essay on the role of newspaper

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Part 3: the role of newspapers, perceptions of the importance of local newspapers.

The survey indicated that newspapers play a far more complex role in the civic life of communities than many Americans believe.

On the surface, most people do not feel that their local newspaper is a key source that they rely on for local information.  For instance, when asked, “If your local newspaper no longer existed, would that have a major impact, a minor impact, or no impact on your ability to keep up with information and news about your local community?” a large majority of Americans, 69%, believe the death of their local newspaper would have no impact (39%) or only a minor impact (30%) on their ability to get local information.

Younger adults, age 18-29, were especially unconcerned. Fully 75% say their ability to get local information would not be affected in a major way by the absence of their local paper.  The same was true of heavier technology users: 74% of home broadband users say losing their paper would have no impact or only a minor impact on their ability to get local information.

Yet when asked about specific local topics and which sources they rely on for that information, it turns out that many adults are quite reliant on newspapers and their websites. Of the 16 specific local topics queried, newspapers ranked as the most, or tied as the most, relied upon source for 11 of the 16.

Local newspapers continue to be a key information source

Among all adults, newspapers were cited as the most relied-upon source or tied for most relied upon for crime, taxes, local government activities, schools, local politics, local jobs, community/neighborhood events, arts events, zoning information, local social services, and real estate/housing.

This dependence on newspapers for so many local topics sets it apart from all other sources of local news.  The internet, which was cited as the most relied upon source for five of the 16 topics, was a distant second to newspapers in terms of widespread use and value.

The problem for newspapers is that many of these topics are followed by a relatively small percentage of the public. As noted in Part 2 of this report, just 30% of adults get information about zoning, 35% about social services, 42% about local government, and 43% about real estate. Thus, overall, the total number of Americans who rely on newspapers for the local information that matters to them is smaller than is the case for other platforms such as television.   

For instance, 48% of those who get information about taxes turn to newspapers, more than double the percentage who turn to the next most popular platforms, the internet (20%) and TV news (19%).  But when translated as a percentage of all citizens, just 22% of Americans rely on newspapers for tax information. Thus, while newspapers command this subject area, most people simply do not seek out information about the subject of local taxes.

This, however, also has implications about what could happen if a newspaper in town were to disappear. If television has focused on covering weather, traffic, and breaking news, and that is what people look to this platform for, will television begin to cover taxes and zoning and education if the local newspaper no longer exists? Would new digital sources emerge to cover the hole if a local newspaper cut back its coverage or vanished altogether? And would the approach of these new sources be fully journalistic in nature?

Newspapers matter less to adults under age 40 as a local information source

Generational preferences add yet another layer of complexity. For adults under age 40, newspapers do not hold nearly the same appeal. Consider this stark difference: among all adults, newspapers are the clear top source for seven local topics (and tied with the internet as the top source for four other topics). Yet, among adults under 40 newspapers are the clear top choice for one topic, taxes, are tied with TV news for another topic, crime, and tie with the internet for four other topic areas. (The specifics of these differences are spelled out in Part 5 of this report.)

For all ages, the strength of newspapers comes from aggregating an audience by offering a wide range of information, even if each subject or story has limited audience. That model may be vital from a civic standpoint, but it is traditionally expensive and it is not clear what the incentive is to replicate it if newspapers were to disappear. 

• The Baltimore study refers to “How News Happens,” a study published by the Project for Excellence in Journalism on January 11, 2010. The study on news availability refers to “A Day in the Life of the Media,” published by PEJ on March 13, 2006 as part of its State of the News Media report. ↩
• “A Day in the Life of the Media,” Project for Excellence in Journalism, March 15, 2006, http://stateofthemedia.org/2006/a-day-in-the-life-of-the-media-intro/newspaper/ ↩
• Ibid. ↩

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Table of contents, key findings about the online news landscape in america, among u.s. latinos, the internet now rivals television as a source for news, americans’ online news use is closing in on tv news use, 10 facts about the changing digital news landscape, long-form reading shows signs of life in our mobile news world, most popular.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

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Essay on “The Role of Newspaper” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

The role of newspaper.

3 Best Essay on “The Role of Newspaper”

Essay No. 01

The newspaper is a printed publication appearing daily. It contains news advertisements and articles on various subjects. Newspapers play an important role in a democracy. They take the role of spokesmen for people of all classes. They act as a bridge between the government and the governed. They help in preventing social exploitation that can threaten the existence of democracy.

Almost everybody reads the newspaper daily. One reads it with curiosity every morning. Different purposes. Young graduates scan the job advertisement pages. Lottery addicts pour over the lottery results. The schoolboy looks at the detailed happenings in cricket and other sports. The head of the household reads about government matters and other events. Business entrepreneurs go through the business news. Housewives looking for topics like cookery, health and beauty care tips etc. Casual readers look for sensational topics like loot, murder, kidnapping etc. Others go through the daily predictions of the zodiac. There are others who are interested in the articles and the letters to the editor. Those who love the glamour world read the pages on fashion movies and film stars. India is a developing country. Most of the people are poor and illiterate with false promises. Newspapers help in forming public opinion. They keep the people aware of the activities of the government.

In a democracy, there should be an efficient and fearless press. The press refers to newspapers, magazines, the news section of radio and television, and the journalists who work for them. Press is the mirror of society. It acts as a watchdog of democracy. It is the duty of the press to watch the activities of the government. Its duty is to highlight the failure of the policies of the government and pinpoint its lapses.

The first newspaper published in India was called The Bengal Gazette. The Bombay Samachar is the oldest existing daily newspaper. It was first published in Gujarat in 1822. Anand Bazar Patrika, Punjab Kesari and The Times of India are some of the other old newspapers.

Newspapers make people aware of every field of society. Once every week every newspaper publishes vacancies in all fields. Job seekers get much benefited through this. A weekly matrimonial supplement is also published with almost every newspaper and its related news and events. Newspapers also contain the schedules of programmes on various television channels and theatres. It helps people to plan their day accordingly. News related to the sport has become very important nowadays. So almost all the newspapers publish sports news with elaborate pictures and charts. Newspapers also carry weather forecasts and other useful data like prices of various food items in different markets.

In the present age, corruption is present in all walks of life. Newspapers play an important role in highlighting the menace of corruption. The people are made aware of the corrupt practices prevalent in various departments of Government and other agencies.

Newspapers act as a link between the government and the people. They make the people aware of the policies, programmes and activities of the government. This gives an opportunity to the people to raise their grievances when necessary. It helps the people to know the Government plans and policies. This is very necessary for a democracy. On the other hand, the newspaper also makes the government aware of the problems, faced by the people.

Information is fed to the newspapers by a number of agencies. The press Information Bureau gives information to the Press on the government policies, programmes and activities. It receives feedback from the people. India has four major news agencies Press Trust of India united News of India. Samachar Bharti and Hindustan Samachar. The newspapers are published in English Hindi and other regional languages.

Some newspapers indulge in yellow journalism. The print media has to understand its power and reach. Newspapers can make a great impact on their readers. So they should concentrate on giving only the true picture of society.

Essay No. 02

The Role of Newspapers

The newspapers, as the voice of the people, play a very important role in a democracy like India. They form an important link between the public and the government. It is through newspapers that the public comes to know about the priorities, policies and programmes of the government. Similarly, the government can keep itself well informed about the grievances, aspirations, expectations, opinions, etc., of the public through the press. Newspapers also supply news, views, comments, etc., to their readers about national, international and local affairs. They help information of public opinion on matters of national and global importance. They not only mould but also reflect public opinion. The editorial and leading articles play a significant role in the matter. Then there are interviews of people and personalities who actually matter. Newspapers are the real watchdogs of democracy and of the rights and privileges of the people. Newspapers can also be instrumental in bringing out desired social, cultural and attitudinal changes in society. They may be effectively used as an instrument of national integrity, unity, harmony and solidarity and also in removing social evils, such as superstitions, evils of untouchability, dowry, communalism and casteism.

The powers and influence are of the press are really unlimited. But they can be misused as well. They are like double-edged swords. In the wrong hands, they may be used by vested interests and anti-social elements to further their own selfish ends at the cost of national and social interests. They may give distorted views and half-baked or false news. If confined in the hands of capitalists, they may be used to suppress and crush labour movements and anti-poverty campaigns as these pose a threat to their monopolistic ventures and business interests. In dictatorships, the press is not free and the newspapers are used only to promote the interests of a few, forming the nucleus around the dictator. Then they are not the voice of the people but the mouthpiece of the despotic ruler. It is only in a democracy that a newspaper is a common man’s representative, voice and counsellor, all rolled into one. As a friend, guide, counsellor, educator, representative and voice of the people, a newspaper has to be impartial, truthful, sincere and fearless. It has to be a guardian and watchdog of the interests of the people. To perform these duties and functions, the freedom of the press is a must. Newspapers should be free to criticize or encourage government policies and activities on merit. But freedom is meaningless without fairness. There should be no biased reporting, comments or expression of views. If they do not observe decency, fairness and impartiality and indulge in false, misleading and biased reporting, they can make themselves liable to penal action. In India, newspapers enjoy a fair amount of freedom of expression. It was only during the Emergency in 1975 that their freedom was curtailed for a short period, but then the people responsible for it had to pay very dearly. It is the duty of the reporters and journalists to be fair, impartial, honest and editors, constructive in their profession. It is only the yellow journalism that indulges in blackmail, extortion of money and concessions or such other benefits. A journalist, loyal to his profession, will not colour his reporting or exaggerate and distort his news. He will not betray the readers for personal gains, gifts and advantages. Yellow journalism is as great a danger to a nation and society as are the acts of smugglers, mafias, drug traffickers and people engaged in espionage against their own country. A journalist should never forget his mission of unbiased, frank, fearless and truthful reporting. An honest, fearless and frank newspaper is a perfect antidote for political corruption, irregularities, favouritism, nepotism, blackmail, etc., indulged in by the people in authority and power. The government and the people that run it cannot remain indifferent to criticism, comments and opinion expressed against them in the newspapers in a democracy. Sometimes the administration may try to tame a newspaper by threatening to stop advertisements to it because they are a must for the survival of a newspaper. But no newspaper, truly loyal to its commitment to the people and society, should succumb to such pressures. Rather, it should expose such conspiracy to suppress the freedom of the press.

Obviously, newspapers can play a vital role in the reconstruction and regeneration of a country. During our struggle for independence, the press played an important, constructive role. It reminds us of Tilak, Gandhi, Nehru and other leaders who published and edited newspapers and magazines or wrote articles, reviews, etc., for them. These played a very positive role in quickening the process of the national struggle for freedom. Their heroic, bold and missionary writings had the desired impact on the masses and, consequently, they got actively involved in the movement. Tilak was jailed and sent to Mandalay, in Burma (Myanmar), for his writings that were full of patriotic fervour and nationalism, but for the Britishers these were seditious. Similarly, Gandhiji and many other national leaders had to pay for their journalistic freedom, courage and honesty.

