Category: Newspaper

Abstract

Determinant how to identify and locate or newspaper/ magazine in an e-database is a challenging problem to many people who use online search engines to access and read the articles, making it an important problem in academic research because the volume of the item to search through increases each day. To address the problem, this study used both qualitative and quantitative research paradigms, with the qualitative research dependent on a systematic review of literature on how to create a search statement, the necessary components of the search statement, basic and advanced searches, and how database features enable accurate searchers to be done.

The quantitative paradigm was based on an SPSS version 20 analysis of questionnaire responses received from different subjects. The results showed that a search statement consisting of three concepts, features of the search databases, and the use of basic and advanced searches consisting of ley words, concatenated words, and indexing were necessary to optimize the search results to identify and locate newspaper/magazine in an e-database.

Introduction

The volume of materials such as magazines in e-databases continues to increase each day, making it difficult to search and locate a magazine or related article time consuming and a complex task (Brill, 2001). Despite the availability of articles and other related content easily accessible on electronic databases that are accessible on the web, many of the users wanting to interrogate and locate such articles on the electronic databases do not know the definite rules that one can use to access an article of ones choice but conduct such searches randomly using search engines of any choice. An additional challenge and complexity arise because most of the people searching for the article of interest do not know the electronic databases they could find the article of interest (Kozlowski & Panda, 2002).

However, research has shown that a variety of searching techniques exists with the most recommended being to browse for the article without any specific rules, which later is followed by a specific search for the article in the electronic database of ones choice and most probable target that leads to an advanced search strategy (Doyle, 2007). The rationale is that most of the electronic databases contain different materials in electronic format and each database has its own contents that are generally described on the home page of the electronic database. However, the skills and knowledge of how the search strategies work has not been explored, leading to the question of how possible it is to identify and located in an electronic database?

Research objectives

1. To investigate how to create a search statement using keywords.
2. Investigate how to utilize database features.
3. How to carry out basic and advanced searches.

Literature Review

Introduction

This literature review is a summary of the findings of different authors on how to identify and locate a newspaper/magazine in e- databases based on different search techniques, use of search statements, keywords, how to utilize database feature, and the how-to conduct basic and advanced database search techniques.

Creating a search statement

Research studies by Doyle, S. (2007) and other authors in academia have shown that when deciding to search in an electronic database for a Newspaper/Magazine it is important for one to create a search statement. A search statement is important because computers do not think but must be supplied with certain keywords to enable the computer to search and locate the article on the e-datable. It has been established that the search statement is difficult to make and one can be successful in creating a search statement by first identifying the main idea or the article/magazine to search for.

Here, the search statement is a better way of searching for an article because it consists of the terms that are used to define the article by combining them to create the title that is used to search for the article. Researchers such as Knight (2002) have proposed that when creating a search statement, it is important to minimize the number of words and optimize the number of titles being searched. Here, the search statement is used to query the e-database by utilizing its search engine. Here, it is important to note that the search statement must work in an environment consisting of two components, the datasets and the interface used to access the data.

The data, in this case, is the e-article or magazine that is in the electronic form being searched for in the database and the interface can either be unique to the search being conducted or designed to work on general search strategies. However, it is important to consider the access privileges and rights when trying to access a specific database because some e-databases limit access to those who have not signed up (Mitchell, Davidson, Branch & Lysiak, 2001).

Interfaces

Research articles show that different interfaces share similar features while others do not and that depends on the type of database and the search engine being used to search for an article. Here, the first step is to break the search statement into keywords and concepts. It is possible to describe the article being searched for into many words because, in English, there are numerous words that are over 500, 000. In addition, research shows that different search statements enable the search engine to retrieve information differently. Each search statement is efficient on its own and can be made more efficient by integrating it with search indexes.

Search indexes provide are based on a search strategy that depends on the author or the title of the magazine being searched for in the electronic database. In addition, the search statement can be designed to enable a specific search for a magazine based on the title of the topic of interest. Indexing is another strategy that is used to locate an article or magazine in an electronic database. For example, the REND LAKE College has over 22 electronic databases to search for items and it has two types of indexes. The Electronic Indexes is done through subscriptions and can be used to search online sources based on EBSCOhost and Serials Solutions (Ngai, 2003).

