A presentation on writing a column.

1. Writing Columns

2. COLUMN
• Columns, like
features, come in
many forms. They are
defined by ownership;
the column "belongs"
to its author who has
that ultimate
journalistic luxury, a
slot, guaranteed space
over which he or she
presides and has, in
some cases, near total
control over content.

3. • Writing a column requires clarity of thought, the
ability to communicate a message clearly and
simply, and an engaging style.
• The column must be planned so that the writer
knows before he or she starts just what they are
going to say. There must not be too many ideas
(two or three will usually suffice), but plenty of
opinions; the bland, obvious or fence-sitting must
be ruthlessly expunged. Columns are there to get
a reaction - agreement, disagreement,
amusement, enlightenment.

4. PURPOSE AND FUNCTION
• Friendly atmosphere
It is the objective of the column-
writing to make a friendly and
amicable atmosphere, without any
intermediary between
the direct contacts with the columnist. The read
ers feel a newness, freshness and friendliness in
the writing and reading of columns
of diverse nature.

5. • Essence of Experience
The
columnists undertake to mingl
e their life-long experience
and knowledge in their colum
ns, in friendly tones and
amicable atmosphere. The col
umnists mold and mobilize th
e readers to sustain a fair amo
unt of desirability to
go through the columns.

6. • True genuine public opinion
To enrich their knowledge, infor
mation and to form a
strong habit for reference, cross-
reference and
repeated consultation are carried
out. A
personal column based on wisdo
m and worldly and religious
knowledge assists the
columnists for true and genuine
public opinion.

7. • Individuality
The tinge of personal
and individual inclination is pre
dominant present in
the column-writing. We usually
notice few names of columnists
in all the newspapers and perio
dicals, whose columns enjoy po
pular
approval. Their writings and
sayings are given proper import
ance and weight due
to individuality and
personal address.

8. Propagation of supreme
values
Mainly current affairs an
d the issues of
the times are the subjec
ts of these columns. The
art and the demands of
the column-
writing are to present th
e issues by detailed expl
anation and explanation
.

9. QUALITIES OF A COLUMN WRITER
• Personal
A columnist must possess some qualities at the
personal level, as these are essential for him to
be known as a better individual as well.

10. • Professional
Someone with just personal qualities is neve
r a successful professional, until he possesse
s certain
qualities, which are a must for any professio
nal.

11. Highly Educated
It is a fact that not all columnists are well-
read or educated. In Urdu journalism, we find that there are
many columnists who are not highly well-
qualified, but with the passage of time, they have mastered the
traits of columnists and they are now heavily paid by
the newspapers. No doubt, they have definitely
well-
read now. Those who are not into reading, expose themselves, s
ooner or later.
On the other hand, degrees do
matter now, as these have become a pre-requisite to
the introduction
because time has changed. Now people definitely see who is tal
king and what, especially when the media is
progressing day and night; hence making it pertinent for a colu
mnist, to be well-read and educated.
It is deemed so because he will understand the changing times,
and will be able make readers comprehend too.
Secondly, it important for him to having knowledge of
the related fields for which he is writing.

12. • Widely Read
Reading is
a must for every one, but for a columnist, reading o
f almost all subjects is a necessity because
knowing everything around him and mastering
one can do. One subject,
he must know it thoroughly
because a columnist acts as a preacher-cum-
opinion maker; hence he must know things to put t
hem in a proper perspective.

13. • Well-versed in Language
Good command of the language
is also a must for a columnist, whereas a reporter o
r an editor can do with
simple language, but a columnist has to play with w
ords
to create humour, situation, criticism, argument
and conclusion. So it
is very important for a writer to present ideas in bet
ter language. For columnists, it
is a must that they write in the best language.

14. • Sense of humor
Humor makes a columnist popular, but it is
a must for him that he never uses gross language or dirty
jokes. Some columnists, mostly of
the Urdu newspapers and English rarely, use jokes but to
good avail.
Actually, in
the process, they are making comparisons, which is again
popular with Urdu columnists.
Good sense of humor making the column looks softer in i
ts outlook.

15. • Quality reporter
A columnist has qualities of
a good reporter, as City diary or personal columns
cannot be based on news
items. The columnists move around and look at
the society besides seeing through the news to
get insight.
Moreover, they are also looking for a scoop and thi
nk and probe like a reporter, while analysing things
like a columnist.

16. • Complete knowledge about laws and ethics of journalism
Huge responsibilities are on a columnist' shoulders, when he
is writing. He knows the laws, and keeps
journalistic ethics in mind besides never relegating the editori
al policy to redundancy.
A
responsible columnist never creates a problem for the editors
by being oblivious to the above.
He also knows the readers well, and always give due respect t
o their religious feelings and nationalistic sentiments.

17. TYPES OF COLUMNS
• Reporting-in-
Depth Columns
Background, perspective,
and interpretation are give
n to various happenings, us
ually already presented in
hard news. In these column
s, current news events are r
elated to
the past and also to
the future.

