Online News vs Newspaper
The difference between online news and newspaper includes several areas such as the readership, space, portability, etc. Internet has made rapid inroads in our lives and has grown exponentially to touch our lives in all spheres. We can see and hear the latest news from celebrities and get latest, even live feeds of natural and manmade disasters on the internet, just like a television. Internet may have many more benefits for us but, in this article, we will restrict ourselves to the effect internet has had on the circulation of print newspapers, and what the real differences between print newspapers and online newspapers are, if any.
What is a Newspaper?
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 significance more for older generation than for those who are young. Older generation has a liking for print editions as they find it more familiar. Especially, elderly people, who were born before the technological inventions period, have to struggle with online news as that requires you to use an electronic device to access the internet. This is in contrast to the younger generation, who with the advent of internet and social networking sites has been gripped by them like 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 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 newspaper to the garden, kitchen, and even to toilet, which is certainly not possible with 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 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 refer to the online edition of a print newspaper that we can access using internet. One advantage with online editions of newspapers is the ability to take part in all sorts of opinion polls and replies and comments which take time in 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 internet and he would tell you it is foolish to spend a dollar on a print edition when all one has to do is to type the URL of the newspaper to get the same information for free. This is because their lives are mostly spend 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 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 younger generation prefer the print edition.
• Younger generations prefer online editions mostly.
• Portability:
• One can carry print editions everywhere.
• You cannot carry online editions everywhere as that requires you to carry you electronic device everywhere with you and you also need the 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.
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