Tuesday 30 December 2014

Virtual Print Media- A Stagnant Revolution

The latest report of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) speaks volumes about the virtual nature of the print media that has ensnared the world at large. According to the much discussed report in today’s breaking news, in nearly thirty five of its member nations, countries have resorted to viewing the news online, with more than fifty percent of the population  in these thirty five member nations preferring the online version of their daily news over the apparently cumbersome newspapers and dailies. While online news takes over the world, Indians prefer, sadly, their version of print media over the daily cuppa. Online Newspapers in India have no gained the expected popularity, also due to the lack of availability of the internet over the vast expanse of the country, with hardly 12% of the population with access to the internet. South Korea leads with its internet revolution playing its part, with nearly 80% individuals having access to the internet and virtual news online.

While the rest of the world sees the print media crumbling, India still sees the same as its undisputed kind with news online. People prefer reading about today’s breaking news on paper rather than viewing news online. Majorly developed economies, such as the United States and The United Kingdom saw employment in the print media drop almost instantaneously as the trend of viewing news online slowly gathered momentum, with the US alone facing the crisis of the forty percent drop in employment in this sector. Meanwhile in the years between 2005 and 2010, the industry providing news online generated revenue of a massive $ 1 Billion approximately, truly signifying its popularity.

However, in India, this is far from the reality. Online newspapers in India have been largely shinned due to the lack of access to the internet or even devices to access to the internet among the populace. The print media for newspapers remains strong as ever, with a growth of nearly Rs. 250 Billion in the year 2013 as compared to a much less significant figure of 175 Billion Rupees in the year 2010. The digital penetration in the country is as slow as it has ever been, making the virtual media revolution of news online a distant dream if not an unattainable one.

Other problem that online newspapers face is the restriction on the number of languages in which such news online can be provided, with the tongues varying along the length and breadth of the country. Thus news unavailable in particular language online puts off the reader of that language from pursuing news online. Besides, websites in India, including news websites, are often commercialized, making the experience unfortunate for the readers.
Here’s to hoping for an internet revolution.


The Source of This Blog:. Wordpress.

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