Among the strategies used to make the search, the statement is to break the title or the search statement into key words and concepts and ensure that some possible natural key words can be used to search for an article. Other researchers suggest that the concept you create should not be more than three words. Further suggestions show that when doing the search using the keywords and concepts, it is important to avoid small words such as what, are, the and those words that are connected with time such as sometimes, always, perhaps, and often. In addition, words that show the relation between items such as effects, lead to, increases need to be avoided when creating a search statement.

For instance, when searching for a magazine with information on the effects of media on bullying among children, the key identifiable concepts include children, bullying, and media. It is important when creating concepts to be able to develop synonyms for each key concept besides including spelling variants for example behavior & behavior, and singular/plural variants, for example, goose & geese. Such an approach creates key words and concepts that enable the search engine to retrieve items related to the keywords used to identify and locate a magazine in an electronic database. A typical example is illustrated in figure 1 below.

Some research results show that it is possible to sue one search term to yield good results. However, without using the correct search statement, it is possible for the search engine to generate many related results. 

On the other hand, the words that describe the concept of the words used to locate and identify the item being searched for include narrowing the search that is contained in the magazine or newspaper. For example, one might be interested in searching for a magazine or a newspaper that has the title The Influence of Advertising on Incidents of Anorexia. The main concepts of the title of the paper include advertising and anorexia.

Here, the main thing is to concentrate on the central focus of the idea being searched for by limiting the search statement to just a few words. It is possible to make the search more complex and incorporate different items to search for. However, in such a situation, it is recommended that the search be made in such a way by trimming the number of keywords in the search statement. Researchers argue that when creating the search statement, it is crucial to avoid using adverbs, verbs, and articles, conjunctions, and pronouns. The use of words such as of, an and the should be avoided.

AND, OR, NOT components

Basically, the advanced search technique has three components that play a significant role in the search for an item and include a combination or use of the AND, OR, NOT. Here, the elements of AND, OR, NOT can be used separately or used by combining them in a search statement and that depends on the length of the search statement and its complexity.

It is important to consider using Boolean statements such as AND, OR, NOT when the need arises to combine two or more statements into a single statement. In addition, it is evident that when the search combines different statements with the AND, OR, NOT, the number of hits increases significantly. However, a significant difference exists among the use of AND and OR, and the search results depend on the term used to combine two search statements together. For instance, it has been demonstrated that when OR is used to create the search statement, it is possible to increase the number of hits as compared when using AND to create the search statements.

It is important when conducting the search to include and use a search strategy that factors the use of keywords logically arranged together to achieve the goals of the advanced search. Here, the logical arrangement of the item or words leads to a logical relationship that leads to the retrieval of magazines that are in the same category as the one being searched for. However, it is inappropriate to use long strings that make the search meaningless.

Sometimes if the title of the magazine is known, it is easy to locate by using its title. Once the title has been established, it is important to search for the online Catalogue of the magazine if the article is in the database. However, it is important to note that some abbreviations can be used for the title of the magazine or newspaper being searched for. Once the magazine has been established to be in the catalog of items to look for, it is searched using its title or some items in the newspaper or magazine.

How to utilize database features

Depending on the database features, it is imperative to note that sometimes the search results can either be satisfactory or not. The database interface dictates the strategy to use when locating an item in the database such as using parenthesis and to create the required logical relationship by clear use of multiple search boxes as shown in figure 3.

The search strategies showed in figure 3 clarify the logical operators that are used to combine the search words. To make the search more predictable, it is necessary to use multiple boxes as shown in figure 3. On the other hand, it has been suggested that a specific interface has to be used that provides better prediction of the logical operators used and the strings and keywords used to create the search statement.

For instance, to search for a newspaper that discusses music and music education, it is necessary to be specific on which database to search. In the case of music education, because the keywords here are education and music, it is necessary to search first for the database with the magazines on music education. An example could be the ERIC search: music education. Once on that database, the search can be extended to music education, which narrows down the search to the magazine that discusses music education. Here, the database has been located and many magazines can be retrieved with the same results.

