Essay On The Role of Newspapers

Manish Rajkoomar
Essay
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 act
as bridge between the government and the governed. Everybody, ecept a !ew read the
newspaper everyday.
"i!!erent people read it !or di!!erent purposes. Newspapers keep the people aware o! the
activities o! the government. They mobili#e public opinion. They play an important role
in !ighting the menace o! corruption. In a democracy, there should be an e!!icient and
!earless press. $ress is he mirror o! the society. The !irst newspaper published in India
was the %engal &a#ette. In!ormation is !ed to newspapers by a number o! amenities like
$TI, 'NI etc. Newspapers should concentrate on giving only the true picture o! the
society.
Everybody ecept a !ew read the newspaper everyday. (ne reads it with eciting
curiosity every morning. "i!!erent people read the newspaper !or di!!erent purposes.
)oung graduates scan the job*advertisement pages. +ottery addicts pour over the lottery
results. The school boy looks about the detailed happenings in cricket and other sports.
The head o! the household reads about government matters and other events. %usiness
entrepreneurs go thought the business news. housewives look !or topics like cookery,
health and beauty care tips etc. ,asual readers look !or sensational topics like loot,
murder, kidnapping etc. (thers go though the daily predictions o! the #odiac. 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 !ashion, movies and !ilm stars.
India is a developing country. Most o! the people are poor and illiterate. -or democracy
to be success!ul, all the citi#ens should be ilterate. $oliticians with sel!ish motive deceive
the poor and illiterate with !alse promises. Newspapers help in spreading public opinion.
They keep the people aware o! the activities o! the government.
In a democracy, there should be an e!!icient and !earless press. $ress re!ers to
newspapers, maga#ines, the news section o! radio and television, and the journalists who
work !or them. $ress is the mirror o! the society. It acts as a watch.god o! democracy. it
is the duty o! the press to watch the activities o! the government. Its duty is to highlight
the !ailure o! the policies o! the government and pinpoint its lapses.
The !irst newspaper published in India was called The Bengal Gazette. The Bombay
Samachar is the oldest eisting daily newspapers. It was !irst published in &ujarat in
/011. 2nand %a#aar $atrika, $unjab 3esri and The Times o! India are old newspapers.
Newspaper give us the latest in!ormation on local, national and international events. They
serve as a plat!orm !or discussion on public issues. Newspapers !ocus on social and
political evils prevailing in the society. 4ome o! these evils are unsociability. dowry,
drinking, gambling, drug addiction etc. Newspapers can ehort the people to root out
these evils.
Newspapers make people aware o! every !ield o! society. (nce in every week, every
newspaper publishes vacancies in all !ields. 5ob seekers get much bene!ited thought this.
2 weekly matrimonial supplement is also published with almost every newspaper and its
related news and events. Newspapers also contain the schedules o! Television and
theaters. It helps people to plan their day accordingly. News related to sports becomes
very important nowadays as it !etches large amount o! revenue. 4o almost all the
newspapers publish the sports*news with elaborate pictures and charts. $eople get
in!ormed about weather !orecast, railway and airport time table.
In the present age, corruption is present in all walks o! li!e. Newspapers play an
important role in !ighting against the menace o! corruption. The people can be made
aware o! the corrupt practices prevalent in various departments o! &overnment and other
agencies.
Newspapers act as a link between the government and the people. They make the people
ware o! the policies, programmes and activities o! the government. They also make the
government aware o! the problems, being !aced by the people.
In!ormation is !ed to the newspapers by a number o! agencies. The $ress In!ormation
%ureau gives in!ormation to the $ress on the government6s policies, programmes and
activities. It receives !eedback !rom the people. India has !our major news agencies *
$ress Trust o! India 7$TI8, 'nited News o! India 7'NI8, 4amachar %harit and 9industan
4amachar. The newspapers are published in English, 9indi and other regional languages.
Newspaper could make a great impact on its readers. 4o, they should concentrate on
giving only the true picture o! the society.