The history of Indian newspapers and journalism is quite old. Bengal Gazette was the first newspaper published in India in the middle of the 18th century. Raja Ram Mohan Roy published his newspaper Kaumudi and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Prabhakar. Indian newspapers include 41 centenarians. The Gujarati daily Bombay Sarnachar published from Mumbai is the oldest existing newspaper. It began its publication in 1822. Anand Bazar Patrika”, Punjab Kesari and the Times of India are the three biggest newspapers as far as circulation is concerned. By the end of the year 2000, there were as many as 49,145 newspapers, including dailies, tri/ bi-weeklies, weeklies and other periodicals. Uttar Pradesh ranks first, with 8,415 newspapers, including 844 dailies. The highest numbers of newspapers are published in Hindi followed by English, Urdu and Bengali. The circulation numbers of newspapers are gradually increasing appreciably with the spread of literacy and political and social awakening amidst the public. The number of newspapers owned and published by individuals is the largest. Their share in circulation is estimated at over 40%. This reflects the monopolistic position of certain individuals and business houses in the world of newspapers in India. Therefore, these people have certain advantages, but Indian journalism is now quite mature, responsible and free, which ensures that no group or business house can take liberty in the matter. Then there is the Press Council of India, established for the purpose of preserving the freedom of the press, maintaining and improving the standards and quality of newspapers, news agencies and journalism in the country. The Council is a quasi-judicial body and does not possess any punitive powers. However, it exercises a moral authority. It considers and decides complaints and grievances received both from the public against the newspaper and from the press. It may also direct an earring newspaper to publish the complainant’s reply/rejoinder, with an apology in appropriate cases. On the one hand, it helps newspapers and news agencies to maintain their independence, on the other, it ensures, the maintenance of high standards of public taste and fosters a sense of rights and responsibilities of citizenship. So it is freedom with responsibility.

Essay No. 03

Role of Newspapers

The newspapers have their own importance. Newspapers are also very good means of publicity and propaganda. Many a time, newspapers help in creating the spirit of goodwill and mutual understanding. The newspapers reach their own ideology, as well. The production and distribution of the newspapers need heavy expenditure and huge organisation. Similarly, acute competition eliminates small newspapers. Thus, it becomes a huge business organisation with a profit motive. Firstly, it tries to become financially sound by increasing readership and attracting advertisements. As such they tempt the readers to believe the statements to be true. They repeat the news through the different papers and the readers by reading in different papers, believe them. Another method to misguide the readers is through headlines. Their pithy nature and bold type headlines give undue importance to certain news. The reader’s opinions are prejudiced by giving emotionally coloured words and disguised comments in the headlines. The busy or lazy reader does not go beyond the headlines, even the careful reader is satisfied with the first few paragraphs. The reader is not allowed to concentrate; short paragraphs and splitting up the item on different pages discourage it. The selection of the news also leads to the misguidance of the readers. The editor must conform to the newspaper policy and the tastes of the readers in selecting the news.

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Good essay. I expect more and more on this topic. Give the introduction, body part, conclusion properly. Conclusion is not good…in essay there must contain all these three parts. I think there is only body part in this essay.

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• Essay On Newspaper

Essay on Newspaper

500+ words essay on newspaper.

The newspaper is one of the oldest means of communication, which provides information from all around the world. It contains news, editorials, features, articles on a variety of current topics and other information of public interest. Sometimes the word NEWS is interpreted as North, East, West and South. It means that the newspapers provide information from everywhere. The newspaper covers topics related to health, war, politics, climate forecast, economy, environment, agriculture, education, business, government policies, fashion, sports entertainment, etc. It covers regional, national and international news.

Here, we have provided an essay on ‘Newspaper’, which will help students to improve their writing section. So, students must try to write a ‘Newspaper Essay’ in English after going through this sample essay . This essay on ‘Newspaper’ will give them ideas on how to organise their thoughts in a structured format to frame a good essay.

The newspaper is the most authentic and reliable source of information as it only prints the news after proper investigation. Newspapers are delivered to our doorstep early in the morning. We can read the news by having a cup of tea and get to know what is going on around the world. Newspapers are economical as we get information at a very low cost. They are easily available and are also printed in different languages. Thus, newspapers make it easier for people to read news in their native language.

Newspapers cover different columns, and each column is reserved for a particular topic. The employment column provides information related to jobs. This column is very useful for youth who are searching for suitable jobs. Similarly, there are other columns, such as the matrimonial column for finding the perfect match for marriages, a political column for news related to politics, a sports column for analysis and opinion on sports updates, etc. Other than this, there are editorials, readers, and critics’ reviews that provide a wide variety of information.

History of Newspapers in India

The first newspaper to be printed in India was called Gazette Bengal. It was published by an Englishman, James Augustus Hicky in 1780. This newspaper was followed by the publication of other newspapers like the Indian Gazette, Calcutta Gazette, Madras Gazette Courier and Bombay Herald in the coming years. After the first freedom struggle of 1857, the number of newspapers appearing in different languages of India continued to grow. At the time of this freedom struggle, media expansion in India was not large. However, after India became independent, the expansion of newspapers continued.

Importance of Newspaper

A newspaper is an important prerequisite for democracy. It helps in the proper functioning of government bodies by making citizens informed about government work. Newspapers act as powerful public opinion changes. In the absence of a newspaper, we cannot have a true picture of our surroundings. It makes us realise that we are living in a dynamic world of knowledge and learning. Daily reading of the newspaper will help improve English grammar and vocabulary, which is especially helpful for students. It also improves reading skills along with learning skills. Thus, it enhances our knowledge and broadens our vision.

Newspapers contain advertisements which are essential to run a paper. So, along with news, newspapers are also a medium of advertising. Advertisements related to goods, services and recruitment are broadcast. There are also missing, lost-found, and government-release ads. Though these advertisements are useful most of the time, sometimes they result in misleading people. Many big companies and firms also advertise through newspapers to enhance their brand value in the market.

Disadvantages of Newspaper

There are numerous advantages of the newspaper, but on the other side, there are some drawbacks too. Newspapers are a source of exchanging diverse views. So, they can mould the opinion of people in positive and negative ways. Biased articles can cause riots, hatred and disunity. Sometimes immoral advertisements and vulgar pictures printed in the newspaper can severely damage society’s moral values.

Deletion of the vulgar ads and controversial articles removes the above-mentioned demerits of the newspaper to a great extent. Thus, an active reader cannot be misled and deceived by journalism.

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Frequently Asked Questions on Newspaper Essay

Is the newspaper still in use as much as in the earlier days.

Although news feeds and news channels instantly update us on the happenings around us, daily newspapers are very much still in use. Many people still refer to and wait for the news to be updated in these newspapers, even today.

What are the 5 main sections of a newspaper?

The five main sections of a newspaper are national/international news, sports, entertainment/amusement, classified advertisements, and neighbourhood news.

Who invented the newspaper?

Johann Carolus invented the first newspaper in Strasbourg, Germany.

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• Importance of Newspaper Essay

Importance of Newspaper Essay for Students in English

What is the first thing that arrives in our home every day? It is a Newspaper that reaches our doorstep with the latest news of the entire World. For many, a Newspaper earmarks the beginning of every day. It is the strongest tool of mass communication used to circulate information among the common people and let everyone know about a situation or event.

Acta Diurna is the first noted Newspaper published in 59 BC in Rome. Roman Civilization was extremely advanced and progressive in this aspect. Later on, there were various forms of sending news to the common people. The first printed version of the first Newspaper arrived in the year 1605 in Antwerp. The name of this Newspaper is ‘The Relation’. Since then, the Newspapers have become a part and parcel of the modern World.

The elders start their day with a Newspaper in one hand and a cup of tea. You will also find many reading news on a moving bus or a local train. It is an excellent habit that people display. It shows how eager they are to learn about the different events happening around the World. Hence, a Newspaper is an excellent medium for delivering knowledge and communicating with many people. This medium has been used for ages to spread awareness.

Over the years, we have witnessed a huge transformation of the formats followed by the Newspapers. Apart from the news, there are entertainment sections where kids find funny cartoons. Adults find amazing puzzles to solve. The Newspapers are the cheapest way to gather information regarding Worldly issues. They have become colourful and more pages are added to every day’s publication. There is an abundance of information we can find in today’s Newspapers. We have taken a step further and made this excellent medium of communication digital. It means one can now read Newspapers on their smartphones or laptops. It is being accepted in the entire World to save trees .

A Newspaper is printed in the local language so that it can reach out to the maximum and spread awareness regarding the important issues happening locally or globally. Over 100,000 publications are registered alone in India. Imagine the total number of Newspaper readers you will find in our country. This is an excellent tool that has immense power. It can control the emotions of the public reading Newspapers. Hence, journalism is a very sensitive issue these days. One seeks the right information regarding a particular event. If the Newspaper is not providing the right news, it can be very harmful to the fate of some and the country.

Newspapers are very important for a progressive society. The impact of a Newspaper can be easily judged if we consider its effect on the Indian Independence and the revolutions associated with it. It was used as a major tool to educate people regarding important situations and make them aware. It is then the mass will unite and stand against evil and for good.

It is a Newspaper that provides information in detail. It has become a part and parcel of our daily lives. News related to government policies, political events, international events, sports, silver screen, entertainment, etc reach us through this medium. We all find out our favourite sections and read the entire news to stay updated with the development of a particular event we have been following. We also find job-related information or any declaration made by a person in the local Newspapers.

In a nutshell, we can easily conclude that a Newspaper has immense significance in our lives. From gaining information to solving puzzles, laughing at the jokes and cartoons to sharing our emotions with an event, we find it as an important element of the day.

The Newspaper is a very effective medium for disseminating information. It is one of the most effective ways for individuals to communicate with one other and with the rest of the World. They are also the best source of information. We get our daily dosage of news from Newspapers first thing in the morning. It is a trustworthy source that provides us with information only after rigorous investigation.

Newspapers are also readily available in even the most rural areas. They are also incredibly cost-effective, providing a wealth of information at a very cheap cost. Most importantly, Newspapers are published in a variety of languages, making it easier for individuals from many parts of the World to receive news in their tongue. As a result, we can see how Newspapers have a variety of benefits that assist the average person keep informed about current events.

The Importance of Newspapers

The Newspaper has had a beneficial effect on society. It assists people in being more aware of current events and maintaining their interest in them. When members of the public inquire, it indicates that they are aware. This is precisely what a Newspaper accomplishes. It's also the best link between the government and the general public. Newspapers provide readers with every detail, no matter how minor.

