Importance of Reading Newspaper

 Introduction:

Man has an ever-increasing thirst for knowledge and information about the home and abroad. He wants to know and see more and more and yet more about the unseen and the unknown of the world. The newspaper is the best source for supplying all these whereabouts to man. It keeps us abreast of the time.

What is a newspaper: 

There two wonders of the morning-one are the sun and the other is the newspaper of that day. The world news has been formed with the first letters of the four directional words north, east, west, and south. Newspaper indeed brings news and views from all the corners of the world. The newspaper is a publication of news and views of home and abroad. James Ellis says, ‘newspapers are world’s mirrors.’ All the current happenings and whereabouts of the worlds flash up before our eyes through newspapers. A modern man cannot think of starting his daily work without reading newspapers.

History of the newspaper:

The newspaper was first introduced in China. It was published in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The Samachar Darpan was the first Bengali newspaper in our country. It was published by the missionaries of Sreerampur.

Kinds of the newspaper: 

Newspapers are of different kinds: dailies, weeklies, monthlies, quarterlies etc. Dailies mostly contain news and views and views of the day. Periodicals mostly deal with essays, stories, poems, plays, and novels. We have got quite and a good number of newspapers both in English and Bengali in our country.

Usefulness:

The utility of reading newspapers in too much to be described in words. The newspaper is a store-house of knowledge. It is useful to the people of all walks of life. Our students can acquire general knowledge. Teachers can know valuable news and views on literary works. Businessmen can know the market conditions of their goods. Sportsman can get sports-news and views. Statesmen can get news on political affairs. The newspaper publishes government policies, reviews them and helps amend and dreamed of their decisions. A newspaper in called peoples parliament always in the session. It voices the grievances and demands of the common people and suggests ways and means to solve them. The newspaper also helps grow public opinion. It has made the world smaller. It is, in fact, a summary of the current history. A newspaper in fear as the ‘fourth state of the government. Napoleon says,’ your hostile newspapers are more to be feared than even a thousand bayonets.

Demerits:

There is nothing on earth which is an unmixed blessing. The newspaper is not also an unmixed blessing. It has also some dark sides. The first and foremost duty of a newspaper is to publish correct and impartial news. But this purpose is not always served. Sometimes wrong news is published and obscene pictures showed. These are undoubtedly harmful and destructive to society as well and to the nation. This should be given up caring. The aim of publishing a newspaper should be the do good to the people at large.

Conclusion:

Modern age is rightly called the age of newspapers. The more we read newspapers, the more we acquire knowledge. The more we acquire knowledge, the more we become enlightened and cosmopolitan in view. This is why a British minister rightly says,

“A country may go without food several days but not for a day without newspaper.”