Columnist not on a daily basis
not inverted pyramid not purely factual so soft news opinion-based human-interest stories(?) style of columnist is important; style > substance
topic - no specific or set topic, can be about anything that interests people; style is dependent on columnist, more flexible can be in tabloids AND broadsheets
- Creates awareness,
- generate interest among readers
- give the paper a face / identity an image; strengthens it
- readers might buy certain newspapers just to read the columns
editors encourage feedback and interaction, generate views because opinion based
Image of the paper
editorial page, front page → can tell you the alignments of the newspaper and their idealogies; the kinds of adverts, the kind of headlines,
Examples of a column - Speaking Tree (Times of India) of columnists - Twinkle Khanna, Sexpert dude from the Mirror
read also - agony aunts