This history of (my) column writing

A friend of mine told me earlier this week I have been “on a roll” lately with my column writing.

Interestingly, I’ve had quite a few other people tell me similar things recently. One of the columns was about my disdain for neckties; the other a reflection on my relationship with my late friend Chief that included climate change.

Two wildly different subjects but both noteworthy — at least to me and a few other kind folks.

The art of column writing is something I tried to hone some 40 years ago. It all began when I took my first job as a newspaper editor in the town of Clinton, Ind.

The owner of the paper, the late George B. Carey, crafted a weekly column entitled “Between the Lines.” Sound familiar?

Back in those days, newspaper publishers were generally well off, something that has changed significantly since that time. Because of this, he would travel to his Florida home each winter, where he would send dispatches of the happenings in the Sunshine State.

You have to remember that back then, there wasn’t any such thing as the internet. He would write those columns on a typewriter (look it up, kids!) and then put them in the U.S. Mail where they would arrive back in Clinton and be retyped for publication.

On occasion, he would not be able to get them done in time, so it was up to others to fill in that space in the newspaper. That’s where my column writing began. I liked it so much that when I moved elsewhere and began writing columns, I simply stole that name and it has followed me throughout my career.

The thing about column writing I like so much is being able to be creative and take on issues not normally featured in publications. Take neckties, for example.

It has also allowed me to pay tribute to lost friends like Chief. Although it is troublesome to write about people who have died, it also gives me an outlet to share my feelings and tell people about those who are gone.

Chief, Ron Iudice, my late brother, Jim, and many others have been subjects of my writings. It’s such a difficult thing to do, but it is something I think important because others can learn about the gifts and talents of those who are gone.

Column writing, too, should not be confused with news writing. When someone writes a news story, it is based on facts and is, in general, telling the story through the words and feelings of others.

Columns, on the other hand, are opinions based on personal feelings. To be sure, columns can be loaded with facts, but they are opinions and are placed where they belong — on the opinion pages.

This is where people sometimes get confused. Column writers, including me, get accused of bias and all kinds of stuff when people say we are presenting opinions in the newspaper. First, we are presenting opinions in the newspaper, a tradition that dates back to the origins of newspapers.

We also print the opinions of many other people in the newspaper, another long-standing tradition.

One of the reasons this has become so confusing for people in the last couple of decades is tied straight to those cable news networks shows that air in the evenings. Those shows are not news shows; they are opinion shows.

The problems is they don’t present them as opinion shows and too many people take them as facts. Even decades ago, when Walter Cronkite was the most respected name in television news, whenever he would read an opinion piece, it would clearly say that on the screen.

Not any more.

Those days are long gone because everything now is revenue driven. Those cable networks would rather you believe everything they say is news, which drives eyeballs and advertising.

For literally generations, television news lost money for the TV networks. It was all made up with the advertising from the other programming. The reason for this is that real journalists ran the news divisions and the executives knew that was an expense that had to be offset.

The reason for that was because it cost a lot of money to send people all around the world to report the news. They simply knew it was a money-losing venture but their journalistic integrity also knew that was part of the deal —‚to inform the masses as the Founding Fathers had requested.

I miss those days.

For the most part, newspapers today do clearly denote their opinion pages, although some big-money owners are now intervening when it comes to journalism, a subject of which they know little. But when you sign the paychecks, that’s all that matters.

Television has run amok when it comes to profits. That’s all that matters. The same is true for a large portion of newspapers, as well, mainly those owned by corporations. Their lines between editorial and opinion have blurred beyond recognition.

In many ways, the art of column writing has also waned over the years. Sure, there are still the stalwarts out there, but some publications have forgone columns, or simply pay for the national talking heads.

One thing I have always thought interesting was having local writers compose columns on a regular basis. Some in the journalism world scoff at this, saying writers covering the news have no business giving opinions.

I totally disagree. Any good news reporter can cover events and write stories based upon facts and facts only. That is how they are trained and it is up to editors to make sure that is how stories are presented.

I have always felt that writers should be able to write about various subjects and give their opinions. They are human beings who have thoughts and feelings just like all of the population.

As long as they can separate news coverage from opinion, what’s the problem?

None as far as I am concerned. On the contrary, I have always found it fascinating to see how reporters handle being able to voice their opinions and write about issues they care about. I’ve not once had any issues with reporters doing columns on a regular basis.

I’m sure I would be ran straight out of any journalism school, but that doesn’t bother me at all. Too many times, those in journalism schools have not been on a real news beat or had to cover a fatal accident where families are torn apart for lifetimes.

I seriously doubt that anyone will think this column is part of “being on a roll,” but for me, it gave me a chance to share my thoughts on the world of journalism.

It’s why Between the Lines was born — just not by me!

Greg Little is editor of the Mariposa Gazette and can be reached at greg@mariposagazette.com