By Adriana Rodriguez, Contributing Writer
When it comes to the news, not many people decide to read it in its printed form anymore, instead they prefer to look for its digital form- whether via social media or its more famous medium: Google.
The most common arguments in favor of digital news are that they have more resources, and more current and diverse in their forms (videos, gifs, etc.). However, what many people fail to identify are the downsides of these “benefits”, and the hidden conveniences of the printed news.
Nowadays, people desire news to be readily available to them across social media instead of intentionally seeking them out, unless it is for specific purposes like projects, trips, and other ventures.
Due to such diverse necessities, digital news provides a variety of resources from different sources. Although digital news may be readily available, it can lead to misdirection and misinformation.
In contrast, printed newspapers have a more focused target audience and are therefore more selective in the information included in their volume. For example, residents in Kentucky can enjoy their local news at ease.
However, the more digital news on a specific topic available, the more imperative it is for one to verify the authenticity of them. Contradicting news can lead to confusion, misinformation, or biased perceptions due to preferred sources.
“As we often see, social media posts can be interpreted as “digital news,” even though they may not be posted by a legitimate news source that vets the sources and statements,” said Mary McCoy, university writer and media relations.
It is for this reason that printed newspapers are favored because writers and editors must follow strict regulations about the information and sources before the newspapers are distributed to the public.
Both types of news are written by educated journalists, most of which studied in universities in preparation for their job, who follow the laws and guidelines when researching, interviewing, and writing.
Unlike online articles which may be prone to hacking and editing by anyone, printed newspapers cannot be changed once distributed to the public.
On the flip side, digital news can be incorporated in various forms like videos and gifs, and it can also outsource to other related news via hyperlinks.
But, without technology and internet access digital news cannot be accessed. Unfortunately, these two components are separate and come with their own financial expenses. The printed newspaper may be more affordable for those who do not have a phone or internet connection. Even the past fee of having it delivered has become absolute as it is now free and available in stores. Regarding the diversity in arguments that online articles can provide, it can serve as evidence that the article that one is reading is more opinion based rather than factual.
This does not mean that all the articles found online are false or irrelevant, but they can be confusing in their contradictions to each other and sometimes even conspiratorial. Pop-up advertisements are another downside to digital news. Although some can be relevant to one’s needs and blocked if not, they are typically a cause for annoyance as they take up time (especially if they are videos) and space which disrupts one’s reading.
While it is true that newspaper also tend to include advertisements, they are designated to their own pages and structured based on both their relevance and type of information. In contrast, digital ads found online tend to be erratic in both their pop-ups and information.
Many people enjoy the feeling of having something on hand and turning the pages, even the smell of print can be a comfort to the readers.
“I love the feel of the newspaper, the convenience of taking it with me, the ease with which it can be read, and the way the news is sorted for me in sections,” said McCoy.
Although this is not a universal preference, it is still something to take into consideration before simply discarding the relevance of the printed newspaper immediately.
If one decides to go back to re-read something, they do not have to wait for a page to load. Nor do they have to strain their eyes in front of a phone or computer screen. This is very important as people have begun to spend more time on their digital devices which has caused an unprecedented rise of the necessity for eye problems and corrective lenses.
“I prefer to read printed news. I spend more than enough time looking at a computer screen, which is not good for my eyes,” says Dr. Passard Dean, department chair and graduate director of accounting, economics, and finance at Saint Leo University.
Even with the recent increase in the usage of blue light glasses and blue light screen covers, the eyes are still strained to a certain degree if only to a lesser one. The extra purchase necessary for these precautions and their expenses must also be taken into consideration.
The ongoing debate about printing newspapers being wasteful is not entirely true because they serve a purpose. Printed newspaper can be recycled for other purposes. This can include project pertaining arts and crafts, re-usage of the paper, and/ or even cleanup (especially that of pets).