It also helps us become better-informed citizens. Newspapers bring us up to date on any changes to the country's laws. Additionally, they are quite instructive for students. A student can learn everything there is to know about general knowledge and current events by visiting this website. We stay up to date on technical developments, government regulations, research projects, and other topics.

Without Newspapers, there would be no World.

As the World progresses, everything is becoming digitised. From purchasing to reading the news, we can do it all on our iPhones or computers. Digitisation has also had an impact on the Newspaper industry. Newspaper sales have decreased as people can get quick updates on the latest news on their phones.

Is this to argue that Newspapers will be obsolete in the digital age? This prospect appears to be a distinct possibility, in light of the current circumstances Are we, on the other hand, ready for a World without Newspapers? The World would be like a house without mirrors if Newspapers were not available. We won't be able to see our reflection as a result of this.

Compare this to the situation in the rest of the globe and the Newspaper. Imagine the globe has lost its national mirror, and you are unable to obtain an accurate image of what is going on around you. What's worse, instead of the national mirror, we're getting a fun-house mirror, which distorts information and causes you to perceive things that aren't true.

FAQs on Importance of Newspaper Essay

1. How Newspapers Help Us Begin the Day?

We begin each day by reading the Newspaper. A Newspaper, like the first cup of tea, plays an important role in every adult's life. Every day, students develop the habit of reading Newspapers. They are able to have their works published by reputable houses. Checking the stock market, looking for job interviews, finding partners in the matrimonial sector, and solving puzzles are all activities that contribute to the start of the day for ordinary people. This is how a Newspaper may help us start the day.

2. What will you find in a Newspaper Apart from the News?

Newspapers have gotten increasingly interactive in recent years. They include separate columns for articles about lifestyle, entertainment, sports, jobs, vital announcements, and so on. The comic strip section of Newspapers also appeals to children. People also enjoy solving puzzles and do it first thing in the morning after obtaining a paper to develop their skills. Some people collect photos for collages and obtain them from daily Newspapers. A Newspaper offers these sections to the needy and keeps them interested, in addition to delivering information about news and events.

3. Why are Newspapers Important?

A Newspaper has the ability to reach out to the general public and raise awareness. It can provide insight into what the general public thinks about a certain event or government decision. It can provide information regarding the current state of our country. It possesses the ability to alert the current populace to any circumstance. Newspapers are an extremely effective means of mass communication. Journalism is a career that requires a great deal of responsibility. It has the ability to bring about any change in the World when employed correctly.

4. Is the free pdf of Importance of Newspaper Essay for Students in English helpful?

Yes, the free pdf of Importance of Newspaper Essay for Students in English is very helpful. It can help you know how to write a proper Essay on the importance of Newspapers. Students will be able to know about Newspapers, headlines, format and code of conduct. Writing an English Essay is not a difficult task if you know about the topic and can write the Essay in proper grammar, clarity and preciseness. To score well, students should practise Essay writing daily and write compositions on different topics.

5. Is English writing difficult?

Writing in English is not difficult as far as you know the basic grammar principles, sentence structures and format of the language. This requires daily practice, composition passages and proper grammar knowledge. Students should write on a topic daily, present innovative ideas and make a habit of note-making. We at Vedantu, help students to know about Essay writing rules and can make their English better. You can also register for our online coaching classes and get help from a team of professionals.

Essay on Newspaper for Students and Children

500+ words essay on newspaper.

Newspaper is a printed media and one of the oldest forms of mass communication in the world . Newspaper publications are frequency-based like daily, weekly, fortnightly. Also, there are many newspaper bulletins which have monthly or quarterly publication. Sometimes there are multiple editions in a day. A newspaper contains news articles from around the world on different topics like politics, sports, entertainment, business, education, culture and more. The newspaper also contains opinion and editorial columns, weather forecasts , political cartoons, crosswords, daily horoscopes, public notices and more.

History of Newspapers

Newspaper’s circulation started in the 17 th century. Different countries have different timelines to start the publication of Newspapers. In 1665, the 1 st real newspaper was printed in England. The first American newspaper named “Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick” was printed in 1690. Similarly, for Britain, it all starts from 1702 and in Canada, in the year 1752 the first newspaper named Halifax Gazette started its publication.

In the late 19 th century, newspapers became very common and were cheaply available due to the abolishment of stamp duty on them. But, in the early 20 th century, computer technology started replacing the old labor method of printing.

Importance of Newspaper

Newspaper is a very powerful medium of spreading information among people.  Information is a very vital thing as we need to know what is happening around us. Also, awareness to the happenings at our surrounding helps us in better planning and decision.

Government and other official announcements are done in a newspaper. Government and private sector employment-related information like job vacancies and different competitive related information are also published in the newspaper.

Weather forecasts, business-related news, political, economic, international, sports and entertainment-related all information are published in the newspaper. Newspaper is the ideal source of increasing current affairs. In most of the household in the current society, the morning starts with a reading newspaper.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Newspaper and other Communication Channels

In this age of digitization, abundant data are available on the internet. Most of the news channel and newspaper publishing houses to cope up with the trend of digitization have opened their own website and mobile application. Information spreads instantly via social media and websites.

In this current scenario where information is almost available at real-time on the internet, the newspaper in its original form seems to face a treat of existence. However, the daily, weekly papers still hold its importance in this digital era. The newspaper is still considered as the authentic source of any information.

Most of the newspapers also have a special section for the young and school students to express and show their talent. Several articles on the quiz, essay, short story, painting are published which makes newspaper articles interesting among school students. It also helps in inculcating the habit of reading the newspaper from an early age.

Newspapers are a great source of information that can be available at home. Each and everyone must ensure to imbibe the habit of reading newspapers in their lives. In today’s digital world, online source of information is readily available but the authenticity and credibility of such information are not known. It is the newspaper which ensures to provide us accurate and verified information. Newspapers are permanent as because they have been able to earn the faith of the people with its validated information. Socially, the newspaper plays an important role in the upbringing and maintaining the morale and harmony of society to a larger extent.

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The role of newspaper in the modern society

Related Papers

zahra khalid

Ayushi Sharma

Florangel Braid

SMART M O V E S J O U R N A L IJELLH

A modern newspaper is a record and an information bank in miniature. The actions that take place everyday are documented in newspapers. A good deal of occurrence is going on every day and everyone should keep abreast of it. It is obligatory for all alike to read the progression that is going on from day to day in the affairs of the world. Unless one knows these changes, it is hard to move with the times smoothly and easily. Newspaper seeks out not only to inform us with current affairs, but also to inspire and to excite us as it has themes of individual preference as well as social activities. It has the motive of informing, educating and entertaining the public. A newspaper contains a lot of general knowledge in it. It makes available reports on both local news and foreign news. It plays a part in deciding the destiny of the politicians and also in imparting patriotic feeling among the citizens of the country. It caters to the need of each and every person by providing information on various fields like politics, science, culture, literature, sports etc. When a person reads what is happening in all parts of the world, he gets out of the narrow circle of the personal affairs for a while and gets refreshed. Reading a newspaper makes a person fit to participate usefully in a cultivated society. So, reading newspaper has become an imperative thing to the people all over the world.

Media Studies Group (India)

Diego Alvarez Villacis

Newspapers have been a primary medium for journalism since the eighteenth century. Since then, new creative tendencies and technologies have changed news production and its evolution. Radio and television, that once were called New Media, seemingly could have jeopardized the existence of the newspaper, however, history proved that instead of disappearing it had to reinvent itself and consequently bring new contents in order to adapt to new times. Even the fact that many newspapers around the world are going out of business, does not mean necessarily that newspapers will disappear, on the contrary, traditional media is slowly shifting its model because they no longer have the strength to concentrate information as before and consequently, new media is developing through other business logics. As mentioned, the arrival of free news on the Internet has played a part in falling revenues for print media. As newspapers and new communication technologies, are trying to still be profitable, major changes regarding content are going to take place in order to still compete in a rampant world of immediate information. From public affairs news to a more entertainment driven news, there must be a huge shift in the near future in terms on news production in pursuance of its own niche market. The aim of this essay is to bring up the idea of a two-way relationship between digital and print news in which both are trying to coexist. The first part approaches the way online news have gained territory in comparison with its counterpart the printed newspaper which is, presumably in crisis. The second part will address on how the content in newspapers has to be revised in order to adapt to new ways of news consumption. In the last part I will focus on how market plays an important role on news production and how media follows its rules in order to maintain audiences and still be profitable.

India has always advocated importance of free press, since it became independent, except for the brief experience of censorship under emergency regulations of 1975-76. Yet it suffers from many inadequacies like caste and religious affiliations, which still exercise a powerful influence on journalist as any member of society. Journalists claim to be objective but the slant becomes obvious when it is reporting of foreign affairs, sensitive issues that bother their funding agencies and government. The present paper focuses on the history, importance and working attitudes of journalists and their effect on readers.

Newspaper Research Journal

Maxwell McCombs

Tushar K Ghara

Media has an enormous role in communicating information in various kind. Particularly, the print media is serving society strongly with their evolution in various fields including technological aspects. Within the steep competition each media wants to hold theirown audience with continuous innovative items. Environment is such a contemporary subject which has a fair demand. So the space is so valuable. In this study, the status of the English and the Bengali dailies in connection with environmental journalism, especially the space provided for public contribution/opinion has been scrutinized. This may be concluded that though the limited space has been allotted for public contribution/opinion by the newspapers, English dailies comparatively give maximum importance the public opinion, especially the Telegraph. Key Words: newspaper, opinion, space

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4.2 History of Newspapers

Learning objectives.

• Describe the historical roots of the modern newspaper industry.
• Explain the effect of the penny press on modern journalism.
• Define sensationalism and yellow journalism as they relate to the newspaper industry.

Over the course of its long and complex history, the newspaper has undergone many transformations. Examining newspapers’ historical roots can help shed some light on how and why the newspaper has evolved into the multifaceted medium that it is today. Scholars commonly credit the ancient Romans with publishing the first newspaper, Acta Diurna , or daily doings , in 59 BCE. Although no copies of this paper have survived, it is widely believed to have published chronicles of events, assemblies, births, deaths, and daily gossip.

In 1566, another ancestor of the modern newspaper appeared in Venice, Italy. These avisi , or gazettes, were handwritten and focused on politics and military conflicts. However, the absence of printing-press technology greatly limited the circulation for both the Acta Diurna and the Venetian papers.

The Birth of the Printing Press

Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press exponentially increased the rate at which printed materials could be reproduced.

Milestoned – Printing press – CC BY 2.0.

Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press drastically changed the face of publishing. In 1440, Gutenberg invented a movable-type press that permitted the high-quality reproduction of printed materials at a rate of nearly 4,000 pages per day, or 1,000 times more than could be done by a scribe by hand. This innovation drove down the price of printed materials and, for the first time, made them accessible to a mass market. Overnight, the new printing press transformed the scope and reach of the newspaper, paving the way for modern-day journalism.

