Print Newspapers vs. Online News Papers

I often indulge in political conversations with colleagues after reading online news reports. Although the Internet regularly provides me with information, I’ve given little thought as to why I prefer to read news stories online rather than in print.  This week’s entry will gauge my perception of the news between print and Internet sources. To effectively compare the two mediums, I read an article in the Metro newspaper and then read the same article on the metro’s website. 

While reading the newspaper, I gained the impression that the information was some how out of my control. Perhaps the years of crosschecking online content with third party websites has given me an appreciation of a well-cited article. Without references indicating how statistics were generated, evaluating the accuracy of information requires supplementary investigation.

Another difference between the two mediums was the additional credibility given to the print source. While reading an online news article, I find myself questioning whether the information is being provided by someone who is trustworthy and has conducted an appropriate investigation. The freedom of information on the Internet leads me to associate an apparently reliable source like the Metro to the inaccuracies on other web-based organizations. Print sources differ as the reader makes an assumption that information must have been checked and verified more critically by an editor. When data was presented in the Metro newspaper, I perceived that a high standard of journalism was used to gain that information.

I also noticed a significant literary difference between the two sources. Although the two articles were identical, the newspaper seemed to command a higher English mastery than the online source. It appears that due to the types of online activities I am accustom, videos and music, there was an assumption that all Internet activities are for pleasure. The newspaper; however, reminded me of reports and literature I review through academia. This gave the impression that the newspaper’s purpose was not one of enjoyment but of learning instead.

These factors lead to a difference in the way I consumed the information. When I read through the online article, I immediately began to question every line that was written and found myself constantly fact checking through other online sources. I was sceptical of everything I read because I felt that there was a possibility of errors in the author’s judgement. After reading the online article, I surprisingly felt convinced that the information I had just read was accurate. This was because of the constant scrutiny applied during the reading process.

After reading the newspaper; however, I did not get this same sense of gratification that the information was correct. While reading, I continually got the feeling that the newspaper was rushed to print and the story could have changed from the time the paper was printed. Online articles can be updated to account for up-to-the-minute changes but a newspaper is only as accurate as the information found the night before printing. The lack of extremely recent information combined with an inability to confirm facts resulted in my diminished confidence in print news.