Write a Newspaper Column

Writing a newspaper column is the bread and butter of many journalists. While it may seem straightforward, there are a lot of important things to remember when producing a column that isn't all just about the writing itself. Maintaining journalistic integrity requires the ability to present balanced, bias-free, objective, and fair reporting. Being a columnist carries the responsibility of being supportive of your sources, getting the facts straight, and not embroiling yourself in conflicts of interest. Naturally, all of these challenges are relished by a good columnist and if you're a keen writer plus a lover of communication, then being a columnist may be just the right career for you.

Steps

Sample Newspaper Columns

Doc:Advice Column,Column in School Paper

Writing Your Newspaper Column

  1. Know how to write and communicate well. You will need a good understanding of using the English language and not just grammatically. It's important to be comfortable with using the language to convey emotions, to persuade, to engender trust, to enlighten people, to clarify issues, and to make what you write interesting. Learn how to write the "inverted pyramid" style so that the reader gets the point straight up and then dives into the supporting story. Moreover, be comfortable with communicating with others as you'll need to spend a lot of time interviewing other people and knowing how to put people at their ease will be of great benefit to you.
    • Read your favorite columnist's work with a critical eye. What about their writing makes it so appealing, so useful to the reader, and so popular that readers keep coming back for more? Are there aspects of their writing style that you feel you could develop within your own writing? Be inspired by existing columnists to help you to bring out your own talents.
  2. Know the basics expected behind a column. Columns are meant to provide enough information for a reader without drawing them in to too much reading. On average, a short article for a column will be about 500 words or less, while few columns go beyond 1200 words. Brevity and getting to the point quickly are skills that you need to hone to be a good columnist. It is important to check with the specific paper you're writing for, especially when you're freelance writing and you're not aware of each paper's requirements. Most of them will be able to clarify the Bypass a Word Limit Code, and any other requirements such as format, delivery times, etc. upon asking.
    • Get used to whittling down your initial Use the My Drafts Feature on wikiHow; in time, this will become much easier to do as you see how to shorten sentences and see ways to get to the point without belaboring it. Bear in mind that once it has been said, the reader has read it, and there is no need to repeat it again unless it really does add to the emphasis that particular story requires.
    • If possible, write in Associated Press format. Journalism's punctuation is very different from your normal English formatting. Alternatively, ask the paper what format they're following and study it intently to conform with it. This is one hurdle you can easily surmount with a little studying.
  3. Be prepared to thoroughly analyze the topics you write about. You will also need to have top rate analytical skills and a willingness to present both sides of a story (or more if needed) rather than simply remaining captured by your own perspective of an issue. Good journalism is objective and doesn't seek to take sides (leave your opinions for the editorial section) but it also offers balance to ensure that not only one side of the story is presented. Put your devil's advocate glasses on when examining any issues and see how you fare viewing situations from all sides!
    • Provide a solution, don't just raise an issue. Have the conviction to suggest a solution or a range of them. Columns that criticize certain issues but offer no solutions are pointless because readers want to gain insight and answers from the column. Provide at least a riveting conclusion with one suggested solution.
  4. Find interesting topics or angles to draw in the reader. Even if you have the freedom to write a column of your choosing, you are still reined in by having to provide what people want to read. Be conscious of what is fashionable, topical, current, and likely to interest readers. It isn't always the sensational stories either; anything can be made interesting with the right angle and careful writing. Most columnists find themselves being asked by their editors to write on specified topics. In this case, you need to find the interest hook in the topic, even if you aren't particularly enjoying it yourself! When you feel stuck and you're not particularly fond of the topic, focus more on getting your writing to come across well and to humanize a story that might otherwise be bland, boring, or even distasteful if it weren't for the expert way in which you write it. Then, try to distance yourself and read it as a reader – did you succeed in making the column interesting?
  5. Put accuracy at the top of your list. Be prepared to do research and to learn as much as you can while preparing it, and draw heavily on speaking to experts in that field so that you get your information correct prior to writing it up. Remember that it is writing, "curiosity", and "communicating" that form your skills, expertise and passion, not necessarily the topic (indeed, rarely will the topic be in your field of expertise!). Nobody expects you to know the minutiae of cardboard box production but the reader does expect you to report the expert's explanation of the process with total accuracy. Realize that there will be times when you will be under pressure to get a column prepared in time for printing that day. This doesn't mean tossing in sloppily analyzed, unsubstantiated information. If you don't have the facts straight or cleared, if you don't have the missing piece that draws all the threads together, then don't publish until you do. You may have to produce a shorter story focused only on those facts you are certain are accurate and then come back to it when you have the entire facts clarified; waiting is far better than having to retract your story, take a huge dent to your reputation and reliability, and then feel your journalistic integrity questioned from that point on.
    • The more specific (niche) a topic is, the more likely it is that you can trip up if you aren't careful about accuracy. Readers who do know will quickly point out errors, so always double and triple check all of the specific facts that you're writing about.
    • Be aware that people, companies, PR agencies, promoters, agents, etc., have their own agenda and points of view to put across. Treat them with respect but always seek the balance and recognize the hype. Report on them fairly rather than accepting their angle without question.
    • Keep a Commentary Record of Events of your interactions with sources who are used within your stories. Emails are very useful in this respect, and always keep written or taped notes (always seek permission from the person you're interviewing to tape them). Especially when a column is controversial or challenging, have your information sources watertight and accessible to back you up.
    • Researching the facts can be done in a local library, in your organization's own library, or online via journal/paper/publication article compilers, etc. Many well-equipped publishers will have access to vast online research sources, so make use of them and if you don't know how to, ask for immediate training as it doesn't take long to learn how. Also stay up-to-date with news feeds, new articles, and technological innovations/state-of-the-art practices in your fields of interest, to be sure that you're up-to-date generally.
  6. Avoid conflicts of interest. Sometimes a columnist may write about someone they have close ties to, or something they're affiliated with or have a connection to, such as a company in which the columnist is a shareholder, or an organization that the columnist is a frequent customer of, etc. In any case where there is a real or even a perceived conflict of interest, either don't write the story, or make it extremely clear that you have a link of some sort. Be totally aware of the newspaper's policies with regard to gifts and the fine line between been sent items for "testing" and being sent items as "gifts". Most importantly, remember that your journalistic integrity rests on readers knowing that you've been open with them and that you're not trying to fool them or hide anything from them. Think of it like this: "How would my readers feel if they found out that I had a connection with this story but didn't reveal it?" And if you're in doubt, always talk to fellow journalists and your editors, who will be able to help you reach an objective decision.
    • For example, say you write about the state of disposable diapers and you want to present a side of the story that argues that these are not filling up the landfill anymore because a new brand claims that their diapers biodegrade within a month. However, you're also a new mom and the company that makes these diapers just sent you 50 packs to get you through the next year on the grounds of "testing them". Make it clear that Company X sent you these diapers to try to also distance yourself by doing things to balance the story, such as testing other diapers, getting diaper landfill statistics, and getting information from other companies on how long it takes for their diapers to break down.
  7. Make it clear who the sources are in your stories. When writing a newspaper column, nobody wants to read a tennis match of "he said, she said". Be clear as to whom you're speaking about, including their expertise to speak to the matter. For example, "Expert psychiatrist Ray Bawdlin said", "Mother of two Rachel Anwin said", "Farmer of 25 years Gretel Bobo said", and so forth. By announcing to the reader the reason why the person you're quoting has authority to speak on the matter, the reader is immediately able to assess the reliability or trustworthiness of that person's statement.
    • Equally, there will be times when you need to protect a source. In this case, someone will give you the information but they'll wish to remain anonymous. In this case, you will have to explain to the reader that the source wanted to remain anonymous "to protect their job/position/family, etc." but also persuade the reader that it's reliable. And then, you will also need to be prepared to keep protecting that source.
  8. Use original writing. Plagiarizing is a sad indictment for a person who writes for a living. If you don't feel you can produce what needs to be produced because of time pressures, disinterest in the topic, other pressing matters, etc., then be honest with your editors and ask for a different topic or take that break you need to pull yourself together. Plagiarizing is never the answer and it will out, eventually, no matter how cleverly you think you're covering your tracks. It's too easy to discover plagiarism with current technology, and the keen eyes of many readers poring over lots of work both in printed and online form. Resist the urge, and do things that restore your originality if you're beginning to feel jaded or over-pressured. Moreover, see being original as your mark or voice. If you develop your own distinctive writing style (something you should be striving for at all times), then plagiarism won't enter your head because you will know innately that only your own voice can be used in the column for it to be an effective piece.
    • If the temptation does arise, ask yourself this simple question: "How would I feel if someone pinched my work after all the effort I'd put into it?"
    • Acknowledge sources. As well as your primary sources, be sure to acknowledge all secondary sources from books, other papers, magazines, etc. and cite them clearly. Also be aware of the restrictions on how much you're able to quote before you're breaching copyright. This varies across different jurisdictions.