European Roots

The first weekly newspapers to employ Gutenberg’s press emerged in 1609. Although the papers— Relations: Aller Furnemmen , printed by Johann Carolus, and Aviso Relations over Zeitung , printed by Lucas Schulte—did not name the cities in which they were printed to avoid government persecution, their approximate location can be identified because of their use of the German language. Despite these concerns over persecution, the papers were a success, and newspapers quickly spread throughout Central Europe. Over the next 5 years, weeklies popped up in Basel, Frankfurt, Vienna, Hamburg, Berlin, and Amsterdam. In 1621, England printed its first paper under the title Corante, or weekely newes from Italy, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Bohemia, France and the Low Countreys . By 1641, a newspaper was printed in almost every country in Europe as publication spread to France, Italy, and Spain.

Newspapers are the descendants of the Dutch corantos and the German pamphlets of the 1600s.

POP – Ms. foliation? and pamphlet number – CC BY 2.0.

These early newspapers followed one of two major formats. The first was the Dutch-style corantos , a densely packed two- to four-page paper, while the second was the German-style pamphlet, a more expansive 8- to 24-page paper. Many publishers began printing in the Dutch format, but as their popularity grew, they changed to the larger German style.

Government Control and Freedom of the Press

Because many of these early publications were regulated by the government, they did not report on local news or events. However, when civil war broke out in England in 1641, as Oliver Cromwell and Parliament threatened and eventually overthrew King Charles I, citizens turned to local papers for coverage of these major events. In November 1641, a weekly paper titled The Heads of Severall Proceedings in This Present Parliament began focusing on domestic news (Goff, 2007). The paper fueled a discussion about the freedom of the press that was later articulated in 1644 by John Milton in his famous treatise Areopagitica .

John Milton’s 1644 Areopagitica , which criticized the British Parliament’s role in regulating texts and helped pave the way for the freedom of the press.

Wikimedia Commons – public domain.

Although the Areopagitica focused primarily on Parliament’s ban on certain books, it also addressed newspapers. Milton criticized the tight regulations on their content by stating, “Who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God’s image; but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself, kills the image of God, as it were in the eye (Milton, 1644).” Despite Milton’s emphasis on texts rather than on newspapers, the treatise had a major effect on printing regulations. In England, newspapers were freed from government control, and people began to understand the power of free press.

Papers took advantage of this newfound freedom and began publishing more frequently. With biweekly publications, papers had additional space to run advertisements and market reports. This changed the role of journalists from simple observers to active players in commerce, as business owners and investors grew to rely on the papers to market their products and to help them predict business developments. Once publishers noticed the growing popularity and profit potential of newspapers, they founded daily publications. In 1650, a German publisher began printing the world’s oldest surviving daily paper, Einkommende Zeitung , and an English publisher followed suit in 1702 with London’s Daily Courant . Such daily publications, which employed the relatively new format of headlines and the embellishment of illustrations, turned papers into vital fixtures in the everyday lives of citizens.

Colonial American Newspapers

Newspapers did not come to the American colonies until September 25, 1690, when Benjamin Harris printed Public Occurrences, Both FORREIGN and DOMESTICK . Before fleeing to America for publishing an article about a purported Catholic plot against England, Harris had been a newspaper editor in England. The first article printed in his new colonial paper stated, “The Christianized Indians in some parts of Plimouth, have newly appointed a day of thanksgiving to God for his Mercy (Harris, 1690).” The other articles in Public Occurrences , however, were in line with Harris’s previously more controversial style, and the publication folded after just one issue.

Fourteen years passed before the next American newspaper, The Boston News-Letter , launched. Fifteen years after that, The Boston Gazette began publication, followed immediately by the American Weekly Mercury in Philadelphia. Trying to avoid following in Harris’s footsteps, these early papers carefully eschewed political discussion to avoid offending colonial authorities. After a lengthy absence, politics reentered American papers in 1721, when James Franklin published a criticism of smallpox inoculations in the New England Courant . The following year, the paper accused the colonial government of failing to protect its citizens from pirates, which landed Franklin in jail.

After Franklin offended authorities once again for mocking religion, a court dictated that he was forbidden “to print or publish The New England Courant , or any other Pamphlet or Paper of the like Nature, except it be first Supervised by the Secretary of this Province (Massachusetts Historical Society).” Immediately following this order, Franklin turned over the paper to his younger brother, Benjamin. Benjamin Franklin, who went on to become a famous statesman and who played a major role in the American Revolution, also had a substantial impact on the printing industry as publisher of The Pennsylvania Gazette and the conceiver of subscription libraries.

The Trial of John Peter Zenger

The New York Weekly Journal founder John Peter Zenger brought controversial political discussion to the New York press.

Boston was not the only city in which a newspaper discussed politics. In 1733, John Peter Zenger founded The New York Weekly Journal . Zenger’s paper soon began criticizing the newly appointed colonial governor, William Cosby, who had replaced members of the New York Supreme Court when he could not control them. In late 1734, Cosby had Zenger arrested, claiming that his paper contained “divers scandalous, virulent, false and seditious reflections (Archiving Early America).” Eight months later, prominent Philadelphia lawyer Andrew Hamilton defended Zenger in an important trial. Hamilton compelled the jury to consider the truth and whether or not what was printed was a fact. Ignoring the wishes of the judge, who disapproved of Zenger and his actions, the jury returned a not guilty verdict to the courtroom after only a short deliberation. Zenger’s trial resulted in two significant movements in the march toward freedom of the press. First, the trial demonstrated to the papers that they could potentially print honest criticism of the government without fear of retribution. Second, the British became afraid that an American jury would never convict an American journalist.

With Zenger’s verdict providing more freedom to the press and as some began to call for emancipation from England, newspapers became a conduit for political discussion. More conflicts between the British and the colonists forced papers to pick a side to support. While a majority of American papers challenged governmental authorities, a small number of Loyalist papers, such as James Rivington’s New York Gazetteer , gave voice to the pro-British side. Throughout the war, newspapers continued to publish information representing opposing viewpoints, and the partisan press was born. After the revolution, two opposing political parties—the Federalists and the Republicans—emerged, giving rise to partisan newspapers for each side.

Freedom of the Press in the Early United States

In 1791, the nascent United States of America adopted the First Amendment as part of the Bill of Rights. This act states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceable to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances (Cornell University Law School).” In this one sentence, U.S. law formally guaranteed freedom of press.

However, as a reaction to harsh partisan writing, in 1798, Congress passed the Sedition Act, which declared that “writing, printing, uttering, or publishing any false, scandalous and malicious writing or writings against the government of the United States” was punishable by fine and imprisonment (Constitution Society, 1798). When Thomas Jefferson was elected president in 1800, he allowed the Sedition Act to lapse, claiming that he was lending himself to “a great experiment…to demonstrate the falsehood of the pretext that freedom of the press is incompatible with orderly government (University of Virginia).” This free-press experiment has continued to modern times.

Newspapers as a Form of Mass Media

As late as the early 1800s, newspapers were still quite expensive to print. Although daily papers had become more common and gave merchants up-to-date, vital trading information, most were priced at about 6 cents a copy—well above what artisans and other working-class citizens could afford. As such, newspaper readership was limited to the elite.

The Penny Press

All that changed in September 1833 when Benjamin Day created The Sun . Printed on small, letter-sized pages, The Sun sold for just a penny. With the Industrial Revolution in full swing, Day employed the new steam-driven, two-cylinder press to print The Sun . While the old printing press was capable of printing approximately 125 papers per hour, this technologically improved version printed approximately 18,000 copies per hour. As he reached out to new readers, Day knew that he wanted to alter the way news was presented. He printed the paper’s motto at the top of every front page of The Sun : “The object of this paper is to lay before the public, at a price within the means of every one, all the news of the day, and at the same time offer an advantageous medium for advertisements (Starr, 2004).”

The Sun sought out stories that would appeal to the new mainstream consumer. As such, the paper primarily published human-interest stories and police reports. Additionally, Day left ample room for advertisements. Day’s adoption of this new format and industrialized method of printing was a huge success. The Sun became the first paper to be printed by what became known as the penny press . Prior to the emergence of the penny press, the most popular paper, New York City’s Courier and Enquirer , had sold 4,500 copies per day. By 1835, The Sun sold 15,000 copies per day.

Benjamin Day’s Sun , the first penny paper. The emergence of the penny press helped turn newspapers into a truly mass medium.

Another early successful penny paper was James Gordon Bennett’s New York Morning Herald , which was first published in 1835. Bennett made his mark on the publishing industry by offering nonpartisan political reporting. He also introduced more aggressive methods for gathering news, hiring both interviewers and foreign correspondents. His paper was the first to send a reporter to a crime scene to witness an investigation. In the 1860s, Bennett hired 63 war reporters to cover the U.S. Civil War. Although the Herald initially emphasized sensational news, it later became one of the country’s most respected papers for its accurate reporting.

Growth of Wire Services

Another major historical technological breakthrough for newspapers came when Samuel Morse invented the telegraph. Newspapers turned to emerging telegraph companies to receive up-to-date news briefs from cities across the globe. The significant expense of this service led to the formation of the Associated Press (AP) in 1846 as a cooperative arrangement of five major New York papers: the New York Sun , the Journal of Commerce , the Courier and Enquirer , the New York Herald , and the Express . The success of the Associated Press led to the development of wire services between major cities. According to the AP, this meant that editors were able to “actively collect news as it [broke], rather than gather already published news (Associated Press).” This collaboration between papers allowed for more reliable reporting, and the increased breadth of subject matter lent subscribing newspapers mass appeal for not only upper- but also middle- and working-class readers.

Yellow Journalism

In the late 1800s, New York World publisher Joseph Pulitzer developed a new journalistic style that relied on an intensified use of sensationalism —stories focused on crime, violence, emotion, and sex. Although he made major strides in the newspaper industry by creating an expanded section focusing on women and by pioneering the use of advertisements as news, Pulitzer relied largely on violence and sex in his headlines to sell more copies. Ironically, journalism’s most prestigious award is named for him. His New York World became famous for such headlines as “Baptized in Blood” and “Little Lotta’s Lovers (Fang, 1997).” This sensationalist style served as the forerunner for today’s tabloids . Editors relied on shocking headlines to sell their papers, and although investigative journalism was predominant, editors often took liberties with how the story was told. Newspapers often printed an editor’s interpretation of the story without maintaining objectivity.