Basic and advanced searches

A search is conducted in only one field using the basic search technique based on a predetermined search strategy. In most cases, the strategy benefits one who wants to determine the size of the database and the volume of magazines on the database that are relevant to the search problem. In addition, the search technique provides the foundation for generating different search strategies especially when the title of the item being searched for is known.

Advanced search

The advanced search function has been shown to be more specific and to give more control to the user. According to Altschul, Gish, Miller, Myers, and Lipman (1990), the strategy enables a more refined search using key words that are combined to make a search statement. It is possible to search for multiple items in multiple databases to access the designated item. In most cases when the basic search has retrieved a large collection of articles, the advanced search provides the capability to narrow down the search to particular items. The strategy is useful when searching for an item with the name of the author.

Altschul et al. (1990) argue that it is possible to add the search limits before the search for the item of interest is commenced. Such an approach reduces the time required for the search to be executed and such limits have been established to be effective especially when the search item is not known. One of the strategies to use is to limit the language and the document type as illustrated in figure 5 below.

According to Mead, Sit, Rogers, Jamieson, and Rousseau (2000), in context, Figure 6 shows the advanced search strategies that demonstrate how most interfaces are used for advanced searches indicates that most search history of what had been searched before is saved to lighten the work of searching again for the item. It is important to treat such searches as adjunct workspaces that enable a search to be concentrated on different search techniques (Phillips, 2001). In addition, the results for each facet are saved to improve future results when a new search is conducted on similar items. In figure 5, the history of search facets has been utilized to expand the search for the article of interest by finding the relevant item via keyword searching.

Research Methodology

The study was based on quantitative and qualitative approaches where the qualitative approach was based on content analysis and the quantitative approach was based on the use of numerical data that was analyzed using the SPSS software to determine the percentage responses for the items used to collect the data from the respondents (Veit & Gould, 2009). The benefits of using the qualitative paradigm include the ability to articulate how to collect a detailed analysis of the information in the research area and enabled the researcher to avoid making pre-judgments.

On the other hand, the quantitative analysis enabled the researcher to test and validate the results based on existing information, collect and provide an accurate representation of the findings, and enabled the quick collection of data and information from the respondents

Findings and Analysis

Table 1.

The results represented in table 1 of the study shows that most of the respondents strongly agreed that they first create a search statement before they start to search for an article in the electronic database. Here, 31.8% strongly agree with the idea of creating a search statement and 26.1% agree with the idea of a search statement. In addition, those who agreed on the use of a search statement had used it before and successfully located the item they were searching for. On the other hand, those who disagreed that a search statement was necessary to locate a magazine on the electronic database constituted 63%.

Table 2.

Table 2 shows the responses as percentages of those who strongly agreed and those who disagreed that search statement should be refined before it is used to identify and locate an article or item on the electronic database. The responses show that 64% disagreed that the search statement has to be refined before it is used to locate and identify a document on the electronic database. However, the reason could be that most of the respondents on the issue of refining a search statement might not be aware of the need to refine the statement of might not have done it before, or was not aware that by refining the search, it could be possible to reduce the volume of articles retrieved.

Table 3.

Table 3 shows the responses of those asked about the use of database features to locate a newspaper on the electronic database, with 77.7% agreeing that the features were crucial in narrowing the search to a particular newspaper.

Table 4.

Table 4 shows the responses to the use of basic and advanced searches to locate an item in the database. The majority of the responses who account for over 77% agreed that when an advanced search is done preceded by a basic search, the results are likely to be very accurate.

Discussion

The results of the study indicate that most of the respondents (57.9%) agreed that when searching for an article in the electronic database, it was necessary to create a search statement with the necessary elements with the key words necessary to enable the computer to search for the article. In addition, the key words enable the computer to optimize the search results in identifying the correct item being searched for. On the other hand, it was noted that the search engine features were critical in narrowing a search to a specific item that can be indexed to make the search more specific. The use of basic and advanced searches increases the precision nature of the search because it consists of concatenating words that make the search to locate and identify a newspaper more accurate.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it was established that to accurately locate and identify a newspaper or magazine in an electronic database, it was necessary for the search to be executed based on the keywords defined in the search statement. In addition, the search strategy consists of three key concepts that are categorized into concepts 1, concepts 2, and concepts 3 and each concept narrows the search to a specific item, optimizing the search by reducing the search volume and increasing the accuracy of the target search. In addition, the study established that indexing and using of concatenating terms such as based on the scope of the study to include terms such as AND, NOT OR makes the search more accurate.

