Column tweaking

Earlier this year, I decided to add my mug shot to my opinion column after I read a section of Jock Lauterer's book that suggested it. I would also do so now for regular columnists if I had them. However, I still use justified columns for opinion/editorial pieces.

Should I switch to ragged right for op-ed pieces? If so, why? If not, why not?

 

Yes. It's standard format for an opinion piece.

 

i bet i can come up with as many papers that use ragged right as justified so i don't know about any standard format. decide which way you like and go with that one.

 

I like ragged right for columns since it makes them stand out. It sets it apart from a news story, just as a mugshot would.

 

Ragged right for columns, italic on the head if your typeface doesn't look like ass in italic.

 

Having not seen your typeface, I can say with 90 percent certainty that it looks like ass in italics.

 

When I decided to switch to rag right, our production manager seemingly tried her damnest to convince me not to switch. I'm not too consistent with it so far, I must say...

 

What does the rest of your paper do? Stay consistent. If all the columnists in every other section justified, stay justified, or get them to go all ragged right.

There is no standard format for this, it's whatever the paper wants it to look like. I've worked for papers that do it both ways.

 

I know this is old, but now I've developed a consistent style.

Feature stories get italic hedes and a drop cap in the first graf. Regular columnists get a mug shot with their names under them. All columns are rag right. I don't use italic hedes on columns because that's the style I use for feature stories.

 

That sounds like a good starting point.

 

i hope you're having a good fucking time in 1985.

and, yet again, i agree with doc about RR.

 

not going to hurt a damn thing to include columns, too.