The ANPA Foundation became well known as the major U. S. sponsor of NIC during the 1970s. The Foundation shifted from serving local educators to acting as a catalyst to help local newspapers serve those educators.

By the mid-1970s, more than 350 newspapers sponsored local programs. Canada’s programs became a vital part of the picture. In fact, it was the Canadian Daily Newspaper Publishers Association that originated a new title for the program, “Newspaper In Education,” recognizing the expansion of the educational use of newspapers to institutions and organizations beyond the traditional classroom setting. The ANPA Foundation followed suite in 1976, and the “NIE” title stuck. Many newspapers employed educators to promote and administer the program. Educational services departments with several staff members were established at some of the larger newspapers.

Because of newsprint costs and the potential for increased circulation counts, almost all programs began to charge half-price for school deliveries. The yearly NIE Conference became a “must-attend” session at which NIE professionals traded ideas about improving their programs.