Have newspapers become medium of past or they still play role in people’s lives?

It is very hard to decide that recent human social evolution can be disintegrated from mass media or not. In fact our lives are so much dependent on information being generated by various resources that it is virtually impossible to remain effective without any communication systems. Information needs a medium to travel like newspapers, radio, television, telephone, and Internet etc. There are now a day’s enormous media to carry information from one part of the earth to the other, rendering diverse world a colourful global village. The newspapers were the pioneer of the communication networks and remained leaders of it for more than a century. There is no doubt about the supremacy they have enjoyed but question is ‘are they the still lions of jungle?’ let us analyse the situation.

According to most authenticated resource, the world mass media working group (2002), the graph of number of newspapers is yet far ahead than the other means of communications. This shows that there is no threat to the position of newspapers due to other fast growing competitors. In my country I have seen ever increasing numbers of newspapers, during my personal observation of about two decade and I do not remember any prominent newspapers to disappear altogether unlike other industries. Many prefer it because this is very convenient and affordable to get to each corner of world without jeopardizing routine activities. There is no need of any power connection, device, specific place and time. Judging for the demands of modern day life newspapers seem very much adjusted to everyone’s need, so there should be no reason to contradict its place in our communities.

Most of the researchers declare it as most culturally sensitive, environmentally friendly and community-oriented medium. They also believe in its authenticity as it is recordable, reproducible and a good source of reference in the academic contexts. There is something for everyone’s taste so a cost-effective means for whole family. There is no requirement like buying a connection giving regular bills or anything that can bring hostility for consumers. It still remains a very good source of business, commerce and trade. Politician cannot survive without their support.

However there are different types of newspaper that bring a bad credit to its strength. People are afraid of the wrong propaganda that can be mediated through it. Sometimes they are blamed for highlighting unhealthy behaviours and conveying doubtful messages. Moreover it is not associated with the charisma of colour, lights, movements and sounds (music). Some feel its effects are not visual so lacks attraction and attention. Young people regards as non-entertaining and few regard it as boring. In my country there is another problem, the literacy rate is low, so they more trust on other media like television etc. for retrieving information. Few of my aunts think that it is unfashionable and orthodox.

Therefore it is not difficult to conclude that newspapers because of their vast positive points and deep-rooted community values still enjoy a super position. They are successful in making and shaping public opinion. They have been so much acclimatised in our daily and professional lives that most things would be very difficult to accomplish without them. There is ample evidence that newspapers are also very effective in keeping different languages and culture alive. However contrary to any unilateral views many regards newspapers as important as others, they somehow have developed a vision to keep balance between different media prevailing today. In my opinion this is best to keep and maintain balance of all sources and media of information as we live in informatics’age.