Many people don’t recognize the content of newspapers. They can’t tell which one column and which one news article. Let us clear the difference column and news article.
Column and news article are two distinct forms of journalism that serve different purposes. News article is a factual and objective report of an event. It includes answers of the questions of Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How, as a report writing theory. Usually journalists who works for news organizations, such as newspapers, television stations, or news portals are write a news story. The purpose of news is to inform readers or viewers about the latest developments of a specific topic issue or event.
On the other and, column is an opinion content which reflect writers opinion. Journalists and experts get a chance to express their personal views on a particular topic in the column. Unlike news articles, columns are subjective and interpretive, and they may include personal anecdotes, analysis, and commentary. Columns are published regularly in newspapers where various issues such as politics, sports, entertainment, or social issues are discussed in details. The purpose of a column is to express a particular viewpoint or perspective, provoke thought and discussion, and offer a unique voice or perspective on a topic.
The main difference between column and news is that news article is a factual story of an event or subject which includes objectivity. On the other hand, column is a newspaper content which is based on the writer’s opinion on a specific issue. Columns reflects the author’s sole personal opinion.
Key indicators to identify a column
Here are some ways to identify which content of a newspaper are column:
Personal voice and opinion:
A column usually an written form of content which contain the writer’s personal opinion and personal point of view on a particular issue.
Tone and style:
Columns often have a more informal tone and style than news articles. Writer may include humor or other story telling style in the column that are not usually used in news article.
Regularity:
Columns are published on regular basis ie, weekly or monthly. Multiple columns are also published in newspapers on the same day.
Placement:
Columns may be placed in a specific section of a publication or website, separate from news articles. For example, a newspaper may have a dedicated opinion or editorial section where columns are published.
Headline:
Column headlines are very creative which attract the readers. This technique is rarely used in news articles. In addition, the author’s name appears in large letters in the column.
However, it should be noted that some characteristic may overlap between columns and news articles, and all columns don’t have the above characteristics.
Key indicators to identify a news article
Here are some key ways to identify the news articles of a newspaper or news portal:
Timeliness:
News articles are usually focused on recent or current events, so the writing will often include specific dates or time about the context.
Objectivity:
News articles try to present the facts in an unbiased way. So, readers will usually find the writing to be objective without personal opinions or commentary.
Inverted pyramid structure:
News articles usually follow the inverted pyramid structure which mean that the most important information are presented first in the article than all supporting details with background information.
Attribution:
News articles often disclose the sources of information, such as eyewitnesses or official statements to the readers as evidence which establish the objectivity.
Headline:
News article headlines are usually straightforward and factual. There is an intended to quickly convey the main point of the story.
Conclusion
We have to remember that all the elements of news articles mentioned above will be not presented in all news articles. At the same, all elements mentioned about column will not be included in all the columns. But these elements certainly help us to understand the difference between a column and a news article.
