There is an argument that newspaper columnists are a relic of an earlier age that should be dispatched as we move in to a new era of publishing. Once upon a time, it made sense to hire a single person to write every opinion piece (or every Saturday's opinion piece, or every technology opinion piece, etc). It was hard to work closely with editors remotely, particularly for any sort of responsive comment, and so it was best to either have someone on staff who works alongside reporters with a different remit, or to have a grandee with a career illustrious enough that they can be trusted to file at length and on time every week without an editor breathing down their neck.
Should columnists?
Should columnists?
Should columnists?
There is an argument that newspaper columnists are a relic of an earlier age that should be dispatched as we move in to a new era of publishing. Once upon a time, it made sense to hire a single person to write every opinion piece (or every Saturday's opinion piece, or every technology opinion piece, etc). It was hard to work closely with editors remotely, particularly for any sort of responsive comment, and so it was best to either have someone on staff who works alongside reporters with a different remit, or to have a grandee with a career illustrious enough that they can be trusted to file at length and on time every week without an editor breathing down their neck.