Georgia Trend Magazine has selected Kevin Cummings, columnist and editor of The Catoosa County News and Fort Oglethorpe Press, as one of the “Who’s Who Among Georgia Columnists.”

Cummings was among 24 writers the magazine chose from throughout the state. He began writing his column “Worddrops” (now known as “Carbonated Philosophy”) in the CCN & FOP in 2003. In 2004 he garnered a Georgia Press Association “Humorous Column” award and followed it up with Georgia Press and National Newspaper Association “Serious Column” awards this year.

“Walter Cronkite said, ‘Objective journalism and an opinion column are about as similar as the Bible and Playboy magazine.’ Cronkite, the patron saint of anchormen, was absolutely right,” wrote Jerry Grillo, senior editor at Georgia Trend, in the November edition.

“…In the other corner are the ink-stained wretches, the columnists standing alone, armed with a pad, a pen and a mug shot,” Grillo wrote. “We don’t read them to get the hard news; we read them to learn about news and issues from different angles, or just to be entertained…

“These columnists from around Georgia are worth seeking out,” he said in the article. “You won’t, and probably shouldn’t, agree with all of these folks (or with this list), but each of these people offers unique and thought-provoking perspectives — and many of them are just good reading.”

The following is Georgia Trend’s list of “Who’s Who Among Georgia Columnists”:

Tom Barton, Savannah Morning News

Jay Bookman, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mark Bradley, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Tim Chitwood, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Kevin Cummings, The Catoosa County News

Luke Dittrich, Atlanta magazine

Hollis Gillespie, Creative Loafing

Ed Grisamore, The Telegraph, Macon

Phil Hudgins, Community Newspapers, Inc.

Bill Kenney, The Marietta Daily Journal

Scott Michaux, The Augusta Chronicle

Doug Monroe, Creative Loafing

Jim Morekis, Connect Savannah.com

Don Nelson, Athens Banner-Herald

Len Robbins, Clinch County News

Maria Saporta, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Jeff Schultz, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Bill Shipp, syndicated

Kaffie Sledge, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

John Sugg, Creative Loafing

Ed Tant, Athens Banner-Herald

Cynthia Tucker, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Jim Wooten, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Dick Yarbrough, syndicate