Online News vs Newspaper
The differences between online news and newspapers encompass various aspects such as readership, space, and portability. The internet has made significant inroads in our lives and has grown exponentially to impact our lives in multiple areas. We can see and hear the latest news from celebrities and get the latest, even live feeds of natural and manmade disasters on the internet, similar to television. The internet may have numerous benefits for us, but in this article, we will focus on the effect the internet has had on the circulation of print newspapers and the real differences between print newspapers and online newspapers, if any.
What is a Newspaper?
A newspaper is a bundle of printed papers that are put together. This bundle of papers is covered with printed letters and pictures that are news items. Newspapers hold more significance for the older generation than for the younger ones. The older generation has a liking for print editions as they find it more familiar. In particular, elderly people who were born before the technological inventions period have to struggle with online news as that requires the use of an electronic device to access the internet. This is in contrast to the younger generation, who, with the advent of the internet and social networking sites, have been gripped by them like a viral fever.
Every newspaper worth its weight in salt today has an e-edition over and above its regular edition. This is a defensive move, though there are many who feel that having an online edition bolsters the image of the newspaper and gives it a positive, modern image than if the group does not have an online edition. But ask anyone who is a reader of the print edition to compare it with the online edition of the same newspaper. The reply is sure to be one that is a shocker for those who believe that online newspapers are very effective.
Despite the control that one has while reading an online edition of a newspaper, the old charm of a print paper with coffee or hot chocolate in hand is hard to match. Then there are many who take print newspapers to the garden, kitchen, and even to the toilet, which is certainly not possible with the e-edition of a newspaper. Even if the person ends up getting water on the edition, that is not much of a problem.
Sometimes the in-depth analysis of a story that runs for many pages may be difficult because of the scarcity of paper and space available for a story in the print edition. However, you will see people find it more pleasing to read news on a newspaper because you get to read the whole story without getting disturbed by advertisements that appear on the screen if you were reading it online.
What is Online News?
Online news refers to the online edition of a print newspaper that we can access using the internet. One advantage of online editions of newspapers is the ability to take part in all sorts of opinion polls and replies and comments, which take time in the case of print editions. Another advantage that online editions have is the ability to have long (as long as they like) stories on any given day. This means that in-depth coverage of an issue is possible in online editions. Ask a young kid who has the facility of the internet, and they would tell you it is foolish to spend a dollar on a print edition when all one has to do is type the URL of the newspaper to get the same information for free. This is because their lives are mostly spent in front of a computer, working or studying. But try convincing an old man about this facility, and he would scoff at the idea, saying a print edition is priceless, while an online edition is only for days when your hawker has not arrived because of incessant rains.
What is the difference between Online News and Newspaper?
• Readership:
– Mainly older generation and some parts of the younger generation prefer the print edition.
– Younger generations mostly prefer online editions.
• Portability:
– One can carry print editions everywhere.
– You cannot carry online editions everywhere as that requires you to carry your electronic device everywhere with you, and you also need an internet connection. This is not possible all the time.
• Space:
– Newspaper print editions have space limitations.
– Online editions have no such problem with space.
• Interaction:
– With print editions, you cannot have immediate interactions such as taking part in opinion polls and giving comments.
– In contrast, one can take part in opinion polls and put comments in online editions.
Despite all these differences, the claim that online editions of newspapers would sound death knells for print editions was nothing more than farfetched imagination. There has not been more than a little dent on the readership of print editions of newspapers.
