Columnists

One of the many reasons I admire columnists is the fact they are able to produce column after column on a particular topic. Whether their area of focus is politics, economics, foreign affairs or the American culture, these men and women are to be applauded for their ability to add new layers to a given issue so consistently. Not only that, so many do so in a style of writing that is coherent, understandable and, above all, readable. For many of us, we spout off on one issue about which we feel strongly and then are hard-pressed to come up with something else - anything - to say on that topic. But columnists do that every week.

Their pieces generally appear on what is commonly called the op-ed page: the page that is opposite a newspaper's editorial page. What they do appears easy, but it is not. Far from it. In fact, the really good ones do as much reporting and uncovering of facts and figures as do any reporter working for the news department. Once that is done, the columnists then have the challenge of analyzing what they have uncovered and presenting the information in a manner that is insightful, original and fresh. These journalists work hard at what they do and, as a result, add an important depth and dimension to the publications in which their articles appear.

Being a guest columnist is an important tool for all public relations practitioners in their effort to support or promote a client. In my years in public relations I have helped prepare a number of these kind of pieces on behalf of others. Always, they are a challenge. It is one thing to write something that expresses nothing more than one's opinion; but quite another to prepare a provocative piece in which you support your perspective with hard facts and concrete examples. This is what good columnists do. We may not always agree with them, yet the good ones are always worth reading. This is no small achievement.