Newspaper vs Other Media - Sample

The proliferation of alternative media as a source of news alongside established newspapers has sparked debate about the effectiveness of the different ways people consume news. This essay will examine the pros and cons of both new and traditional media and argue that the best approach lies somewhere in the middle.

The most significant advantage of new media is the remarkable speed and scale at which they disseminate information. With the advent of the Internet and the prevalence of always-on mobile devices in everyone’s pockets, people today can learn of regional and global events minutes or hours after they happen, instead of days. For instance, major global events such as the COVID pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the Israel-Gaza conflict are covered in real-time, reaching millions of people via social media and the world wide web. New media are therefore great tools to stay updated and informed about the changes in the world we live in. However, the most glaring weakness of news from alternative sources is their veracity, or lack thereof.

Reputable news publications are known for their rigorous reporting standards. News articles at traditional newspapers are typically fact-checked and reviewed by multiple journalists before publication. Although this diligent and methodical approach to news reporting is not error-proof, it is still considerably more reliable and trustworthy than unvetted online accounts and websites trying to break the news in the shortest amount of time, often without any further research or verification. Traditional news outlets may be slower, but their lack of speed is arguably necessary for the sake of credibility.

Nevertheless, many established newspapers have adapted to the modern age. Publications (Reuters, CNN, and BBC, to name a few) now maintain their own social media accounts, offering users the best of both worlds. Journalists can publish articles and break the news to a great number of people nearly instantaneously, while still providing the underlying scrupulous process of fact-checking and verification. Admittedly, this is still somewhat slower than unverified sources spreading information, which, as previously mentioned, may or may not be entirely dependable. However, I would argue that this deficit in speed is negligible, and that the added time is a worthwhile tradeoff between speed and accuracy.

In conclusion, both alternative and traditional news outlets have their own positives and negatives. Ultimately, readers should choose credible news outlets, who are adapting themselves to the fast-paced nature of the information age, to avoid misinformation and unverified claims.

(405 words, band 7.5)