As someone who loves to write, I believe the print media is still vital to our communication today.
I am not downplaying the effectiveness of the Internet media, but I want others to understand why print media is still relevant. Many of us rely heavily on our technology outlets to keep us updated on current events and never give a second thought to reading a newspaper.
Small communities still rely on the print media as their main source of information. The article “How People Get Local News and Information in Different Communities,” published by the Pew Research Center, claims people who reside in small towns and rural areas are more dependent on traditional media, such as newspapers, to obtain news.
These people are also “the most likely to worry about what would happen if the local newspaper no longer existed.” This article reminds us not everyone has the same access to information as urban areas and cities have. Getting those small town newspapers every week is something that is shared within the small towns and even branches out to rural areas close to small towns. Overall, the local newspaper is heavily grounded in small communities and is, in a way, a tradition.
The print media, such as newspapers, are also more reliable sources of information than the Internet or other social media sources alone.
Anyone can put information on the Internet, but the investigators for print must be sure to do accurate and in depth research, many times going to the actual scenes of the story.
Some in favor of the Internet media as a main source argue it should be just as trusted as the print news. The article “Social Media is Everywhere, but is Print Still Valuable?” claims many times, the social media is misunderstood. Many people see it as such a convenience that they tend to stereotype each media site as “one of many.” Nevertheless, this article also makes a couple of valid points that support the side of the print media. For example, it claims if someone who is writing for an online source puts a story up, it can be easily forgotten within a few hours. In the end, the print media is more trustworthy than and not as questionable as the Internet and social media sites.
The print media, although a much needed form of communication, has become progressively neglected over the years as a result of the increasing dependence on technology. Unfortunately, most of us tend to rely heavily on the convenience of technology and its sources of information. Evidence from the Pew Research Center found only 23 percent of citizens read newspapers to obtain information about current events and 46 percent obtain news from the Internet. Many people will argue the Internet media is more appealing, convenient and modern. However, while this may be true, we must be reminded anyone can put information on the Internet, especially when we consider other outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.
The younger generations seem to contribute to this decline in readership of the print media.
If newspapers do not reach all areas of small communities, then only some of the citizens will remain updated on things such as politics.
Consequently, the rest will probably neglect such things. This results in a less informed and less active society.
Even though social media networks affect the print media, we should still uphold this true way of communication.
When I say “true way of communication,” I do not mean just the actual truth behind the stories in print; when we read a newspaper article, we have to remember that someone actually took the time to investigate that story, gather the facts, and put those facts into words for us.
I remember when I wrote an article for my local newspaper and the work that went along with it. The interviewing, figuring out which questions to ask and then finally piecing the story together.
The true forms and ethics of journalism are diminishing because of the ever-evolving Internet media. We should have respect for those who put themselves and their time into the print industry. As a result, we can help uphold the future of newspapers and other print media.
However, despite some decline, the newspaper industry holds up well in comparison to what the majority of people may think. About one-quarter of citizens still purchase newspapers on a daily basis.
My hope is others will realize the print media is much more than a black and white piece of paper and understand why we need to keep it alive.
Yes, we all enjoy the convenience of our smart phones and our other technological advantages, but we need to keep in mind the importance of the roots of our communication. The print media is still an undeniable part of our communication and our history.
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Newspapers still hold important merit to communication, society
Kaitlan Sudduth
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February 7, 2013
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