Scribes Agree To Disagree

By: Dave Astor The results are preliminary, and the sample wasn't huge. But given the fact that newspaper columnists are rarely surveyed, a University of San Francisco professor has unearthed some unique information.

J. Michael Robertson told National Society of Newspaper Columnists (NSNC) conference attendees in San Francisco that he has tabulated 125 survey responses so far. Here are some of the findings (which, partly because not everyone answered every question, include numbers that don't add up to 125):

?Thirty-four agreed and 74 disagreed that "syndication is a mark of excellence in column writing." Robertson said some respondents feel syndication creates pressure to "write bland, generic columns." But one audience member said the numbers reflect the fact that many answering the poll are local, unsyndicated columnists.

?One hundred one agreed and 10 disagreed that "good columnists are good reporters."

?Seventy-one agreed and 16 disagreed that their co-workers think column writing is easier than reporting, feature writing, and editing.

?Seventy-one agreed and 20 disagreed that columnists should be paid more than the average reporter or editor.

?One hundred said they are and 24 said they aren't consulted by their editor before changes are made in a column.

?Sixty-five said they have never had a column killed, 41 have had one to five killed, seven have had five to 10 killed, and one had had more than 20 killed.

?Twenty-two said columnists should be objective and 97 said they shouldn't. But 104 said columnists should be fair.

?Seventy-six said column writing is an art, 24 said it's a craft, and seven said it's a combination of both.

?Forty-seven write one column a week, 21 write two, 27 write three, and 12 write four or more.

?Fifty-one said they knew and 59 said they didn't know, when first entering journalism, that they eventually wanted to become a columnist.

?Ninety-five said they're secure and 26 said they're not secure in their jobs.

?Forty-nine said they will and 48 said they will not choose to give up their column one day. But 114 agreed and five disagreed that some writers do columns for too long.

?Seventy-five have bachelor's degrees and 25 master's degrees.

In an age of bottom-line journalism, are columnists a luxury? "People who read you are more literate and more active consumers than average, so you're pulling your weight," Robertson told NSNC attendees, who included columnists from more than 20 states and Canada.

Robertson, who's working on a book about columnists, is associate professor and chair of communication studies at his university. He formerly wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle for 11 years.

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ANOTHER COMIC GREAT IS DEAD
'Dennis the Menace' Creator Praised

Within a six-month period in 1950-51, three World War II veterans moved from magazine cartooning to newspaper syndication -- where fame awaited Mort Walker ("Beetle Bailey"), Charles Schulz ("Peanuts"), and Hank Ketcham ("Dennis the Menace"). Now, with Ketcham's June 1 death from prostate cancer, two-thirds of this troika are gone.
Ironically, the 81-year-old Californian died only a week after the opening of a 50th-anniversary "Dennis the Menace" exhibit at the International Museum of Cartoon Art in Boca Raton, Fla.

The show's guest curator, "Hi & Lois" writer Brian Walker (son of Mort), had this to say about Ketcham's creation: "Dennis the Menace is one of those cartoon characters who transcended pen and ink to become a cultural icon." He added, "Hank was very highly regarded among cartoonists for his artistic ability. In terms of composition and line work, he was one of the best in the business."

The comic about a mischievous 5-year-old also spawned books selling more than 50 million copies, a 1959-63 TV series, and two 1990s movies. Ketcham himself did some acting in his school days, and said a theatrical background helped him as a cartoonist. "You become the stage director, lighting director, furniture designer -- and the actor for each character you draw," he told E&P magazine in 1986.

"Dennis the Menace," distributed by King Features Syndicate to more than 1,000 newspapers, will continue to be handled by Marcus Hamilton and Ron Ferdinand. Ketcham stopped doing his comic several years ago, but continued to oversee it while also spending time as a painter.

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MIDEAST COLUMN CRITICIZED
And The Right To Write It Defended

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) urged Tribune Media Services (TMS) to drop Cal Thomas after he suggested in a June 6 column that Israel move Palestinians to Arab countries.

In a letter sent to TMS President David Williams, the Washington, D.C.-based CAIR wrote that Thomas' views "would be more at home in the Nazi-era publication Der Sturmer than in newspapers subscribing to Tribune Media Services."

TMS, which is keeping the columnist, said it received no complaints from Thomas' 520 papers as of late afternoon June 6. It added, "Our position is that while it is not our intention to offend any particular group or person, TMS syndicates material from a diverse group of columnists, commentators, and editorial cartoonists whose views span the political spectrum. We stand behind the integrity of our editorial staff, and their right to express their opinions as protected by the First Amendment."

The June 6 Thomas column, written after a suicide bombing killed 19 Israelis, stated: "Most Arabs and Palestinians appear to be nonviolent, but it can be difficult to tell the difference. ... Israel should declare its intention to transfer large numbers of its Palestinian residents to Arab nations. This sounds radical until one considers that it is precisely what Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have done ... ."

Thomas, speaking to E&P Online, said CAIR never criticized Arab nations that expelled Palestinians.

CAIR previously complained last fall about a Thomas column criticizing "radical" sectors of Islam.

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DICTIONARY HAS THE GOODS ...
... On the Origin Of "Bad-Hair Day"

The expression "bad-hair day" grew from the mind of columnist Susan Swartz of The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, Calif., and the New York Times News Service.
That's according to the news service's and New York Times Syndicate's latest "Update" publication. It noted that Swartz is credited for her 1988 creation in the new "Oxford English Dictionary."

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ET CETERA ...

Personal Trainer," a weekly health-and-fitness graphic illustrated by Paul Trap, is being offered by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. Also, KRT is providing its print graphics in narrower column measures starting July 1. ...

Copley News Service has launched California Wire, a daily package that includes stories, features, editorials, and editorial cartoons of interest to Golden State readers. ...

AccuWeather is providing AmeriCares, the international disaster relief and humanitarian-aid organization, with weather alerts and access to its 100 meteorologists. And the two organizations' Web sites will link to each other. ...

Publishers-Edge, which syndicates special sections, is offering a service for newspapers that publish these sections online. ...

Uclick is partnering with Airborne to provide content -- including comics such as "Doonesbury" and "Garfield" -- to wireless users. ...

"Tech-To-Go," Andy Walker's column on devices people use while on the road, is being offered by Cyberwalker Media. CM is also offering reviews of digital products. ...

Kinecta, which is involved in the automation of online syndication, has a new product called the "Kinecta Content Directory." ...

The Associated Press reported that "Dilbert" creator Scott Adams of United Feature Syndicate is "cutting out publishers and book tours" by offering a non-"Dilbert" e-book directly to readers online. Because of the way it's being sold, "God's Debris" costs only $4.95. ...

"Mutts" cartoonist Patrick McDonnell of King Features Syndicate has a new collection called "A Little Look-See" (Andrews McMeel Publishing), while "One Big Happy" cartoonist Rick Detorie of Creators Syndicate has a new book entitled "All the Dirt!" (NBM Publishing). ...

Recording artist/producer/new-media pioneer Todd Rundgren has joined Context Media's advisory board. ...

Former New York Times Co. executive James Cutie and literary agent Sterling Lord have joined Featurewell.com's advisory board. ...

"Shortcuts" is now available with a teaching guide to assist educators who use the Jeff Harris-created United kids' page in the classroom.