The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word BYLINES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
B
Y
L
I
N
E
S
More clues leading to the result BYLINES
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "They say who’s written Times columns/They say who’s written Times columns" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case they say who’s written times columns/they say who’s written times columns = bylines.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BYLINES mean?
BYLINES noun- A line at the head of a newspaper or magazine article carrying the writer's name.
- A touchline.