Memo to most Idaho State Journal op-ed columnists: Please conserve the news hole and start writing tight.

What does the above journalistic jargon mean? It’s simply this: There’s a limited amount of space for your writing to appear in print. Be more concise in your writing; 800 to 1,200 words should suffice to both make your point and showcase your syntax.

Remember when the ISJ, like most other newspapers, had space to publish editorial cartoons from various viewpoints? Wouldn’t that make the current grey opinion pages of long articles more attractive and easier to digest?

Take a look at the length of columns written by syndicated professionals like Cal Thomas or Eugene Robinson. Their points are made, usually in under 1,000 words, strongly with ample explanations and presentations. Write tight like them, please.