GENERAL STYLE OF THE COLUMN:Unified Style, Anecdotal Style, Departmental Style

Feature and Column Writing MCM 514

LESSON 26

GENERAL STYLE OF THE COLUMN

Five General Styles

There are five general styles, employed in the column-writing. It now depends on the columnist to choose

and select the style of a column according to his aptitude, personality and attitude in close consonance

with the type of his column. The selection of an appropriate style also depends on the nature of material a

columnist desires to employ.

I) Unified Style

When a column is desired to be composed and written on a simple subject throughout, a columnist is said

to have utilised the unified style. As per unified style, such column is in fact an essay formally or

informally in order to attune his topic and approach. A unified style is generally used by the political

columnist, the sports columnist. These columnists used the unified style to discuss a single subject on

each day. It is also useful for those who cater to single-idea columns.

II) Anecdotal Style

In this style, a number of unrelated and related stories and a variety of observations are gathered in a

single column. These unrelated stories and varied observations however could bear no similarities and

have no bearing on each other. By anecdotal style, a columnist is able to include several subjects ranging

from six to ten anecdotes or observation in a single column. However he separates them from each other

by asterisks or by other typographical devices.

III) Departmental Style

When a columnist has arranged and managed such material, which can be easily divided and separated

into different departments, it is known as a departmental style. This style greatly assists in turning each

and every department interest absorbing one, easy to understand and handle. It is most effective for

random observation, little known information and provocative bits of news of general interest, which all

collectively make the columns most popular and generally practised. The departmental columns may be

given such names as, "in the mailbag", `lest we forget", "things to remember", and "Passing Parade".

Besides the departments may be separated by asterisks or some other typographical devices.

IV) Unrelated-facts-style

Under this style of column-writing, a columnist presents a mass of facts which have little or more bearing

on each other. In view of the diversity of material, this style serves the best purposes, by arranging and

presenting the facts without any apparent order. In order to make distinction among several unrelated-

facts, the columnist simply separates them with one or more periods. It is somewhat a pause, which

depends on the arrangement of the facts. A columnist usually enlivens and freshens the interest by variety,

surprise or by any other device.

V) Question-and-Answer Style

Under this style of column-writing, a columnist gives a question and then answers it. By this style, a

columnist makes the columns easy to understand and intelligible even to the general readers. This style of

writing a column gives ample opportunities to the columnist to raise questions of national and paramount

importance, and then answers them in easy and understandable style and language. In this way, a good

columnist paves the way for instruction, teaching and improving educational values and standard of the

general masses in an effective way.

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