblegal.comAugust 4, 2023The Honorable...
Managing and Covering the Murdaugh Case and Other “Trials of the Century”
Managing and Covering the Murdaugh Case and Other “Trials of the Century” Published Feb. 2023 By Eric P. Robinson, USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications Although it is common to call a high-profile trial “the trial of the century,” it is a misnomer; there have been several such trials...
Supreme Court Declines Chance to Clarify Right to Record Police
Supreme Court Declines Chance to Clarify Right to Record Police Published Nov. 2021 By Eric P. Robinson, USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications On Nov. 1 the U.S. Supreme Court declined to accept for review a decision by the federal Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver holding that...
WELCOME TO SWAMPTON: A FICTIONAL HUMOR COLUMN
WELCOME TO SWAMPTON: A FICTIONAL HUMOR COLUMN Dear Mr. President Michael DeWitt, Jr. Posted March 24, 2021By Michael DeWitt, Jr.Welcome to Swampton, S.C., population 2,168, unless it’s Saturday night and we all “ride off” to the Fairdale Walmart so Momma can get her hair done for church tomorrow. Weather ForecastThe...
2nd Acquittal
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: 2nd Acquittal Posted February 17, 2021By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
Prepare a go-bag for presentations
By John Foust, Advertising Trainer Richard is an advertiser who has seen years of sales presentations. His pet peeve is any salesperson who shows up unprepared. “It’s a waste of valuable time to be in a meeting where someone is not ready for the topic at hand,” he said. “I...
Legal Q&A: Can/should an agency require a person filing a FOI request include name, telephone number, physical address?
Legal Q&A (10.16.19) Q. Can/should an agency require a person filing a FOI request include name, telephone number, physical address? By SCPA Attorney Taylor Smith A. Public bodies, including, but limited to, state agencies, are not required to gather contact information of a SCFOIA requester beyond what is necessary to...
Legal Q&A: Selling photo goods
Legal Q&A: Selling photo goods (July 2019) Q. Is it legally appropriate to offer an online marketplace through my newspaper’s website whereby a customer can have an image or video published by the paper to be placed on a new product for sale (i.e. coffee mug, calendar, digital picture/video frame)?...
Legal Q&A: Can an individual advertise guns for sale in the classifieds?
Legal Q&A: Advertising gun sales (July 2019) Q: Can an individual advertise guns for sale in the classifieds? By SCPA Attorney Jay Bender A: If your question is intended to provide guidance to a prospective advertiser, my suggestion is that you tell the seller that he or she must consult...
Legal Q&A: Law enforcement redaction
Q: In response to a S.C. FOIA request, can law enforcement redact information of a personal nature where the public disclosure thereof would constitute unreasonable invasion of personal privacy?
Legal Q&A: Advertising CBD oil
Q: Can I publish advertising for CBD oil? The sort answer is yes. The longer answer is that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that advertising for lawful products may be published without restriction where the advertising is neither false nor misleading. CBD oil may be sold lawfully in South...
Legal Q&A: Rerunning syndicated columns
Q: Is it OK to rerun syndicated columns that you originally paid for (for instance old Louis Grizzard columns that had run in our papers a long time ago)?
Legal Q&A: Obtaining student records
Q: Can I obtain student records from a local public school pursuant to a S.C. FOIA request?
Legal Q&A: Liability of public bodies
Q: Can fulfilling an S.C. FOIA request result in liability for public bodies?
Legal Q&A: Photographing private property
Q: A local business is not letting our photographer take a photo of a sign on the outside of the building, which says they are closed to do training. Can we insist on taking that photo from their parking lot?
Legal Q&A: Suing a public body from out-of-state
Q: Can I sue a public body for a SCFOIA violation regarding a request for information if I am a resident of another state?
Legal Q&A: Search and retrieval fees
Q: Does a public body have to charge for the fees associated with search, retrieval, and redaction of records in fulfilling a FOIA request?
Legal Q&A: Right to inspect
Q: Do you have to be a member of the press to inspect incident reports, the minutes from a public meeting, booking/detention information, or all documents that were distributed to or reviewed by a public official during a public meeting?
Legal Q&A: Written FOIA requests
Q: Is a written FOIA request necessary to see records that were distributed to or reviewed by an elected official during a public meeting?
Legal Q&A: Recording public officials
Legal Q&A: Recording public officials (Feb. 2018) Q: Can you record public officials on public property? By SCPA Attorney Taylor Smith A: Yes. The rights under the First Amendment are not absolute but assuming the act of recording does not substantially interfere with the public official’s performance of his or her...