At the same time Pulitzer was establishing the New York World , William Randolph Hearst—an admirer and principal competitor of Pulitzer—took over the New York Journal . Hearst’s life partially inspired the 1941 classic film Citizen Kane . The battle between these two major New York newspapers escalated as Pulitzer and Hearst attempted to outsell one another. The papers slashed their prices back down to a penny, stole editors and reporters from each other, and filled their papers with outrageous, sensationalist headlines. One conflict that inspired particularly sensationalized headlines was the Spanish-American War. Both Hearst and Pulitzer filled their papers with huge front-page headlines and gave bloody—if sometimes inaccurate—accounts of the war. As historian Richard K. Hines writes, “The American Press, especially ‘yellow presses’ such as William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal [and] Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World … sensationalized the brutality of the reconcentrado and the threat to American business interests. Journalists frequently embellished Spanish atrocities and invented others (Hines, 2002).”

Comics and Stunt Journalism

As the publishers vied for readership, an entertaining new element was introduced to newspapers: the comic strip. In 1896, Hearst’s New York Journal published R. F. Outcault’s the Yellow Kid in an attempt to “attract immigrant readers who otherwise might not have bought an English-language paper (Yaszek, 1994).” Readers rushed to buy papers featuring the successful yellow-nightshirt-wearing character. The cartoon “provoked a wave of ‘gentle hysteria,’ and was soon appearing on buttons, cracker tins, cigarette packs, and ladies’ fans—and even as a character in a Broadway play (Yaszek, 1994).” Another effect of the cartoon’s popularity was the creation of the term yellow journalism to describe the types of papers in which it appeared.

R. F. Outcault’s the Yellow Kid , first published in William Randolf Hearst’s New York Journal in 1896.

Pulitzer responded to the success of the Yellow Kid by introducing stunt journalism. The publisher hired journalist Elizabeth Cochrane, who wrote under the name Nellie Bly, to report on aspects of life that had previously been ignored by the publishing industry. Her first article focused on the New York City Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell Island. Bly feigned insanity and had herself committed to the infamous asylum. She recounted her experience in her first article, “Ten Days in a Madhouse.” “It was a brilliant move. Her madhouse performance inaugurated the performative tactic that would become her trademark reporting style (Lutes, 2002).” Such articles brought Bly much notoriety and fame, and she became known as the first stunt journalist. Although stunts such as these were considered lowbrow entertainment and female stunt reporters were often criticized by more traditional journalists, Pulitzer’s decision to hire Bly was a huge step for women in the newspaper business. Bly and her fellow stunt reporters “were the first newspaperwomen to move, as a group, from the women’s pages to the front page, from society news into political and criminal news (Lutes, 2002).”

Despite the sometimes questionable tactics of both Hearst and Pulitzer, each man made significant contributions to the growing journalism industry. By 1922, Hearst, a ruthless publisher, had created the country’s largest media-holding company. At that time, he owned 20 daily papers, 11 Sunday papers, 2 wire services, 6 magazines, and a newsreel company. Likewise, toward the end of his life, Pulitzer turned his focus to establishing a school of journalism. In 1912, a year after his death and 10 years after Pulitzer had begun his educational campaign, classes opened at the Columbia University School of Journalism. At the time of its opening, the school had approximately 100 students from 21 countries. Additionally, in 1917, the first Pulitzer Prize was awarded for excellence in journalism.

Key Takeaways

• Although newspapers have existed in some form since ancient Roman times, the modern newspaper primarily stems from German papers printed in the early 1600s with Gutenberg’s printing press. Early European papers were based on two distinct models: the small, dense Dutch corantos and the larger, more expansive German weeklies. As papers began growing in popularity, many publishers started following the German style.
• The Sun , first published by Benjamin Day in 1833, was the first penny paper. Day minimized paper size, used a new two-cylinder steam-engine printing press, and slashed the price of the paper to a penny so more citizens could afford a newspaper. By targeting his paper to a larger, more mainstream audience, Day transformed the newspaper industry and its readers.
• Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst were major competitors in the U.S. newspaper industry in the late 1800s. To compete with one another, the two employed sensationalism—the use of crime, sex, and scandal—to attract readers. This type of journalism became known as yellow journalism. Yellow journalism is known for misleading stories, inaccurate information, and exaggerated detail.

Please respond to the following writing prompts. Each response should be a minimum of one paragraph.

• Examine one copy of a major daily newspaper and one copy of a popular tabloid. Carefully examine each publication’s writing style. In what ways do the journals employ similar techniques, and in what ways do they differ?
• Do you see any links back to the early newspaper trends that were discussed in this section? Describe them.
• How do the publications use their styles to reach out to their respective audiences?

Archiving Early America, “Peter Zenger and Freedom of the Press,” http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/bookmarks/zenger/ .

Associated Press, “AP History,” http://www.ap.org/pages/about/history/history_first.html .

Constitution Society, “Sedition Act, (July 14, 1798),” http://www.constitution.org/rf/sedition_1798.htm .

Cornell University Law School, “Bill of Rights,” http://topics.law.cornell.edu/constitution/billofrights .

Fang, Irving E. A History of Mass Communication : Six Information Revolutions (Boston: Focal PressUSA, 1997), 103.

Goff, Moira. “Early History of the English Newspaper,” 17th-18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers , Gale, 2007, http://find.galegroup.com/bncn/topicguide/bbcn_03.htm .

Harris, Benjamin. Public Occurrences, Both FORREIGN and DOMESTICK , September 25, 1690.

Hines, Richard K. “‘First to Respond to Their Country’s Call’: The First Montana Infantry and the Spanish-American War and Philippine Insurrection, 1898–1899,” Montana: The Magazine of Western History 52, no. 3 (Autumn 2002): 46.

Lutes, Jean Marie “Into the Madhouse with Nellie Bly: Girl Stunt Reporting in Late Nineteenth-Century America,” American Quarterly 54, no. 2 (2002): 217.

Massachusetts Historical Society, “Silence DoGood: Benjamin Franklin in the New England Courant,” http://www.masshist.org/online/silence_dogood/essay.php?entry_id=204 .

Milton, John. Areopagitica , 1644, http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=275 .

Starr, Paul. The Creation of the Media: Political Origins of Modern Communications (New York: Basic Books, 2004), 131.

University of Virginia, “Thomas Jefferson on Politics & Government,” http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff1600.htm .

Understanding Media and Culture Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Essay: The Role of Newspapers in society

This article is about the role of Newspaper in framing and growing our society

The role of Newspapers in society Newspaper have been the most conventional and popular medium of conveying local,regional, national and international news to the readers. Newspaper serve us the latest happenings in different parts of the world through a network of correspondents and news agencies. The national dailies employ their correpondents and reporters in all the major cities of the world. The major newspapers like the New York Times, The Pravda, The Sunday Mail, The Times Of India & The Hindustan Times would, shape and influence the views, opinions and attitudes of millions of readers throughout the world. They are the gurdians of liberty, civic and human rights in the civilised world. In this modern age newspapers play a very important role in promoting commerce, trade and business. Big corporates and industrial houses promotetheir products by giving spacious advertisments in newspapers. Classified adevertisments, important public announcements and public notices also constitue the important content and material of newspapers. Sports, educational and campus news,dance drama,cultural activities and fine arts are some of the necessary fetaures of all leading newspapers. The common masses can express their resentment,appreciations and criticism of the policies of state governments and the centre. The radio and the TV may have many other attractions but the inquisitive nature of man remains unsatisfied till he goes through the columns of newspapers.

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Essay on importance of newspapers 2 Models

Last updated Friday , 15-03-2024 on 11:05 am

Essay on importance of newspapers, in which we explain the definition of the newspaper and the importance of newspapers. Numerous examples such as a short essay on the advantages of a paper newspaper, a paragraph on the types of newspaper, why sales of paper newspapers decreased, and a comparison between paper newspapers and electronic newspapers.

Topics suitable for students in the fifth and sixth grades of primary school and the first, second, third, preparatory and secondary schools, written in an interesting style and simple words, in which we explain the importance of newspapers in transmitting news and analyzing events, and spreading awareness and culture among citizens.

The benefits of newspapers are many, as they are a news, educational, guiding, and entertainment medium as well as they contain stories, cartoons, and so on.

Essay on importance of newspapers

There is no doubt that the press has a great role in educating people, and in the essay on the importance of newspapers we will explain the importance of newspapers, their advantages, what is the impact of newspapers on creating a democratic society, the importance of newspapers for guidance and counseling in times of crises and in environmental disasters and the spread of diseases and epidemics, and what are the reasons for the decrease in newspaper purchases, and how to overcome this by issuing electronic newspapers.

The newspaper definition

A newspaper is a group of paper pages that deal with news of all kinds, political, economic, social, military, artistic, sports and others.

The newspapers also contain various advertisements, and these advertisements are one of the sources of the newspaper’s income, and therefore the newspapers are keen to attract the largest number of them.

The newspaper is issued through a specific entity, and thus this entity is responsible for everything that is published in the newspaper. Therefore, the newspaper issuing authority must obtain all official media approvals, in order to be able to publish and transmit international and local news.

Most newspapers are published on a daily basis, while others are published on a weekly or monthly basis. A large number of people work to publish the newspaper, such as journalists and analysts, writers and photographers, editors and others.

Each newspaper has an editor-in-chief, who is the person responsible for all the procedures that take place in the newspaper, and the news that is published in it.

The importance of newspapers

There is no doubt that journalism has a major role in transmitting and disseminating news, directing society and spreading culture. Newspapers and magazines were the most used tool before the discovery of the mobile phone and the Internet. We can summarize the importance of newspapers as follows:

• Newspapers help promote freedom of expression and opinion, as they provide people with information and reports on local and global affairs.
• Newspapers and magazines are among the media that promote democracy, as they help in forming a critical opinion among readers, educating people, transferring the experiences of other countries, and other things that help the formation of a democratic society.
• Governmental newspapers are a link between the government and citizens, as they present problems and proposals that concern people, as well as government achievements and future plans.
• Newspapers work to help people get their rights, through legal and political awareness, and so on.
• One of the most important roles that newspapers play is serving citizens, by presenting societal problems and providing suggestions and solutions to these problems, which helps in speeding up their solution.
• Increasing community awareness is the most important goal of newspapers, as people can learn about local and foreign events and issues, and thus make important decisions to improve their lives.
• Newspapers are used to educate citizens in times of crises, epidemics, and so on.
• Newspapers are used for commercial advertisements of all kinds.
• Newspapers are used as an educational tool, where news is circulated and analyzed, and facts and theories related to this news are explained with the aim of helping the reader to better understand the subject. Some newspapers also deal with explaining school curricula to students, exam forms, exam dates, and so on.