References

Altschul, S. F., Gish, W., Miller, W., Myers, E. W., & Lipman, D. J. (1990). Basic local alignment search tool. Journal of molecular biology, 215(3), 403-410.

Brill, A. M. (2001). Online journalists embrace new marketing function.Newspaper Research Journal, 22(2), 28.

Doyle, S. (2007). The role of social networks in marketing. Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management, 15(1), 60-64.

Knight, L. A. (2002). The role of assessment in library user education. Reference services review, 30(1), 15-24.

Kozlowski, M. C., & Panda, M. (2002). Computer-aided design of chiral ligands: Part I. Database search methods to identify chiral ligand types for asymmetric reactions. Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling, 20(5), 399-40.

Mead, S. E., Sit, R. A., Rogers, W. A., Jamieson, B. A., & Rousseau, G. K. (2000). Influences of general computer experience and age on library database search performance. Behaviour & Information Technology, 19(2), 107-123.

Mitchell, W. B., Davidson, L., Branch, V., & Lysiak, L. (2001). Testing the design of a library information gateway. The Southeastern Librarian, 49(3), 4.

Ngai, E. W. T. (2003). Selection of web sites for online advertising using the AHP. Information & Management, 40(4), 233-242.

Phillips, D. (2001). Online public relations (Vol. 4). New York: Kogan Page Publishers.

Veit, R., & Gould, C. (2009). Writing, reading, and research. New York: Cengage Learning.

The civil rights movement of 1954-1968 began with stating the idea that the school segregation was one of the most discriminatory factors to accentuate differences in the white and black population. Thus, the period of struggles associated with the concept of school desegregation started. The social reaction to the idea was so intensive that newspaper authors tried to focus more attention on covering the events which changed the history of not only American education but also American society. The main idea of the school desegregation was the struggle for the opportunity to put white Americans and African Americans in the same classroom environments to emphasize their equal rights.

The struggle for breaking the barriers between the dominant and minority groups in education and society was divided into several stages, and it is important to focus on covering these stages and achievements in the newspaper articles published during the period of 1954-1968. In spite of the fact that many newspaper authors covered the school desegregation events rather subjectively, the approaches to discussing the process of school desegregation in the American states are different in relation to the American newspapers and African American newspapers.

To describe the traditional approach to covering the school desegregation events during 1954-1968, it is necessary to refer to the articles in such famous historical American newspapers as the New York Herald Tribune, theChicago Tribune, and the New York Times. The intended audience of these newspapers was the dominant white population of the United States. This factor is also reflected in the manners to present the events and to analyze the African Americans achievements in the field.

Thus, in his article States Divided or Delaying: Arkansas published in the New York Times in 1956, Damon Stetson focuses on the successes of different states in relation to the school desegregation and concludes that the only factor to explain the success of Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Missouri in school desegregation activities is the number of the African American population in these states. As a result, Arkansas cannot be discussed as the state who realized the school desegregation effectively because it faced a lot of economic challenges due to the necessity to support many African American students in integrated schools (Stetson 3S). The hidden meaning of Stetsons statements is that the economy of many American states cannot support the results of the school desegregation effectively.

In 1958, Woodrow Wilson Mann published the article The Truth about Little Rock in New York Herald Tribune in which he addressed the desires of the public to learn more about the Little Rock events of 1957. The author discussed the resistance of Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus as the actions which controversially supported the vision of the public in relation to the necessity of the school desegregation in the country (Mann 20). In ten years, the article New Programs Offered for High School Dropouts published in Chicago Tribune presents the advantages of the programs to support the African American students in the context of the wide school desegregation (New Programs Offered for High School Dropouts S4). From this point, it is possible to observe the evolution in the authors visions of the role of school desegregation for the American society with references to the biased discussions of the early 1950s and active supportive discussion of the 1960s.

