Upcoming Workshops & Events
Jan. 18
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
SCPA will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Jan. 28 | 10 a.m. | Zoom
SCPA Nominating Committee Meeting
A virtual meeting of SCPA’s Nominating Committee.
Feb. 4 | 2-2:30 p.m. | Zoom
New Editor/Publisher Orientation
Are you an SCPA member news organization leader who is new to the association?
Because COVID-19 has made it difficult to set up in-person newspaper visits, SCPA is hosting a virtual New Editor/Publisher/Manager Orientation on Feb. 4, from 2-2:30 p.m. via Zoom.
If you are a key leader at your news organization, we invite you to learn more about SCPA’s member services, legal/FOI Hotline, SLED Checks, lobbying, training, contests, communications, resources and ad representation.
This will be an informal space to get information and ask questions.
We can’t wait to meet our new members in person, but in the meantime, we hope you’ll stop by our Zoom to chat with us and some of your peers.
Please let Jen Madden know if you’d like to attend and we’ll send you the link. Please note this event is open to SCPA members only.
Feb. 11 | 2-2:45 p.m. | Zoom
Crime Reporting Panel Discussion
More details coming soon!
Feb. 18 | 10 a.m. | Zoom
SCPA Hall of Fame Committee Meeting
A virtual meeting of SCPA’s Hall of Fame Committee. Details coming soon!
Feb. 19 | 10 a.m. | Zoom
SCPA Diversity Committee Meeting
A virtual meeting of SCPA’s Diversity Committee. Details and agenda coming soon!
Feb. 25 | 10-11:30 a.m. | Zoom
Daily Senior Management Roundtable
More details coming soon!
March 4 | 10-11:30 a.m. | Zoom
Weekly Senior Management Roundtable
More details coming soon!
March 5
SCPA Foundation Internship & Scholarship Application Deadline
The SCPA Foundation’s internship and scholarship applications are now available. Two or more interns are placed each summer at SCPA member newspapers, allowing students an invaluable real-world training experience. We will closely watch the spread of COVID-19 in Spring 2021, but we hope to be able to offer internships during Summer 2021 if it is safe. Our $1,000 scholarship is for the 2021-2022 academic year. The deadline to apply is March 5, 2021. Find out more details and review eligibility requirements.
March 14-20
Sunshine Week
Sunshine Week, an annual nationwide celebration of access to public information and what it means for you and your community, will take place March 2021. Please help us promote the public’s right to know.
March 19 | 10 a.m. | Zoom
Executive Committee Meeting
A virtual meeting of SCPA’s Executive Committee. Agenda and details coming soon!
March 31 | 10 a.m. | Zoom
Annual Business Meeting
During this brief event, the full membership will vote on the Slate of Officers and hear updates on legal, lobbying, membership and SCNN matters. More details coming soon!
Fall 2021
SCPA Annual Meeting & Awards
The Marina Inn at Grande Dunes, Myrtle Beach
It’s looking like COVID-19 will once again force us to postpone our Annual Meeting & Awards, originally set for March 19-20, 2021. We are working now to reschedule this to an in-person event later in the year. More details coming soon. (Updated 1/13/21 JM)
If it’s safe to meet, we’ll gather together again in person at The Marina Inn in Myrtle Beach! Our 2021 Annual Meeting & Awards will honor winners from the 2020 News Contest, which is currently being judged. We hope to announce the winners in mid-February for proofing.
Contests & Awards
SCPA recognizes the best in South Carolina journalism through our annual contests. Our prestigious awards programs are open to SCPA members only. Each year, nearly 4,000 entries are received in SCPA’s News, Advertising and Collegiate Contests.
- Our annual News Contest recognizes excellence in daily and weekly newspaper journalism. We also have an Associate and Individual member division, and a Collegiate Contest. The deadline to enter the 2020 Contest has passed. Awards will be presented at the 2021 Annual Meeting. More details coming soon!
- The PALMY Advertising Awards recognize the Palmetto State’s best, brightest and most enterprising advertising professionals and advertisers, and the impact they have made in their communities! The deadline to enter the 2020 PALMY Ad Contest has passed. Awards were presented at the SCPA Virtual Annual Meeting on Sept. 14, 2020. The 2021 contest will start accepting entries in late spring 2021.
Other Training Opportunities
- SCPA now offers free, individualized virtual training on legal and FOI topics for member newspapers. Learn more.
- SCPA members can attend Local Media Association webinars for $29 because our state is a Media Association Partner. Check out LMA’s webinar offerings.
- Poynter’s News University offers more than 100 interactive on-demand journalism courses. Several courses are free thanks to grant funding.