Tips

  • Think outside the square when looking for unique angles to stories – your love of words should actually be a great help in enabling you to think laterally, so use this skill to your advantage!
  • If you're freelancing, you'll need to get into the swing of finding papers to write columns for. In this case, the following is suggested:
    • Do your research; come up with a list of newspapers you're interested in working with. Contact those papers and ask if they would be willing to print your article, or are looking for other articles on topics you might be able to write. Most first contacts are never made when sent through e-mail or fax. Editors get many faxes and e-mails and most will disregard the ones from people they do not know.
    • Prepare a cover letter and a sample of your writing. Send this letter and sample of writing to editor for first contact via snail mail (unless otherwise requested by the editor).
    • Be prepared for rejection. You may try to get into 100 papers and not get accepted by one, but it's also possible the first one may be your jackpot. In all, rejection is a very common part of writing. If you don't get accepted, don't give up. Keep on writing!
  • Every writer has a unique style. Do not try to copy the style of any writer. You should define your own unique style.
  • Becoming a columnist is something you can learn to do on amateur paper productions at school, for a club or association, or even just for fun making a newspaper for your family and friends to begin with. And if you want to extend your abilities, you can start sending your efforts in to real newspapers to see if they will print your work (see above).

Warnings

  • Avoid turning into a propaganda tool. A journalist shouldn't push agendas on professional time; as a professional, remain objective and balanced, prepared to communicate the whole story, and not just the part of it that pleases you. This means using multiple sources, providing evidence for the facts that you state, and directly attributing sources where they are speaking openly.
  • Your readers are smart; often smarter than you. Remember that they will remember things and spot inconsistencies, bad grammar, flaws in your line of thinking, and lies. Don't deal in any of these poor forms of journalism and your readers will appreciate your good reporting.
  • There is a difference between stating an opinion and stating something that is offensive or untrue. Be aware that your readers will expect serious, researched work and they don't want to read abuse. Indeed, if you get a reputation for being nasty in your columns, you'll find it harder and harder to get good contacts and your readers won't have any qualms in tripping you up when you err and in taking a bite out of you when you irritate them.
  • Remember your defamation laws. If you don't know them, learn them straight away to avoid possible legal repercussions!

Things You'll Need

  • Writing tools such as computer
  • Research sources

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