The Newspaper

The newspaper is perhaps the only truly popular mass media. Like other mass media such as networked computers and televisions, newspapers provide all the news and information one might need. Unlike the other mass media, however, newspapers are inexpensive, conveniently available, and easy to carry. For most of us, reading the newspaper has become an indispensable part of our daily routine. We can be found with our faces buried in these voluminous, word-filled pages wherever we are throughout our day, waiting for the bus, working at the office and even going to the bathroom.

The newspaper is a powerful tool, capable of alternately enligh­tening us and molding our opinions. The newspaper provides us with detailed information about nearly every event that has taken place around the world. It satisfies our curiosity and often helps clear the fog that hangs over many complex and sensitive issues. If one reads three different local newspapers on the same day, one can see clearly their different political agendas. All devote the front page to either praising the candi­dates they support and the stories they are in favor of, or to bombarding their opponents with tons of harsh words. Moreover, they do this with little regard to the effects of their biased "reporting." The fact is that a lot of controversial messages we see in newspaper headlines are even­tually proved untrue.

Furthermore, people convinced by the newspaper reports blindly follow their lead, holding demonstrations and protesting against government bureaus and important private financial organizations, often leading to the collapse of the private firms and putting the whole country in great danger. Today, the function of our daily newspapers is a largely positive one, and we need them as a source of information on current events. We must be watchful, however, to ensure that they are not being used to manipulate us.