Journalism 5

Editorial Columns
• Max Soliven and Randy David are two of the country's legendary columnists.
• But not everyone who has mastered news gathering and news writing can become a columnist.

Qualities of Good Columnist

1. Ability to write good English of Filipino, whichever is his medium.
2. Ability to observe keenly. Many things around him are worth writing about in his column but this may
lie hidden if he doesn’t have a keen observation.
3. Clear, logic thinking. One of the most important purposes of a column is to interpret news. He who
cannot think clearly and logically has no business being a columnist.
4. Wide background. He must have a knowledge of literature, the history, human nature, among others.
5. Resourcefulness. Columns are opinions, all right. But the opinions must be based on facts. And most of
the facts are hard to get. The columnist must therefore, be resourceful.
6. Have a sense of fairness. A bigoted, prejudiced writer has no right to fill on the seat of journalist.

Purpose of the Editorial Column

1. To explain the news
- Ordinary news stories usually give only the superficial information regarding an event; only the
immediate circumstances surrounding it. The columnist has to explain their significance and
consequences by:
a. Giving the background of an event
- For example, the news that a miracle rice has been developed. Ordinarily, the news
story about it will tell how many cavans a hectare can yield, when it was developed,
where it was developed, who developed it, and the immediate steps done which led to
its development.
b. Determining whether a certain event is an isolate case or part of the pattern
- For example, a number of cattle in Bataan have died of a certain disease. This may be
reported in the papers. In a few weeks, the same thing happened in Ilocos Norte. This
may again be reported in the papers. In a few more weeks, it happened in Camarines
Sur. Then, lately, some cattle in Mindanao died of some disease. In each case, a news
story was written. But a columnist tells his readers that the cattle in the different parts
of the country died of the same disease. He then calls on the Bureau of Animal Industry
to determine whether or not an epidemic exists.
c. Pointing out how an event will affect or not affect his readers
- For example, the organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries decides to increase the
price of oil. The columnist will point out to his readers the effect of this action of OPEC.
He may tell his reader that soon they may be paying P3 instead of P1.50 for their fare.
Now, his readers are concerned.
d. Pooling together and assessing comments of readers from the different segments of society
- A controversy may have more than two sides. The columnist must present all these
sides without favoring any of them. If, however, he has to favor one side, it should be
because that side is the one which is right and not because that particular side happens
to be the side of his relatives.
2. To entertain the readers
- This purpose of the column enhances the reader’s interest in the paper. When a reader picks up a
newspaper, he does not only want to be informed but also to be entertained. Some columns fulfill
this desire of the reader.