Writers who regularly write opinion pieces or commentary articles called 'columns' for newspapers, magazines, or websites.
From 'column' (a vertical section of a newspaper page, from Latin 'columna' meaning a physical pillar or support), with '-ist' suffix meaning 'one who practices or specializes in.'
Newspaper columnists literally write in 'columns'—the narrow vertical sections on a page—but they've become so important that famous columnists like Ann Landers essentially *held up* the reputation of entire newspapers, like human pillars!
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