What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Reading Newspaper for Students

A newspaper is a printed paper filled with information covering the whole world’s current affairs, and it’s been in practice for many years. It was published to keep citizens updated about the political, cultural, showbiz, sports, weather, and other latest events and news. In short, newspapers are posted daily to make people aware of what is happening globally or in their country, city, and area. Moreover, newspapers are often country and city-specific too. They played an essential role when people had no tools or other sources to get the latest news, and even now, some people need their newspaper right on the breakfast table daily.

News reading is like a habit for some, and most parents and teachers develop this habit in their kids from an early age. Other than improving student’s reading skills, it works as a source of knowledge for them too. Newspapers, whether online or in printed form, turn its reader into an informed citizen. Reading a newspaper is like knowing what has happened in the past 24 hours. And the advanced technology lets one see what just happened a few minutes ago. You can either listen to the news or read them all anytime, anywhere. Everything has pros and cons; the same is true with newspapers, whether online or offline.

Reading newspapers (in any form, online, newsfeeds, offline) is important for kids who want to understand tech. I teach Artificial Intelligence to K-12 students, and a key part of understanding AI is to see how it is used (and misused!) in the real world and the news items that result. I frequently share news articles with my students to give them this perspective.

Nisha Talagala CEO and founder of AIClub.world

In this blog post, we have mentioned a few advantages and disadvantages of reading a newspaper for students. Go through them all and decide for your child or student!

Advantages of Newspaper for Students

• A newspaper strengthens the reading skills and vocabulary of the students. Learning new words from articles or news and using them in daily life increases the stock of words for students.

• Newspapers carry the news of the world to your doorstep. Reading news doesn’t demand going the extra mile and putting in an effort.

• Students can read news anytime, anywhere, whether they are on a bus going to school or coming back. Printed newspapers are lightweight and handy, and online published news is just a click away from your tablets or smartphones.

• Newspapers enhance the general knowledge of the students, and this boosts their confidence.

• Newspapers share information, small or big, about the entertainment or showbiz world. It’s the most acceptable way for students to stay connected to the glamorous world.

• With a newspaper in hand, students can know about the country’s economic situations and what’s happening in the commerce and trade market. Such information is beneficial for business students and new entrepreneurs.

• Newspapers give information like prices, budgets, rates of products, food items, and other things. Educators often make their students read such things to test their critical thinking.

• Puzzles, comics, tongue twisters, short stories, or crossword games at the back of the newspaper attract the kid’s attention, and it’s a healthy, fun activity for them.

• Newspapers rarely cost much, and students can afford them from their pocket money too. But advanced technology has it all free for all.

• Reading news helps the students to improve their grammar and make them a writer with grammatical skills.

• Newspapers are convenient for fresh graduates; even in this century, some people have no full-time access to the internet. Job ads in newspapers give such students work opportunities.

• Reading a newspaper daily develops a comprehensive perspective and lets the students be a part of any conversation.

• Newspapers are published in all languages, so; nobody may choose a chance to stay updated about the world.

• Published articles and columns in the newspapers help the students and other readers to know about the other person’s point of view. In short, it expands one’s command on a particular topic.

• Newspapers mainly cover the topics that help the students in completing their research or projects.

• Reading a newspaper turns an individual into a confident speaker, as the general knowledge one gets from reading it makes them talk about worldly matters without any doubt.

• Through the newspaper, sports lovers stay updated about the sports news, national or international.

Disadvantages of Newspaper for Students

• Sometimes the news published turns out fake, wrong, or misrepresents the information, and reading such content confuses the students.

• Some news articles or columns lack quality and make them difficult to read.

• Once the news is published and out, if it turns out wrong or needs changing, it cannot be updated or recalled. It is one of the significant drawbacks of printed newspapers compared to news published on online platforms that can be edited or removed.
• Competitors get access to particular products or things via newspaper ads as it exposes their strength to them.

• Over millions of papers are made and wasted on newspapers daily, ultimately showing the wastage of paper and tree cutting.

• Just like other news mediums or platforms, heart-wrenching news does not come with a trigger warning in newspapers. Such incidents make the reader feel unsafe or insecure.

• Nowadays, political parties have started publishing their newspapers, which only highlight their good news and show the dark side of other parties. Such twisted facts divide the nations and make the student question their political system.

• Newspapers are a waste of money if one buys them only for the sake of knowing what happened yesterday.

Conclusion

Reading a newspaper comes with many advantages and disadvantages for readers of all ages. It must have many benefits as many parents and educators encourage their kids to read a part of the newspaper daily to enhance their reading, grammar, vocabulary skills and develop a habit of staying connected to worldly affairs. Meanwhile, we cannot ignore its disadvantages. Personal or sensitive news is often published without one’s consent, and nobody can claim, cancel or remove it immediately because once something is published, it’s published. However, shortlisting news content, articles, blogs, or columns for students according to their age and mindsets comes with great responsibility, and it’s the job of parents and teachers to read the content before letting their kids read. Because reading a newspaper daily and knowing what’s going on makes the students think, and a misinformed or negative mindset cannot lead the world.