My Radio Talk On The Impact Of Digital Media on News papers and Books.

The Impact of Digital Media on Newspapers and Books

                      Script for Radio Talk On All India Radio

                                                           B.Sharmila

                                                        Lecturer in English

                                                         TJPS College (PG Courses)

                                                       Guntur-6.

           

Books and News papers are as old as Modern Human Civilization. Technological revolution that initiated in Europe made a lot of contribution to many fields of human activity across the world. International relations and wars warranted the human kind to know from day to day the social, political, economic and scientific developments taking place in the form of inventions and discoveries. Certainly, books have opened up  avenues to the modern man from the experience of people of the past generations. Though they are dead they are alive through their writings. Coming to News papers, they are a window to the world as they proclaim the latest happenings in all parts of the world and in all fields of human kind and contribute to the growth of human kind and  human awareness and awakening. News paper culture originated in England, and it was English people who launched the News papers in India through  the freedom movement.

As Wi-Fi technology, as made inroads into human life, its ramifications such as the use of Internet, web communication and e- learning have occupied a very important place in the day- to – day activities of man. Internet can provide everything possible under the sun in the text form and image form but in a virtual manner. The click of a button, the touch of an application can lead the user in a world of information with all its updates. Wi-Fi technology which was first used for  war purpose primarily, thereafter for science, and now is used for all areas of human knowledge.

The text in the virtual form has made a lot of influence on the present generation in such a magnitude that anybody not having the knowledge of the use of Internet is viewed as an illiterate person. With the growth of Web- Technology the books, both of the past and the present are available in the e- book form. Reading a book or a News paper, on the screen of a computer or a smart phone has a number of advantages. As  the heaps of information is made available to the world through the Internet, it serves the purpose of placing the books that are  out of use and out of print, into the hands of many. One cannot afford to buy a multiplicity of   News papers published every day in a particular country, though he has an ambition to read them. Added to this, Internet acts as a substitute for books and News papers, the publication and printing  of which involves a lot of money and paper which inturn stops the cutting down of trees and saves of environment. So, it is unquestionable that Internet is ecofriendly.  

Of course, Reading of books, News papers and journals on the screen of a computer or smart phone has its own limitations and disadvantages. The Internet does not give the real feel and thrill of reading. Though the youth of today, who are continuously habituated to reading on the screen for hours and hours with rapt attention may not approve of it, yet it does not amount to the act of reading. Internet reading is virtual reading, as the text appears and vanishes without giving any scope for the reader to capture the real essence of what he has read. Actual reading involves using of book marks, underlining the purple patches which are meant for re- reading in the future times. Many other papers in this country, could still have a very healthy, and profitable print business, if they simply offer, a product that people want. Ofcourse, the internet,is still an incredibly efficient and effective means of delivering news, it doesnot entirely replaces the demand for thoughtful, through, well researched, and journalistically sound articles, that can be read anywhere and anytime, can be easily shared that we don’t have to worry about our kids spilling juice on, and that can be comfortably read for long periods of time. Does that mean, news papers could have stopped, the rise of the internet, as a new medium? Of course not, but it does mean that, they could probably have co-existed.

Electronic reading for an inordinate length of time may result in, as scientists have proved radiation to the eye and other delicate vital organs of the body.

In spite of the growth of the Internet in the field of the dissemination of news and other bookish information, the News papers and books do not face any death of popularity or the cease of their printing. In fact, everyday new Newspapers are coming out into the hand of man as there is a growing need for the authentic exposition of the news events locally, nationally, and internationally. So, we cannot say that News paper will vanish at any point of time in future.

The Environmentalists argue in favour of paperless human transactions. It may be possible in situations like applying for jobs where thousands and lakhs of applicants aspire for a few jobs. But in the case of News papers the used papers can be recycled and reused for some other purposes. However, 15% think that, its not a threat to the environment, as they can be recycled. As per their knowledge, recycled papers save valuable resources, save energy, save trees, create less toxic bi- products, and help our crowded land fully. Eventhough there are countries which have yet not started recycling papers. For eg. In India waste paper in general is not recycled, to make paper, unlike countries like Japan, which recycles 60- 70% of their paper. Instead, India imports waste paper for its pulp and paper Industry.

 If we argue that Internet can be a total substitute for the Newspapers and books what will be the fate of the libraries in the world.  The libraries containing lakhs and lakhs of books contribute to the culture and pride of the country concerned. It is said that carrying the book in hand makes an individual look like a scholar. It is said: “Pusthakam Hastha Bhushanam”. There are great men and contributors to the growth and change of the world having personal libraries with thousands of books to their credit. Internet may have the capacity to present all those books in the virtual form, Books and News papers in the print form have the profile of their role.

News papers are the primary information source of an expanding world. Out of 40% people, around 50% of the people use internet as the only source of information, either daily or once in a week, while only 10% used news papers, only 3% people use both the internet as well as News papers as their source of information.

It would be worthwhile to say, that News papers and Books cater to the real life of reading, only when they are in print form and also contribute to the hands on feeling and authentic involvement for the reader, who wants to grasp the political, social, cultural, and historical developments taking place across the world. Internet can only be a replacement, in times of non availability of Books and Newspapers.

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