18. "I Think" or Opinionated Columns
Either because of extensive
training, long time observat
ions,
or sheer lack of modesty, C
olumnists set
themselves up as experts
and then expound their opi
nions for the
general public. They try to c
ompensate
in heat for what they canno
t provide in light.

19. Gossip Columns
Everybody likes to learn a juicy bit o
f gossip. One whole field of column
writing is built on this
characteristic. Such a column contai
ns little except its unquestionably ti
tillating value; this needs not be
the writer's exclusive domain. The u
ncovering of
a government scandal may have pro
found (and
beneficial) ramifications. No daily n
ewspaper carries a gossip column a
nd its natural habit is the film
magazine, which flourishes on gossi
p, some malicious, some harmless b
ut unquestionably titillating.

20. Humorous Columns
• Columnist tries to find the
humorous aspects in life to amus
e readers. Sometimes, these spo
tlight an event
more clearly than thousands of
words
of expounding and explaining. Man
y papers still shy of having
regular daily humorous column. Col
umns are much liked, which contain
some satirical comments.
Many papers still shy
of having regular daily humorous co
lumn. However these columns are
much liked,
which contain some satirical comm
ents.

21. Essay Columns
Just as nature and color editorials have
appeal for many a metropolitan daily edit
or, so the columnist,
who arouses a similar nostalgia and moo
d in his writing, attracts attention. These r
equire perceptiveness
or possibly just and overpowering interes
t in people. All authors
do not possess this.
This type of column is rare today. Student
s of English literature will recognize
the essay columns of
Joseph Chesterton and A.A. Mime. As
an essay, it has style. Its range
is unlimited but it must stick to one
rigid rule-
it must never be deductive or dull.

22. Personality Diary Columns
The Diary columns com
e from public figures,
who are talking about t
heir interesting inciden
ts with others.

23. How- to-do or Advice Columns
These educate the read
ers, as there is
a gentle instruction wri
tten in such a way as n
ot to appear to be a
lesson. These columns
usually appear on mag
azine and daily pages.

24. Sports Column
There was a time when so
me leading newspapers ha
d their daily sports column
s, but this is getting to be
rarer these days. However,
event-based article-cum-
columns are there. Some n
ewspapers try to make-up
for the
dearth this way. Perhaps it
is still a field less trodden

25. Question and Answer Column
This column comes in v
arious colors. It could b
e
a medical column in w
hich a qualified doctor
answers
queries on health.

26. Standard Column
This type of column handle
s editorial subjects of lesser
importance and deals with
each in a paragraph or
two. They are unsigned and
are frequently the work of
two or more members of
the editorial staff.
Outstanding columns
in this category are `Topics
of the Times" in
the New York Times.

27. Political columns
These are an extension of
the Standard Column, but it
is considered
of very serious nature. This
is
especially done
in pursuance of
the Editorial policy of the
newspaper, and these are c
onsidered to be one
of the most-read columns

28. The Middle Column
The `middle' is so-
called because it occupies a position
on the editorial page between
the main article and
the standard column. Its sole purpos
e is
to lighten what could otherwise be se
rious reading, which an
editorial page normally is and is
expected to be. It
is generally humorous and
in any event it should be
entertaining and is usually written in
a lighter vein. In length it
is about 500 words and the more off-
beat
it is the better.

29. The Hodge-Podge Column
Here the columnist pre
sents to his reader a H
odge Podge of stuff a li
ttle or
no consequence on the
principle that variety is
not only the spice of lif
e but a sure formula to
catch reader's interest.

30. Editorial Column
It is properly called the
signed editorial column. In it
we find what resembles an editorial in form, but
an
editorial so palpably personal that it is
a cross between an editorial and
a column. When an editor writes a
piece under his own name he
is trying to lay his prestige on the line.
These do not necessarily depend on
humorous elements only. They are and can be h
andled efficiently by
the experienced and stylish writer of
columns. Its demands are different than the oth
er forms of columns.
In
it are included one's personal views and opinion
s on any subject or topic in
the world like an editorial
in any style.

31. Specialized Columns
• These types of
columns are generally limited and confined to
a single subject or topic, with the underlying
purpose to render better and detailed service to the subject
or topic under study and examination. It may
be confined to a single department
of life or learning. Specialized Columns are arranged
in accordance
with the circumstances. Under specialized
columns are included the columns like, "Legal Column".
"Religious or Deeni Column", `Astrology' or Palmistry Colum
n", `Sports Columns", "Fashion Column",
Medical Column", "Women's Column", `Students, Laborers"
or Children Column". In the specialized
Columns, there is simplicity of
language and style and no literary tastes are added unneces
sarily, nor do
they reflect any personal
or individual trends. Specialized Columns can be called "Pro
fessional
Columns".

32. Miscellaneous Columns
These mainly comprise of
commentary
and criticism on books, Critici
sm columns on films and
theatre,
columns on performance
in sports, columns on
the study of
the impending and
actual changes in the
different walks of life.