IMPORTANCE OF NEWSPAPERS
In the modern age of information technology people have started thinking that the importance of newspapers has declined. It was so when radio and later on television were introduced in the world. The importance of newspapers has not become less. They have rather adopted information technology to improve the standard of their papers. Formerly the trend was seen in English newspapers throughout the world. It was followed by the papers in the languages spoken in different countries of the world. The lead was, of course given by the United States of America. In India too it has been adopted by almost all the standard paper in regional languages especially in Hindi as it is the language of the largest number of people in the country. But the Tamil, Kannada, Telegu (especially) Malayalam, Gujarati and Marathi papers have not remained untouched. They have adopted information technology in their own way. Thus the newspapers in India in the modern days are most sophisticated.
Go even to a small village you will find people going through newspapers. In cities you will find even cobbler on the road side going through it. In almost all the middle class families it is the first thing to go through even before tea. People are hungry after newspapers. They have to satisfy their hunger.
Leaving BBC and Voice of America apart the Indian Counterpart Radio and Doordarshan are owned by the government, naturally all that you see or hear has a tinge of the outlook of the government. Sometimes it is simply a substitute of the spokesperson of the government. That is why newspapers have not lost their importance in India.
People want to know about the latest development in the political situation in the country and the world. There is no doubt that very important event like the hijacking of planes and attacks on the two towers of World Trade Organization in USA on September 11, 2001 reducing them to a heap of rubble were immediately broadcast throughout the world. But the people wanted to have detailed information. Newspapers sent that purpose. They immediately brought the news of the hand of Osama-bin-Laden in this tragedy in which seven thousand people were killed within the fraction of a minute.
In India people would like to know in detail the happenings in Gujarat after the burning of a bogie of Sabarmati Express at Godhra. They wanted to know how it was retaliated throughout the state. English newspapers, under the guise of secularism condemned it while some regional papers were either silent or favoured it. People have to draw their own conclusions.
One of the great importances of newspapers is that they give in details the relationship between regional forces in politics and their influence on the central government. The regional papers have gained grounds over the English media in this respect. One of the most important works of newspapers is to throw light on the social problems illiteracy poverty the condition of women in urban and rural areas, dowry, caste and communal problems exploitation of the girl child, pitiable condition of scheduled tribes living in forests. They also throw light on noise pollution, pollution because of holes in Ozone layer, water pollution.
Another problem the print media exposes is the evil nexus between politicians, bureaucrats and mafias. It has much to do with the onafiaism in our country. The terrorism in Kashmir and the hand of Pakistan and some other Islamic States is exposed in details in newspapers in India.
Newspapers are responsible for giving a boost to Indian Economy. The news of share markets, taxation policy the role of industries all finds a sufficient space in the print media.
Those who are interested in sports and games will find that most of the papers carry this news in detail in two pages.
Besides all these and many other national and international aspects newspapers have a large number of advertisements. They late to consumer goods tender educational institutions. Well one may find a good fiancee through the matrimonial column.
