Death of the Newspaper in digital era ? I don’t think so.

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December 31, 2023

Even today in India, you are greeted by two visitors daily even before the cock crows or the sun rises. One of them is the milkman, and the other is the newspaper boy(I don’t know if newspaper man exists ? :/) One of the first things that you would see every morning is the newspaper lying in your courtyard or the balcony if you are staying above the ground floor. Sipping hot coffee / tea alongside reading the newspaper was the trend. But in this digital era where there is a tsunami of news apps such that it is just a tap away, many would wonder if anyone still read the newspaper. Well is this the death of the Newspaper in digital era ? Will I don’t think so !

With a sea of news apps in the market, the newspaper is still the only source of information for many, especially in a country like India. With a daily readership of well over 125 Million for all the newspapers, this surely says that Newspapers are there to stay. For many including me, the day doesn’t start with a newspaper. Even with a smart phone and the Internet, not reading a newspaper leaves a void in my day, the day is incomplete without it. Even when you walk into a good hotel, office, any public place you will definitely find a newspaper stand. One of the most common sights you would come across would be of people reading a newspaper at the bus stand, railway station or even in the park !

So Why newspaper over news apps ?

• Even though the newspapers don’t have the breaking news notification, it does have a highly localized news section which I feel the apps lack. Most of the apps do have a local city section but it generally covers the metros. So what happened last night in Karimnagar, is something you might not find in the news app but you’ll definitely find a mention in a local daily.
• Most people in India prefer reading news in their local language (not because they don’t know English) but because they are more comfortable. Even though the news apps are now available in Hindi, English. They do miss out on local languages. Finding a Malayalam or Bengali newspaper is much easy that a news app in the language. Even I get an English and a Hindi newspaper daily.
• For as low as 3 Rs you can get information worth millions ! It still has a great reach when compared to news apps, considering the fact that many in India still don’t have access to the Internet. So finding a job to finding your soul mate, there’s everything available in one single newspaper.
• At last, the feel of a newspaper is priceless. It’s far better than swiping or flicking for news. Many including me would prefer reading a newspaper any day. It’s one way to keep ourselves away from the smart phone to which we are glued for almost the entire day. A much-needed break !

In my house, everyday is a fight for the newspaper. Everyone wants to read only the main paper and that too before anyone else reads. From sports to global news and from entertainment to finance, there’s everything for everyone. Reading a newspaper is a good habit that I feel every parent must inculcate in their children from a tender age. Because if you aren’t aware of what’s happening you will be a mere listener during conversations.

So this is definitely not the death of the newspaper even in this digital era. Also there’s a reason why the UPSC wants all the civil services aspirants to read newspaper ! Let me know your views ? Do you still read a newspaper or prefer the news apps ? It’ll be worth to note your point of view too !