On the contrary, the articles published in the African American newspapers are characterized by the active support of the school desegregation events from their beginning and in relation to their further development. The intended audience of the Chicago Defender is the African Americans living in Chicago community. In spite of the fact that the authors of the newspaper were inclined to cover the true events for their audience, the content of the newspapers articles can be discussed as rather biased because of the much focus on discussing the ineffective position and policies of the US government. Thus, in his article Students Flunk in Biggest Exam published in 1958, Howard Gould pays much attention to the fact that African American students should have about fifty scholarship qualifiers in the examinations, but the majority of the students failed because of the ineffectiveness of the policy (Gould A8).

The author also states that the achievements of the school segregation movement are challenged because the US government cannot develop the effective policies to address the needs of the African American students. In the article DuSable to Get Cheers published in 1960, the further critique of the US policies and educational programs is provided (DuSable to Get Cheers 19). It is possible to note that such biased articles worked to attract the African Americans attention to the issue and to persuade that the further struggle for the rights in the field was necessary.

Thus, the reviewed articles published in the American and African American newspapers can be discussed as reflecting the school desegregation events only from the one perspective which is advantageous for the authors and for the community. As a result, the conclusions presented in the articles are rather biased and partial.

Works Cited

DuSable to Get Cheers. Chicago Defender 1960: 19. Print.

Gould, Howard. Students Flunk in Biggest Exam. Chicago Defender. 1958: A8. Print.

Mann, Woodrow Wilson. The Truth about Little Rock. New York Herald Tribune. 1958: 20. Print.

New Programs Offered for High School Dropouts. Chicago Tribune. 1968: S4. Print.

Stetson, Damon. States Divided or Delaying: Arkansas. New York Times 1956: 3S. Print.

The theme of the coronavirus crisis is frequently discussed in media sources by individuals and professional organizations. Some authors prefer to identify a problem and offer solutions or give recommendations, and some people like to develop critics and underline the negative aspects of the issue. In his article Coronavirus Is Harming the Mental Health of Tens of Millions of People in the U.S., New Poll Finds, written for The Washington Post on April 2, 2020, Achenbach shares recent findings of the virus and its impact on mental health. Winch introduced his Loneliness, Anxiety, Grief  Dealing with the Mental Impacts of the Coronavirus in Boston Globe on April 21, 2020, to explain personal and public responsibilities. Both authors create argumentative writings and argue the consequences of the virus on human health and relationships. To predict the growth of the COVID-related mental health problems, the authors of the two news articles discuss the pandemic and its main characteristics but use different biases and sources, which leads to diversity in judgments.

COVID-19 is one of the urgent topics for analysis because of the necessity to take actions and responsibilities, and Achenbach and Winch are the writers who build different biases around health and actions. On the one hand, its normal for people to be anxious and worried amid a highly disruptive health emergency that is shot through with uncertainties (Achenbach). The coronavirus is unpredictable and hard to control, and people have to cooperate, communicate (distantly), and exchange available information to predict the growth of complications and health-related problems. On the other hand, anxiety, sleep disruption, irritability, drops in mood, and even depression  all on a global scale (Winch). Therefore, people expect governmental support to solve their mental health changes. These two articles prove that the coronavirus is dangerous, and the impossibility to think about the future frustrates and challenges millions of people around the world.

To strengthen their positions, Achenbach and Winch have to address additional sources and mention different opinions, so the former uses the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) findings, while the latter is interested in developing his subjective opinion. As well as many professional organizations and experts, the KFF decides to calm down society and show that a certain decline in worries about the COVID-19 crisis is observed (from 62% to 53%) (Achenbach). The author does not neglect that the situation remains unclear and poorly investigated, but the contributions cannot be ignored. In his turn, Winch wants to know, How much damage our closest relationships will sustain by the time the crisis is over remains unclear. He tries to understand what governments and institutions could do to offer effective solutions but fails to refer to credible sources and recent statistics. The main argument in this article is based on personal judgments and subjective knowledge.

