Logo

Political Columnists and Writers


Overview

Political Columnists and Writers

Introduction

Political columnists write opinion pieces about politics and government for publication in newspapers and magazines. Some columnists work for syndicates, which are organizations that sell articles to many media at once.

Political writers express, edit, promote, and interpret ideas and facts about politics and government in written form for newspapers, magazines, books, Web sites, and radio and television broadcasts.

Quick Facts


More

Median Salary

$63,200

More

Employment Prospects

Fair

More

Minimum Education Level

Bachelor's Degree


More

Experience

Prior writing or reporting experience required


More

Skills

Organizational
img


More

Personality Traits

Curious
img

Earnings

Like reporters' salaries, the incomes of political columnists and writers vary greatly according to experience; newspaper, magazine, radio station, or television station size and location; and whether the columnist or writer is under a union contract.

The U.S. Department of Labor classifies columnists with news analysts, reporters, and journalists, and reports that the median annual inco...

Work Environment

Most political columnists and writers work in newsrooms or offices. The atmosphere in a newsroom is generally fast paced and loud, so political columnists and writers must be able to concentrate and meet deadlines in this type of environment. Some political writers, especially those who are syndicated but not affiliated with a particular newspaper or magazine, work out of their homes or private...

Outlook

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) predicts that employment growth for reporters and correspondents (including political columnists) will decline significantly through 2028. Job opportunities for writers and authors (including political writers) are expected to show little or no change through 2028, according to the DOL.

Growth will be hindered by such factors as mergers and closures of ...