I wrote on Saturday about a smarter person than I coining the term “trollumnist” in response to a Miranda Devine article. That smarter person has now published a longer exploration of the phenomenon at newmatilda.com and it’s really, really good so you should go and read it.

‘If I Make You Angry Enough, Maybe You’ll Keep Reading’

Editors use flimsy commentary from ‘trollumnists’ like Miranda Devine to stir up outrage. But baiting readers in this way ultimately hurts your organisation, writes Jason Wilson

It used to be that to get your own column in a broadsheet, you needed to add some value. Expertise, skill in interpreting social and political developments, or a distinguished history as a journalist were rewarded with a bit more space in the paper. There, you could spin out a longer-form piece analysing burning issues in a little more depth, or you could even act as an advocate for things that weren’t on the public’s radar.

Read the rest of the article …