Newspapers features

There are several advantages of newspapers that we cannot overlook, despite the discovery of the Internet, the occurrence of a revolution in the field of communications, and the transmission of news, but there are some people who prefer reading newspapers because they are characterized by the following:

• Newspapers are an official source of news, unlike various social media, which may promote lies and incorrect information. This feature is the most important thing that distinguishes paper newspapers from other means.
• Paper newspapers preserve the news and data contained in them for the longest period of time, as a person can keep the news that interests him for any period of time he wants.
• A person can read newspapers at any place or time without the need for the Internet.
• Newspapers contain most of the topics that the reader is interested in, political, economic, social and other topics.
• Paper newspapers include an analysis of news by specialists, and in many cases the reader is linked to the opinion and ideas of the writer, and therefore it is preferable to read paper newspapers to follow his favorite reader.

Types of journal articles

Undoubtedly, newspapers contain all journalistic topics of interest to the reader, in addition to advertisements and others. Among the most important articles are the following:

Journalistic investigations: They are written journalistic texts that are concerned with investigating a specific topic, or studying a specific thing and showing the positive and negative aspects of it.

Press reports: They are press texts that summarize an event, such as a report describing the events of a football match, the opening of a huge project, the visit of a local or international official, and so on.

Press interviews: These are journalistic texts written after an interview with a person, to convey the dialogue that took place with that person and highlight his most important responses and opinions.

In all articles, pictures are used that give the article credibility, excitement and suspense to the reader.

Why are newspaper sales declining?

There is no doubt that man likes to do things easily and quickly, and that is why people came to know the news from the Internet, and newspaper sales decreased significantly. And no longer buy newspapers except for the elderly whose feelings are linked to the paper newspaper, and people who follow a certain writer and prefer to read his article constantly.

Newspapers are still the reliable news medium for many people. It is also the method that people depend on in areas where there is no internet.

Electronic newspaper

Due to the decrease in the number of people who buy paper newspapers, newspapers have resorted to issuing electronic newspapers that bear the same name as the paper newspaper, and contain the same articles.

Electronic newspapers were able to spread greatly compared to paper newspapers, because of their many advantages:

Advantages of electronic newspapers

• Obtaining information or news in an easy way, without browsing the entire newspaper.
• Electronic newspapers are free.
• Ease of use via mobile phone or computer and the Internet.
• Watch events instead of reading written text.
• Publishing news in a faster way than paper newspapers.
• Electronic newspapers are more attractive to readers from younger age groups (adolescents – young adults).
• Electronic newspapers enjoy credibility, because they follow responsible parties and can be held accountable.

At the end of the essay on importance of newspapers, I talked about the definition of newspaper and the importance of newspapers in our lives, why paper newspaper sales decreased, and how paper newspapers were replaced by electronic newspapers. And what are the advantages of each of them, and we have noticed the important role that newspapers play, whether in times of peace or war.

The role of newspapers also stands out in spreading awareness and education in times of crises, disasters, and the spread of diseases and epidemics. Newspapers will remain one of the reliable news outlets, as readers resort to reading newspapers to ensure the authenticity of the news published by social media, because newspapers are issued by an official responsible authority.

I hope you have benefited from this article.

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Essay On Newspaper

Newspapers form an essential aspect of almost everyone’s life today. They are a form of printed media and one of the oldest means of communication. They are a potent source of disseminating information to a large number of people at once. Reading the newspaper along with a cup of tea is an everyday practice for many people. Here are some sample essays on “Newspaper”.

100 Words Essay On Newspaper

Newspapers play an important role in spreading news worldwide. This means of mass communication started around the 17th century. It is a very powerful and informative medium. They can be considered more accurate than news channels as the news is published after the events. They cannot be politically influenced. Newspapers are available in different languages and are easily available.

Newspapers also played a vital role in disseminating information in the pre-independence period. They have given the common person a platform to express their thoughts. Newspapers contain information regarding almost everything, be it politics, sports, entertainment, weather forecasts, and climatic changes. They also include advertisements.

200 Words Essay On Newspaper

Newspapers are believed to cover information about all facets of life and have held great value since ancient to modern-day times. Nowadays, newspapers give equal importance to all topics. These may include social, political, economical, climatic, regional and national news. They cost differently depending on their language and popularity. Lokmanya Tilak started the Marathi newspapers “Kesari” and “Mahratta ” to spread awareness among the common man regarding independence.

People Form Opinions | Most people form their opinions based on what they read in the papers. Newspapers are also a platform for the common man to voice their opinions or showcase their creativity.

All Kinds Of Information | The government also uses this medium to announce various schemes, data and various activities. Newspapers act as a pillar in democratic and developing countries. They are also a medium for the layman to get access to the views of experts and thinkers who are often guest columnists for newspapers. It helps us to know about various cultures, traditions, arts and exhibitions taking place.

Quick Information | Amidst our busy schedules, newspapers are a quick way to grab an insight into whatever is happening around us, since skimming the headlines can be done in as less as 10 minutes. Information found in newspapers is also helpful to people preparing for competitive exams, especially government exams.

Even though there are more advanced and other options available in a dynamic world, the importance of newspapers has remained consistent.

500 Words Essay On Newspaper

For a large number of people, reading the newspaper along with a cup of tea is a daily morning ritual. Newspapers are powerful weapons that influence people’s opinions. Some newspapers are also published on a weekly and monthly basis. Some newspapers provide a special edition on a particular weekday.

History Of Newspapers

Newspapers are believed to have been started around the 17th century. By the 19th century, the common person became familiar with them. It is thought that Acta Diurna was the first newspaper published in Rome, around 59 BC. However, any proof or evidence has not been found.

Gazette Bengal, 1970 | In India, a British Englishman named James Augustus Hicky started a newspaper in Bengal. The year was 1780 and the paper was called Gazette Bengal. It was followed by the printing of many other newspapers such as the Madras Gazette, Calcutta Gazette and Bombay Herald.

Pre- Independence | During the pre-independence period, many newspapers were published secretly. They played a prominent role in sharing the news and activities of Indian leaders. Various articles and poems were published which ignited the spark of independence in the minds of the common man.

Importance And Uses

Newspapers play an important role, especially in developing and democratic countries like ours. Along with news, various government schemes are also shared through newspapers. Regularly reading the newspaper improves our vocabulary and speaking skills, and improves reading speed and accuracy.

I was not an avid reader of the newspaper. We used to get the Times of India daily., but I couldn't find the motivation to pick it up and read the news. However, when the Taj Hotel in Mumbai was attacked by foreign insurgents, reading the newspaper became almost as important as reading any religious text. For a few weeks straight I would run to greet the delivery man and collect the paper by hand. I was amended on staying updated with the news to track the events which transpired and all that was happening in the aftermath. Before I knew it, reading the news became an important part of my daily routine.

E-Newspapers

With technology penetrating every aspect of our lives, newspapers have also got their online versions. These are called E-newspapers . Some of the merits of E-newspapers are:-

Eco-Friendly | We know that some of our resources are non-renewable and that we are already facing climatic challenges. Online newspapers save a huge amount of paper and thus, they are more eco-friendly.

Cost-Effective | E-newspapers cost almost nothing. Free PDFs can be created and are easy to download. We can also share them easily with anyone we are willing to. We can also get offers on subscriptions.

Easy To Update | If there is any update regarding the specific news it can be updated easily. It can be edited from anywhere in the world. Any changes can be quickly made.

Accessibility | Anyone can access E-newspapers from any part of the world. These are available at any time. We can read while travelling or while doing any other activity.

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The role of geotechnical engineer in mining includes designing and determining the type of foundations, earthworks, and or pavement subgrades required for the intended man-made structures to be made. Geotechnical engineering jobs are involved in earthen and concrete dam construction projects, working under a range of normal and extreme loading conditions. 

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A Naval Architect is a professional who designs, produces and repairs safe and sea-worthy surfaces or underwater structures. A Naval Architect stays involved in creating and designing ships, ferries, submarines and yachts with implementation of various principles such as gravity, ideal hull form, buoyancy and stability. 

Orthotist and Prosthetist

Orthotists and Prosthetists are professionals who provide aid to patients with disabilities. They fix them to artificial limbs (prosthetics) and help them to regain stability. There are times when people lose their limbs in an accident. In some other occasions, they are born without a limb or orthopaedic impairment. Orthotists and prosthetists play a crucial role in their lives with fixing them to assistive devices and provide mobility.

Veterinary Doctor

Pathologist.

A career in pathology in India is filled with several responsibilities as it is a medical branch and affects human lives. The demand for pathologists has been increasing over the past few years as people are getting more aware of different diseases. Not only that, but an increase in population and lifestyle changes have also contributed to the increase in a pathologist’s demand. The pathology careers provide an extremely huge number of opportunities and if you want to be a part of the medical field you can consider being a pathologist. If you want to know more about a career in pathology in India then continue reading this article.

Speech Therapist

Gynaecologist.

Gynaecology can be defined as the study of the female body. The job outlook for gynaecology is excellent since there is evergreen demand for one because of their responsibility of dealing with not only women’s health but also fertility and pregnancy issues. Although most women prefer to have a women obstetrician gynaecologist as their doctor, men also explore a career as a gynaecologist and there are ample amounts of male doctors in the field who are gynaecologists and aid women during delivery and childbirth. 

An oncologist is a specialised doctor responsible for providing medical care to patients diagnosed with cancer. He or she uses several therapies to control the cancer and its effect on the human body such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and biopsy. An oncologist designs a treatment plan based on a pathology report after diagnosing the type of cancer and where it is spreading inside the body.

Audiologist

The audiologist career involves audiology professionals who are responsible to treat hearing loss and proactively preventing the relevant damage. Individuals who opt for a career as an audiologist use various testing strategies with the aim to determine if someone has a normal sensitivity to sounds or not. After the identification of hearing loss, a hearing doctor is required to determine which sections of the hearing are affected, to what extent they are affected, and where the wound causing the hearing loss is found. As soon as the hearing loss is identified, the patients are provided with recommendations for interventions and rehabilitation such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and appropriate medical referrals. While audiology is a branch of science that studies and researches hearing, balance, and related disorders.

Hospital Administrator

The hospital Administrator is in charge of organising and supervising the daily operations of medical services and facilities. This organising includes managing of organisation’s staff and its members in service, budgets, service reports, departmental reporting and taking reminders of patient care and services.

For an individual who opts for a career as an actor, the primary responsibility is to completely speak to the character he or she is playing and to persuade the crowd that the character is genuine by connecting with them and bringing them into the story. This applies to significant roles and littler parts, as all roles join to make an effective creation. Here in this article, we will discuss how to become an actor in India, actor exams, actor salary in India, and actor jobs. 

Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats create and direct original routines for themselves, in addition to developing interpretations of existing routines. The work of circus acrobats can be seen in a variety of performance settings, including circus, reality shows, sports events like the Olympics, movies and commercials. Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats must be prepared to face rejections and intermittent periods of work. The creativity of acrobats may extend to other aspects of the performance. For example, acrobats in the circus may work with gym trainers, celebrities or collaborate with other professionals to enhance such performance elements as costume and or maybe at the teaching end of the career.

