The columnist's life is never dull
Columnists take a lot of flak, particularly when they wade into some hot topics. Our local columnist, Lorraine Ahearn, went to Riverfest in Eden earlier this month, wrote a column about her disappointment with it, and has been called smug, arrogant and a variety of other terms, some not suitable for the Internet. (Well, they probably are suitable for the Internet, but not suitable for this blog.) Eden's director of business development even invited her to stay home next year.
On Sunday, Ed Hardin wrote about the N.C. State-Ohio State football game, and I found these comments from readers in my mailbox:
"This article is so one-sided and biased it ranks up there with the current scandals surrounding CBS & Dan Rather."
"As an Ohio State alumni & fan, your article is the same as the other newspaper articles from the losing team's newspapers of the last 28 teams OSU has beaten in the last 30 games. OSU is always called lucky, slow, lifeless, etc. I used to get offended, but now I just enjoy the W's!"
"This article seems slanted toward your demographic location, while leaning away from the realities of the game. Actually State was given 7 extra points due to the official's missed call on A.J. Hawks' second interception of the day. Put that in your next overblown article, with a little less wine."
I got six like that. Can you imagine what Ed got? And the column wasn't even a homer column for State. Here is what the columnist at N.C. State's hometown newspaper wrote.
The comments don't sting. In fact, we welcome them. Columnists are paid to bring insight, understanding, interesting stories and a point of view to the paper. Both Ed and Lorraine do that. They write favorably about a variety of topics. They call them like they see them, which means they will make some people uncomfortable. In some cases, they even cost us readers. But if they can inspire readers to respond, that's the best result. A bored reader frightens editors.
I don't always agree with them, but we give our columnists a wide latitude. We give letter writers who object to them the same latitude.
Comments (2)
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I am a State alum and was at the game with Ohio State on Saturday. I think Ed Hardin's analysis is mostly spot-on, although I think his verdict on the State offense may be premature.
Still, for a program whose motto is "Discipline," State showed none, and Ohio State showed plenty. That was the difference in the game.
Posted on September 21, 2004 9:50 AM
You know... Well actually you probably don't know as we've never actually met, but anyway, when I first began writing I was asked by another new writer, "How can you stand it when people make negative comments about your work?'
To which I replied, "You know, it's all perspective. I've lead a colorful life having almost frozen to death in the Rockies and the Great Plains, having almost drowned in class five whitewater when I'm a class two paddler at best, having been shot at and missed, stabbed at and hit... sorta makes negative comments seem rather easy."
Fact is: a writer must have a thick skin and be willing to stir the pot. A creative writer is always looking to inflame passions within the constraints of the medium in which he or she works, and must be prepared to bear the brunt of his work.
Lastly, I just wanted to say thanks for the link. It means a lot coming from a professional such as yourself.
Posted on September 21, 2004 11:17 PM