In general, after reading the articles about the connection between the coronavirus and mental health changes, it is possible to support and criticize the authors, their biases, and their sources. Compared to Achenbach, who presents reliable statistical data from the KFF, Winchs position is full of personal worries and guesses that many steps have to be taken to change the situation. The government solely cannot be responsible for the crisis, and ordinary citizens should consider their contributions. At the same time, the virus is neither health nor a social problem but a combination of factors that must be managed under effective leadership. The articles chosen for this analysis serve as good motivation for the government and ordinary citizens to look at the coronavirus from a different angle and think about new ways of coping with COVID-19.

Works Cited

Achenbach, Joel. Coronavirus Is Harming the Mental Health of Tens of Millions of People in U.S., New Poll Finds.The Washington Post, 2020, Web.

Winch, Guy. Loneliness, Anxiety, Grief  Dealing with the Mental Health Impacts of the Coronavirus.Boston Globe, 2020, Web.

Introduction

Newspapers have been used in different parts of the world as one effective means of communication that is widely used. The newspaper press has been in effect as early as the 17^th century, with civilizations using it to pass information to the mass population. The first English newspaper was first published in England in 1622 and for the following decades, small sheets and pamphlets became the main source of passing printed information to different parts of England and America. The first newspaper to be published in America was known as Public Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestic and was mainly focused on business issues. The early newspapers later developed into concrete publications that became available on a more regular basis in different parts of the countries (Curran, 2003).

According to Routledge (2008), the American newspaper press grew significantly over the next century, and they changed their focus from business matters to the day to day political issues. The growth in the newspaper press had become significant by the end of the 19^th century with the publications gaining great publicity and the advancement in technology making them more reliable and better. The New York Sun was one paper that had gained widespread readership in different parts of New York by the late 18^th century and the beginning of the 19^th century.

The development of more effective and quick printing methods resulted in the rise of the use of newspapers all over the world and the newspaper press was at all times prepared to capture any events that were taking place which were of interest to the readers. By the beginning of the 20^th century, the press had become well versed with the appropriate ways of capturing news and putting it on print. This study focuses on the factors that led to the rise of the newspaper press and in turn caused its climax in the early 20^th century (Routedge, 2008).

Reasons why the newspaper press was at its apogee in the first half of the 20th century

The beginning of the 20^th century was not just significant for the print media, but also for the changes that were taking place in the society at large. The major forces that drove the press to its apogee in the first part of the 20^th century were industrial revolution and urbanization. Technological development, which had been improving since the 1880s, had its major impact in the newspaper press rooms in most of the countries. The tedious and time-consuming process of typesetting manually was replaced by a more advanced typesetting machine that enabled its user to type entire lines from a keyboard (Engel, 1996).

Engel (1996) also notes that, an engraving method of converting drawings into etchings also led to widespread use of pictures in the newspapers which would be used to pass information more clearly. The process publication was also made faster and this resulted to more people having access to the papers at reduced prices. Thus, by mid 20^th century, the high rate of technological achievements had given the newspaper press a productive capacity as well as great power over the lives of its readers. Printing methods continued to improve as the technology improved in different parts of the world and especially in U.S and this saw a dramatic rise in the publication of newspapers.

Technological advances in the newspaper press would not have been meaningful if there were not a mass number of readers having access to the newspapers. The development of metropolitan cities and other urbanized states through industrialization gave the newspapers a wide coverage and created their populace. In the late 19^th century, the US economy, for instance, had expanded and new metropolitan states were formed, which resulted in the newspapers having a mass audience of readers. Papers like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal were established in the 20^th century with an aim of informing people about the political and economic aspects of the different states in the country; all this as a result of the development and expansion of the metropolitan states and cities (Routledge, 2008).

According to Engel (1996), another factor that led to the climax of the newspaper usage in different parts of the world was the improvement in the nature of their contents. With the use of the technology, the press was able to release different types of papers that were focused more on the local issues than on international affairs. This resulted to more people developing interest in having to use the papers to become well updated on local issues. The press, with its diverse publications was able to target all regions and hence make the publications more popular.

The high levels of literacy in different parts of the world especially in the developed countries raised the number of users of newspapers and this made publication more profitable and the press was able to release more papers and reach out to more people in the different regions. With the subsequent changes in the worlds economic and political aspects, people developed the desire to be informed on the progress and since the press provided more detailed information, the high number of literate people opted for the newspapers to gather the information they needed (Routledge, 2008).

