Relevance of Print Journalism

Falak Kathuria

RELEVANCE OF PRINT JOURNALISM

If we go by the basic meaning of print journalism it means publication of verifiable information through print media i.e newspapers, magazines, books etc. Print journalism is the most ancient and pre historic form of communication and journalism. The concept of print journalism came into being during the 17th century. It has always played very important and significant role in shaping public thoughts and opinions. It was the basic and primary source of information for the people during the British Raj in India. During the British Raj print journalism has always been used as a very powerful and influential weapon for freedom fight by writers and poets. Print journalism has played a significant role in independence of most of the counties.
But Print journalism faced quite challenges with the beginning of digital media in the 21st century as readers started shifting to online news sources. But despite all of this fact, print journalism is and will still remain relevant in media’s landscape. Print Journalism still has the highest source of credibility and a preservation value. It also offers high local coverage and immediate delivery of message. It also has special and higher readership. Print journalism is the traditional form of journalism and plays a very important role in shaping our culture. With the advent of Digital Media and modernization all over the world, there are still many areas where digitalization has still not reached and print journalism is the main source of information for people. There are also areas where digitalization may have reached but due to poverty or lack of other resources, people still can’t afford digital form of news. This also happens because of lack of technological knowledge among people. Print journalism is still a significant source of information because there are some areas all over the world where people feel like adopting new technology or modernization will erase or completely wipe out their culture and its roots. Journalism does influence our culture and is a vice versa. And print journalism helps people remember the history and culture through the presence of physical evidence of past events and trends. Even there is a digital shift , print journalism does maintain its originality and comprehensiveness. Despite the rise of digitalization print journalism still holds a very special place in our hearts as the feeling of holding newspaper with a cup of morning tea is still invaluable and irreplaceable. Print media has a unique charm that digital media cannot replicate. Print journalism provides a tangible and lasting impact that digital journalism cannot. It also allows for targeting and segmentation to reach the desired audience effectively unlike digital journalism where advertisements are often served after every news shot or newsreel which discourage the audience to continue watching or reading the news and it also affects their attention span.
While digital journalism provides immediacy and convenience , print journalism continues to serve as a vital source of information for those seeking indepth coverage and a thoughtful perspective on current events.