Column (periodical)

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A column^[1] is a recurring piece or article in a newspaper, magazine or other publication, where a writer expresses their own opinion in few columns allotted to them by the newspaper organization. People who write columns are described as columnists.

What distinguishes a column from other forms of journalism is its regular appearance in a publication, written by the same author and typically focused on the same subject area or theme each time. Columns generally, but not always, contain the author's opinion or perspective, making them akin to an open letter. Additionally, a column features a standard heading, known as a title, and a byline with the author's name at the top.

Newspapers usually print all articles organised in narrow columns of many lines of text; the term column as discussed in this article is distinct from, though derived from, this layout description.