Newspaper Reading and Students

Newspapers, as their name suggests, provide us with News. This are more than just a sheets of paper lined with ink. It is of common knowledge that there is an expansion of interest with age.

Similarly interest of newspaper reading of students of different ages may be different. Probably with many children the initial newspaper concern is restricted to the comic section. With increasing maturity there appears the interest in sports, photograph and news sections.

Since reading a daily newspaper has come to be considered an essential activity in our cultural development, selective aspects of its approval or rejection by students at different academic levels might well be a matter of value to students of personality development. Thus the importance of newspaper has been increased greatly in the field of education.

Education sharpens one’s curiosity about events in distant lands and also makes one conscious of the necessity to maintain one’s reading habits.

Students learn best when they are motivated and when the topics they study are interesting and relevant to their lives. In a growing number of classrooms, newspapers are providing some of the best motivational and timely resources. With today’s emphasis on resource-based instruction, teachers around the world are using newspapers to supplement textbooks and provide relevant resources in reading, writing, math, science, history, economics, language arts, special education, and second language learning.

This kind of competition is killing specially for most students who are facing the real business world for the first time. In this competitive environment, one of the key success factor which can generate a strong competitive advantage over others is – the awareness and knowledge of the world around us.

This knowledge cannot be acquired fully in the classrooms itself. A lot of personal efforts and readings are required for students. Newspapers, magazines etc can provide the kind of competitive knowledge which can make the life of the students easy in this dynamic world competition.

While news, views and analysis can be accessed through other mediums like TV, Internet etc, the newspaper and other print media are time tested instruments to learn, share and analyze the current political, business and cultural scenarios of the environment of things around us. The repeat reference possibility and simplicity of the print media has made sure the newspaper remain the most common medium of knowledge enhancement in the past and in the present.

It will remain so in the future.

The ease of access at the most relaxing moments and at times when one feels nothing else to do, the newspaper remain the most revered medium of receiving the latest news, views and analysis. They are actually a medium making proper use of leisure time. Most importantly, ‘newspapers’ do not harm the health of the students like TV and computers does due to glare from the display devices and radiations emitted by most electronic instruments / devices.

The class room teaching and training is incomplete without students own efforts to keep them abreast with the latest happening in the world of business and politics through newspapers and other readings. Whatever they learn at the classroom can be practically applied at least in their mind, if they spend a sufficient amount of time on daily newspapers. Most news items give an opportunity to relate the Increase knowledge base of student’s incidents with what is theoretically or practically discussed in the class.

Further some of the merits of reading newspaper for students are:- •To broaden and stimulate thought process . Help to keep touch with day to day issues and incidents. Become aware of larger world and society. •Help to stimulate and develop reading habits. •Help to become creative in ideas.

•Help to become responsible citizens ( aware, literate and enlighten citizens help in solving and supporting national issues) •Opportunities to express and share in areas of education and learning ( quiz, forums, questions, articles, views on education system, recommendations, rules and regulations, recognition, question papers etc. ) Since we are living in a world of technology it has its influence in the life the students as well.

Today Online newspapers are being increasingly used in classrooms, too. Students are reading shortened versions of stories written by journalists whose bylines appear in print. Students are also using email to question reporters and to share opinions with editors. Some papers also provide chat rooms where students can discuss the news with their peers.

By accessing these different online papers, students see how viewpoints of world events differ from region to region and from nation to nation, which is a real-time learning experience only recently possible.

These Web sites list local, regional, national, and international newspapers that have online versions of their printed paper. Thus whether through online or print media “Reading newspapers everyday is must for students for growth and enlightenment irrespective of the class or field of their life”. The newspaper should, however, be read with caution, for its capacity to do harm is great. The newspaper exerts a profound influence on the minds of reader. Therefore, when some news is reported wrongly either by mistake or design, it may cause a lot of harm.

But these disadvantages are nothing in comparison with their manifold advantages. They are really of great use for the people. So they should be encouraged in every way. On the whole, the habit of reading newspapers is a good one. The newspaper should, however, be read with caution, for its capacity to do harm is great.

The newspaper exerts a profound influence on the minds of reader. Therefore, when some news is reported wrongly either by mistake or design, it may cause a lot of harm