Video Game Designer

Career as a video game designer is filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. A video game designer is someone who is involved in the process of creating a game from day one. He or she is responsible for fulfilling duties like designing the character of the game, the several levels involved, plot, art and similar other elements. Individuals who opt for a career as a video game designer may also write the codes for the game using different programming languages.

Depending on the video game designer job description and experience they may also have to lead a team and do the early testing of the game in order to suggest changes and find loopholes.

Radio Jockey

Radio Jockey is an exciting, promising career and a great challenge for music lovers. If you are really interested in a career as radio jockey, then it is very important for an RJ to have an automatic, fun, and friendly personality. If you want to get a job done in this field, a strong command of the language and a good voice are always good things. Apart from this, in order to be a good radio jockey, you will also listen to good radio jockeys so that you can understand their style and later make your own by practicing.

A career as radio jockey has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. If you want to know more about a career as radio jockey, and how to become a radio jockey then continue reading the article.

Choreographer

The word “choreography" actually comes from Greek words that mean “dance writing." Individuals who opt for a career as a choreographer create and direct original dances, in addition to developing interpretations of existing dances. A Choreographer dances and utilises his or her creativity in other aspects of dance performance. For example, he or she may work with the music director to select music or collaborate with other famous choreographers to enhance such performance elements as lighting, costume and set design.

Videographer

Multimedia specialist.

A multimedia specialist is a media professional who creates, audio, videos, graphic image files, computer animations for multimedia applications. He or she is responsible for planning, producing, and maintaining websites and applications. 

Social Media Manager

A career as social media manager involves implementing the company’s or brand’s marketing plan across all social media channels. Social media managers help in building or improving a brand’s or a company’s website traffic, build brand awareness, create and implement marketing and brand strategy. Social media managers are key to important social communication as well.

Copy Writer

In a career as a copywriter, one has to consult with the client and understand the brief well. A career as a copywriter has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. Several new mediums of advertising are opening therefore making it a lucrative career choice. Students can pursue various copywriter courses such as Journalism , Advertising , Marketing Management . Here, we have discussed how to become a freelance copywriter, copywriter career path, how to become a copywriter in India, and copywriting career outlook. 

Careers in journalism are filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. One cannot afford to miss out on the details. As it is the small details that provide insights into a story. Depending on those insights a journalist goes about writing a news article. A journalism career can be stressful at times but if you are someone who is passionate about it then it is the right choice for you. If you want to know more about the media field and journalist career then continue reading this article.

For publishing books, newspapers, magazines and digital material, editorial and commercial strategies are set by publishers. Individuals in publishing career paths make choices about the markets their businesses will reach and the type of content that their audience will be served. Individuals in book publisher careers collaborate with editorial staff, designers, authors, and freelance contributors who develop and manage the creation of content.

In a career as a vlogger, one generally works for himself or herself. However, once an individual has gained viewership there are several brands and companies that approach them for paid collaboration. It is one of those fields where an individual can earn well while following his or her passion. 

Ever since internet costs got reduced the viewership for these types of content has increased on a large scale. Therefore, a career as a vlogger has a lot to offer. If you want to know more about the Vlogger eligibility, roles and responsibilities then continue reading the article. 

Individuals in the editor career path is an unsung hero of the news industry who polishes the language of the news stories provided by stringers, reporters, copywriters and content writers and also news agencies. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor make it more persuasive, concise and clear for readers. In this article, we will discuss the details of the editor's career path such as how to become an editor in India, editor salary in India and editor skills and qualities.

Linguistic meaning is related to language or Linguistics which is the study of languages. A career as a linguistic meaning, a profession that is based on the scientific study of language, and it's a very broad field with many specialities. Famous linguists work in academia, researching and teaching different areas of language, such as phonetics (sounds), syntax (word order) and semantics (meaning). 

Other researchers focus on specialities like computational linguistics, which seeks to better match human and computer language capacities, or applied linguistics, which is concerned with improving language education. Still, others work as language experts for the government, advertising companies, dictionary publishers and various other private enterprises. Some might work from home as freelance linguists. Philologist, phonologist, and dialectician are some of Linguist synonym. Linguists can study French , German , Italian . 

Public Relation Executive

Travel journalist.

The career of a travel journalist is full of passion, excitement and responsibility. Journalism as a career could be challenging at times, but if you're someone who has been genuinely enthusiastic about all this, then it is the best decision for you. Travel journalism jobs are all about insightful, artfully written, informative narratives designed to cover the travel industry. Travel Journalist is someone who explores, gathers and presents information as a news article.

Quality Controller

A quality controller plays a crucial role in an organisation. He or she is responsible for performing quality checks on manufactured products. He or she identifies the defects in a product and rejects the product. 

A quality controller records detailed information about products with defects and sends it to the supervisor or plant manager to take necessary actions to improve the production process.

Production Manager

Merchandiser.

A QA Lead is in charge of the QA Team. The role of QA Lead comes with the responsibility of assessing services and products in order to determine that he or she meets the quality standards. He or she develops, implements and manages test plans. 

Metallurgical Engineer

A metallurgical engineer is a professional who studies and produces materials that bring power to our world. He or she extracts metals from ores and rocks and transforms them into alloys, high-purity metals and other materials used in developing infrastructure, transportation and healthcare equipment. 

Azure Administrator

An Azure Administrator is a professional responsible for implementing, monitoring, and maintaining Azure Solutions. He or she manages cloud infrastructure service instances and various cloud servers as well as sets up public and private cloud systems. 

AWS Solution Architect

An AWS Solution Architect is someone who specializes in developing and implementing cloud computing systems. He or she has a good understanding of the various aspects of cloud computing and can confidently deploy and manage their systems. He or she troubleshoots the issues and evaluates the risk from the third party. 

Computer Programmer

Careers in computer programming primarily refer to the systematic act of writing code and moreover include wider computer science areas. The word 'programmer' or 'coder' has entered into practice with the growing number of newly self-taught tech enthusiasts. Computer programming careers involve the use of designs created by software developers and engineers and transforming them into commands that can be implemented by computers. These commands result in regular usage of social media sites, word-processing applications and browsers.

ITSM Manager

Information security manager.

Individuals in the information security manager career path involves in overseeing and controlling all aspects of computer security. The IT security manager job description includes planning and carrying out security measures to protect the business data and information from corruption, theft, unauthorised access, and deliberate attack 

Business Intelligence Developer

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Role of newspapers in influencing society and youth – Essay

Essay – 5.

Creative Writing – 21

Bank PO and Junior College Level Essay – Word Limit – 250

Role of newspapers in influencing society and youth.

Hickey’s Bengal Gazette was the first newspaper to be published in India. In 1780, Augustus Hickey, a staunch critic of the East India Company, ventured to publish it. After successful operation for two years, Warren Hastings ordered its closure, because he found the content too subversive.

Indians like newspapers as much as for the news as for their views which could be quite anti-establishment. Thus, free airing of dissent, the hallmark of a good newspaper endears it to so many Indians. For some, it has become an addiction. In meetings, conferences, gatherings, and ordinary tea shops, people discuss and argue over the news published in the papers of that day. The editorials are treated as sermons of a wise man, and these columns sway public opinion with astounding effect.

Political parties of both left and right, independent media houses, and large business houses publish newspapers targeting the society, and the youth, in particular. It is no secret that the owners of the newspapers often force the editorial staff to promote their agenda. To a large extent, this strategy succeeds. They shape their readers’ views, and set the value system of the society. For the aspirational youth today, the internet might have become pervasive, but in India, newspapers, both print and electronic are considered the loadstones to follow in life’s path.

Apart from news, people read them for advertisements, and entertainment, and job and spouse searches. In a nutshell, the influence of newspapers on society and youth is larger today than ever.

Related Posts

Should college essays touch on race? Some feel the affirmative action ruling leaves them no choice

When the supreme court ended affirmative action, it left the college essay as one of few places where race can play a role in admissions decisions.

Max Decker, a senior at Lincoln High School, sits for a portrait in the school library where he often worked on writing his college essays, in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

Amanda Loman / AP

Like many students, Max Decker of Portland, Oregon, had drafted a college essay on one topic, only to change direction after the Supreme Court ruling in June.

Decker initially wrote about his love for video games. In a childhood surrounded by constant change, navigating his parents’ divorce, the games he took from place to place on his Nintendo DS were a source of comfort.

But the essay he submitted to colleges focused on the community he found through Word is Bond, a leadership group for young Black men in Portland.

As the only biracial, Jewish kid with divorced parents in a predominantly white, Christian community, Decker wrote he felt like the odd one out. On a trip with Word is Bond to Capitol Hill, he and friends who looked just like him shook hands with lawmakers. The experience, he wrote, changed how he saw himself.

“It’s because I’m different that I provide something precious to the world, not the other way around,” wrote Decker, whose top college choice is Tulane, in New Orleans, because of the region’s diversity.

This year’s senior class is the first in decades to navigate college admissions without affirmative action . The Supreme Court upheld the practice in decisions going back to the 1970s, but this court’s conservative supermajority found it is unconstitutional for colleges to give students extra weight because of their race alone.

Still, the decision left room for race to play an indirect role: Chief Justice John Roberts wrote universities can still consider how an applicant’s life was shaped by their race, “so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability.”

Scores of colleges responded with new essay prompts asking about students’ backgrounds.

FILE - Demonstrators protest outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, in this June 29, 2023 file photo, after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, saying race cannot be a factor.

Jose Luis Magana / AP

Writing about feeling more comfortable with being Black

When Darrian Merritt started writing his essay, his first instinct was to write about events that led to him going to live with his grandmother as a child. Those were painful memories, but he thought they might play well at schools like Yale, Stanford and Vanderbilt.

“I feel like the admissions committee might expect a sob story or a tragic story,” said Merritt, a senior in Cleveland. “I wrestled with that a lot.”

Eventually he abandoned the idea and aimed for an essay that would stand out for its positivity.

Merritt wrote about a summer camp where he started to feel more comfortable in his own skin. He described embracing his personality and defying his tendency to please others. But the essay also reflects on his feelings of not being “Black enough” and getting made fun of for listening to “white people music.”

Related: Oregon colleges, universities weigh potential outcomes of US Supreme Court decision on affirmative action

Essay about how to embrace natural hair

When Hillary Amofa started writing her college essay, she told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. About being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana and growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. About hardship and struggle.

Then she deleted it all.

“I would just find myself kind of trauma-dumping,” said the 18-year-old senior at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago. “And I’m just like, this doesn’t really say anything about me as a person.”

Amofa was just starting to think about her essay when the court issued its decision, and it left her with a wave of questions. Could she still write about her race? Could she be penalized for it? She wanted to tell colleges about her heritage but she didn’t want to be defined by it.

