| Friedman: For me, there are basically five kinds of columns, and if your column falls into one of these boxes, if it produces one of these five reactions, you know it is working. Number One: "Tom, I did not know that" -- tell people something they never knew. Number two: "I never looked at it that way'' -- give people a new perspective. The third is my favorite. You live for this as a journalist: "You said exactly what I feel, but I did not know how to say it. Thank you." That you love. The fourth is: "I want to kill you, you and all your children. Your column stands for everything I am opposed to." You need to make enemies in this business. Category five is the hardest and you can do this at most once a year: "Tom, you made me laugh. You made me cry." |