• Online news is updated more frequently, but it’s difficult to tell whether it’s reliable

• Newspapers are a waste of paper

• Newspapers have fewer photos and no distracting videos

People have invented more efficient ways to spread news after the industrial revolution, and in such a modern society and high-tech world, people prefer to read news online as opposed to traditional newspapers. According to statistical reports, more than 50 percent of individuals used the internet to get information in 2017. However, despite the convenience of getting information online, there is still a huge population that still reads traditional newspapers. Here are some pros and cons of each:

1. Frequency and amount

Online news is updated and changed more frequently. This means that we can get an enormous amount of articles and essays in a short time; I would even say that we can find almost everything by means of the internet. Also, because social media has been extensively spread, everyone has the ability to leave comments and share their thoughts; readers and authors today are able to look at an event from different perspectives and promote discussions with different readers. However, because of the huge amount of information, sometimes it’s hard to get the crucial ones immediately. Also, every person or company having the ability to operate a website makes it hard to tell whether the information we get is reliable.

On the other hand, even though newspaper companies take a longer time to edit their articles, they are usually better written and have a higher accuracy.

2. Convenience

Newspapers seem more convenient because they can be read anywhere and anytime. However, it is a waste of paper and can’t really be saved because the ink may fade out through time. Although online news requires wifi and electricity, it wouldn’t matter a lot because most people today use electricity and Wi-Fi to play video games or text their friends anyways. The point is, online news does not take space at all. With the progress of science and technology, people today can easily get information with a smartphone or a computer. Even better, if you like an article, you can easily look for it again by typing in keywords. There are also international websites such as BBC or CNN that give the opportunity to choose different languages. This would help people from different nationalities to read the same content in their native languages. It would also give readers the chance to know more about the world and cultural events by reading authentic issues.

3. Reading abilities

While reading newspapers, people are hardly distracted by advertisements which give unnecessary information. It gives nothing more than an article with related illustrations. This way, readers are actually reading and can think more independently.

Online news, however, includes too many pictures and videos. People are more likely to skip lines and just focus on pictures when reading. Even worse, when people watch videos, they are supported by listening to the same text they are reading, and this makes people’s reading skills decline. “When watching videos, readers simultaneously absorbed both the spoken word and the printed text that flows across the screen,” said professor Timothy Rasinksi, literacy of education.

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In conclusion, online news is doubtless more convenient and appropriate for modern society. While the digital tilt has become more pronounced in the past few decades (especially in developed countries), many economists predict that newspapers would be replaced by online news and social media in the future because it is hard to carry around and the layout is really limited. In our fast-moving world it not only gives people more opportunities to read articles but we also get to view other resources on the topic and share our opinions with other readers.