In English class, Amofa and her classmates read sample essays that all seemed to focus on some trauma or hardship. It left her with the impression she had to write about her life’s hardest moments to show how far she’d come. But she and some classmates wondered if their lives had been hard enough to catch the attention of admissions offices.

Hillary Amofa, laughs as she participates in a team building game with members of the Lincoln Park High School step team after school Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. When she started writing her college essay, Amofa told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. She wrote about being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana, about growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. She described hardship and struggle. Then she deleted it all. "I would just find myself kind of trauma-dumping," said the 18 year-old senior, "And I'm just like, this doesn't really say anything about me as a person."

Charles Rex Arbogast / AP

Amofa used to think affirmative action was only a factor at schools like Harvard and Yale. After the court’s ruling, she was surprised to find that race was taken into account even at public universities she was applying to.

Now, without affirmative action, she wondered if mostly white schools will become even whiter.

It’s been on her mind as she chooses between Indiana University and the University of Dayton, both of which have relatively few Black students. When she was one of the only Black students in her grade school, she could fall back on her family and Ghanaian friends at church. At college, she worries about loneliness.

“That’s what I’m nervous about,” she said. “Going and just feeling so isolated, even though I’m constantly around people.”

Related: Some Oregon universities, politicians disappointed in Supreme Court decision on affirmative action

The first drafts of her essay didn’t tell colleges about who she is now, she said.

Her final essay describes how she came to embrace her natural hair. She wrote about going to a mostly white grade school where classmates made jokes about her afro.

Over time, she ignored their insults and found beauty in the styles worn by women in her life. She now runs a business doing braids and other hairstyles in her neighborhood.

“Criticism will persist,” she wrote “but it loses its power when you know there’s a crown on your head!”

Ma reported from Portland, Oregon.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

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Should college essays touch on race? Some feel the affirmative action ruling leaves them no choice

CHICAGO — When she started writing her college essay, Hillary Amofa told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. About being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana and growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. About hardship and struggle.

Then she deleted it all.

“I would just find myself kind of trauma-dumping,” said the 18-year-old senior at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago. “And I’m just like, this doesn’t really say anything about me as a person.”

When the Supreme Court ended affirmative action in higher education, it left the college essay as one of few places where race can play a role in admissions decisions. For many students of color, instantly more was riding on the already high-stakes writing assignment. Some say they felt pressure to exploit their hardships as they competed for a spot on campus.

Amofa was just starting to think about her essay when the court issued its decision, and it left her with a wave of questions. Could she still write about her race? Could she be penalized for it? She wanted to tell colleges about her heritage but she didn’t want to be defined by it.

In English class, Amofa and her classmates read sample essays that all seemed to focus on some trauma or hardship. It left her with the impression she had to write about her life’s hardest moments to show how far she’d come. But she and some classmates wondered if their lives had been hard enough to catch the attention of admissions offices.

This year’s senior class is the first in decades to navigate college admissions without affirmative action. The Supreme Court upheld the practice in decisions going back to the 1970s, but this court’s conservative supermajority found it is unconstitutional for colleges to give students extra weight because of their race alone.

Still, the decision left room for race to play an indirect role: Chief Justice John Roberts wrote universities can still consider how an applicant’s life was shaped by their race, “so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability.”

Scores of colleges responded with new essay prompts asking about students’ backgrounds.

When Darrian Merritt started writing his essay, his first instinct was to write about events that led to him going to live with his grandmother as a child. Those were painful memories, but he thought they might play well at schools like Yale, Stanford and Vanderbilt.

“I feel like the admissions committee might expect a sob story or a tragic story,” said Merritt, a senior in Cleveland. “I wrestled with that a lot.”

Eventually he abandoned the idea and aimed for an essay that would stand out for its positivity.

Merritt wrote about a summer camp where he started to feel more comfortable in his own skin. He described embracing his personality and defying his tendency to please others. But the essay also reflects on his feelings of not being “Black enough” and getting made fun of for listening to “white people music.”

Like many students, Max Decker, of Portland, had drafted a college essay on one topic, only to change direction after the Supreme Court ruling in June.

Decker initially wrote about his love for video games. In a childhood surrounded by constant change, navigating his parents’ divorce, the games he took from place to place on his Nintendo DS were a source of comfort.

But the essay he submitted to colleges focused on the community he found through Word is Bond, a leadership group for young Black men in Portland.

As the only biracial, Jewish kid with divorced parents in a predominantly white, Christian community, Decker wrote he felt like the odd one out. On a trip with Word is Bond to Capitol Hill, he and friends who looked just like him shook hands with lawmakers. The experience, he wrote, changed how he saw himself.

“It’s because I’m different that I provide something precious to the world, not the other way around,” wrote Decker, whose top college choice is Tulane, in New Orleans, because of the region’s diversity.

Amofa used to think affirmative action was only a factor at schools like Harvard and Yale. After the court’s ruling, she was surprised to find that race was taken into account even at public universities she was applying to.

Now, without affirmative action, she wondered if mostly white schools will become even whiter.

It’s been on her mind as she chooses between Indiana University and the University of Dayton, both of which have relatively few Black students. When she was one of the only Black students in her grade school, she could fall back on her family and Ghanaian friends at church. At college, she worries about loneliness.

“That’s what I’m nervous about,” she said. “Going and just feeling so isolated, even though I’m constantly around people.”

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The first drafts of her essay didn’t tell colleges about who she is now, she said.

Her final essay describes how she came to embrace her natural hair. She wrote about going to a mostly white grade school where classmates made jokes about her Afro.

Over time, she ignored their insults and found beauty in the styles worn by women in her life. She now runs a business doing braids and other hairstyles in her neighborhood.

“Criticism will persist,” she wrote, “but it loses its power when you know there’s a crown on your head!”

Ma reported from Portland.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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New York Takes Crucial Step Toward Making Congestion Pricing a Reality

The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted to approve a new $15 toll to drive into Manhattan. The plan still faces challenges from six lawsuits before it can begin in June.

By Winnie Hu and Ana Ley

New York City completed a crucial final step on Wednesday in a decades-long effort to become the first American city to roll out a comprehensive congestion pricing program, one that aims to push motorists out of their cars and onto mass transit by charging new tolls to drive into Midtown and Lower Manhattan.

The program could start as early as mid-June after the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that will install and manage the program, voted 11-to-1 to approve the final tolling rates, which will charge most passenger cars $15 a day to enter at 60th Street and below in Manhattan. The program is expected to reduce traffic and raise $1 billion annually for public transit improvements.

It was a historic moment for New York’s leaders and transportation advocates after decades of failed attempts to advance congestion pricing even as other gridlocked cities around the world, including London, Stockholm and Singapore, proved that similar programs could reduce traffic and pollution.

While other American cities have introduced related concepts by establishing toll roads or closing streets to traffic, the plan in New York is unmatched in ambition and scale.

Congestion pricing is expected to reduce the number of vehicles that enter Lower Manhattan by about 17 percent, according to a November study by an advisory committee reporting to the M.T.A. The report also said that the total number of miles driven in 28 counties across the region would be reduced.

“This was the right thing to do,” Janno Lieber, the authority’s chairman and chief executive, said after the vote. “New York has more traffic than any place in the United States, and now we’re doing something about it.”

Congestion pricing has long been a hard sell in New York, where many people commute by car from the boroughs outside of Manhattan and the suburbs, in part because some of them do not have access to public transit.

New York State legislators finally approved congestion pricing in 2019 after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo helped push it through. A series of recent breakdowns in the city’s subway system had underscored the need for billions of dollars to update its aging infrastructure.

It has taken another five years to reach the starting line. Before the tolling program can begin, it must be reviewed by the Federal Highway Administration, which is expected to approve it.

Congestion pricing also faces legal challenges from six lawsuits that have been brought by elected officials and residents from across the New York region. Opponents have increasingly mobilized against the program in recent months, citing the cost of the tolls and the potential environmental effects from shifting traffic and pollution to other areas as drivers avoid the tolls.

A court hearing is scheduled for April 3 and 4 on a lawsuit brought by the State of New Jersey, which is seen as the most serious legal challenge. The mayor of Fort Lee, N.J., Mark J. Sokolich, has filed a related lawsuit.

Four more lawsuits have been brought in New York: by Ed Day, the Rockland County executive; by Vito Fossella, the Staten Island borough president, and the United Federation of Teachers; and by two separate groups of city residents.

Amid the litigation, M.T.A. officials have suspended some capital construction projects that were to be paid for by the program, and they said at a committee meeting on Monday that crucial work to modernize subway signals on the A and C lines had been delayed.

Nearly all the toll readers have been installed, and will automatically charge drivers for entering the designated congestion zone at 60th Street or below. There is no toll for leaving the zone or driving around in it. Through traffic on Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive and the West Side Highway will not be tolled.

Under the final tolling structure, which was based on recommendations by the advisory panel, most passenger vehicles will be charged $15 a day from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. The toll will be $24 for small trucks and charter buses, and will rise to $36 for large trucks and tour buses. It will be $7.50 for motorcycles.

Those tolls will be discounted by 75 percent at night, dropping the cost for a passenger vehicle to $3.75.

Fares will go up by $1.25 for taxis and black car services, and by $2.50 for Uber and Lyft. Passengers will be responsible for paying the new fees, and they will be added to every ride that begins, ends or occurs within the congestion zone. There will be no nighttime discounts. (The new fees come on top of an existing congestion surcharge that was imposed on for-hire vehicles in 2019.)

The tolls will mostly be collected using the E-ZPass system. Electronic detection points have been placed at entrances and exits to the tolling zone. Drivers who do not use an E-ZPass will pay significantly higher fees — for instance, $22.50 instead of $15 during peak hours for passenger vehicles.

Emergency vehicles like fire trucks, ambulances and police cars, as well as vehicles carrying people with disabilities, were exempted from the new tolls under the state’s congestion pricing legislation .

As for discounts, low-income drivers who make less than $50,000 annually can apply to receive half off the daytime toll after their first 10 trips in a calendar month. In addition, low-income residents of the congestion zone who make less than $60,000 a year can apply for a state tax credit.

All drivers entering the zone directly from four tolled tunnels — the Lincoln, Holland, Hugh L. Carey and Queens-Midtown — will receive a “crossing credit” that will be applied against the daytime toll. The credit will be $5 round-trip for passenger vehicles, $12 for small trucks and intercity and charter buses, $20 for large trucks and tour buses, and $2.50 for motorcycles. No credits will be offered at night.

Grace Ashford contributed reporting.

Winnie Hu is a Times reporter covering the people and neighborhoods of New York City. More about Winnie Hu

Ana Ley is a Times reporter covering New York City’s mass transit system and the millions of passengers who use it. More about Ana Ley