The number of papers that were printed on daily basis greatly increased as the industrial revolution continued to take impact. Engel (1996) notes that, the printing process was made faster and more effective by the industrial revolution and as the newspaper press continued advancing, it was able to publish pictorial newspapers and therefore attract more readers. The industrial revolution also facilitated more accurate news reporting on events that were taking place; the events of American Civil War in the late 19^th century were accurately published in the local and international newspapers due to the industrial revolution that had made newspapers a dynamic means of communication.

The newspaper press power in the 20th century

Consciously or unconsciously, the world has been experiencing a major standardization process brought about by the print media, which many countries especially the developing are yet to adapt to. With the rise in the dominance of the use of newspapers, many countries have been made to enforce the standards that are needed in printing newspaper and this has greatly affected the free usage of the local language. Culture has been replaced with rigid standards that must be taken into consideration while enhancing the quality of newspapers (Williams, 1998).

Curran (2003) argues that, the end of the 19^th century brought with it significant adjustments in the role of the newspapers in different parts of the world. Due to their wide coverage, newspapers were easily used to influence the political structure of most countries and this brought a new dimension on the perception that people had to the print media. The colonial press, for instance, had become a powerful tool in America that it was used to make the colonialists revolt against the English people. Before the beginning of the 20^th century, newspapers hardly had any impact in the development of public opinion. However, after the year 1900, the newspapers became the key determinants of every public opinion. By 1900, newspapers had become the key generators of most of the worlds culture.

According to Curran (2003), the newspaper press significantly gained power in the cities and states that were developed through urbanization. By identifying the diversified way of life in the developed countries cities, the metropolitan newspaper press helped to make that diversity appreciated in different parts of the world. The news and stories that they covered was directed to the modern city life and people desired to have this information. Any changes that arose were brought out in the newspapers and the society became dependent on the papers to embrace any events that took place. This attitude of the society towards the newspapers made their information more plausible and gave them the means of taking control over the mass media.

In earlier years, newspapers were considered by their readers as a channel for extending and sharing ideas and information. However, with the change in the social structure of people in the urban areas, the daily papers were taken to be interpreter of the readers own experience. The papers seemed to have taken control of the peoples way of perceiving things. The newspaper technology had begun to omit the direct and physical aspect of life and most users became passive in their way of reasoning and creating new ideas (Routledge, 2008).

According to Routledge (2008), some areas of culture that were not directly controlled by the newspaper, like sporting events, became dependent on the press for their economic existence. The press had to come in to promote their commercial success through advertising and creating awareness to the mass audience. The newspaper resulted in the idea of enhancing public relations and through its exposure in the newspaper media, new ways of cultural and political ideas that were emerging became accepted and more clearly understood.

Impact of the newspaper press on politics during the first half of the 20th century

The newspaper development in the 20^th century did not only influence the social aspect of people but the political aspect as well. With the indigenous popular culture in most parts of the world before the beginning of the 20^th century, the peoples political way of life was characterized by a body of regulations and observances that had been formulated from the peoples culture. Towards the end of the 19^th century, the political structures were altered by the popularization of the newspapers as people tried to adapt to the new developments. The press was able to control the way people acted towards the existing government through the information put on paper (Curran, 2003).

The persuasive power of information and ideas in newspapers was given greater force by the rise of display advertising that combined verbal ideas with pictorial illustrations. The press was able to display political events that were likely to affect the masses attitude towards the government in pictorial representations to make the event more real. The New York World, for instance, was used to combine both the good news and the sensitive issues in pictorial images to direct peoples ideas towards making a decision or acting in a particular manner. It focused on political news and it could cover all events including those of the Americas civil war (Curran, 2003).

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be argued that the newspaper press was able to gain formidable power in most of the developed countries in the continent and the penetration of the press into the culture of people can be seen to have had a significant impact. Before the beginning of the 20^th century, not much had taken place in the press media and there was not much influence on the peoples cultures. However, with the beginning of the 20^th century, industrial development and urbanization greatly enhanced the medias power and this in turn resulted to the media influencing the political as well as social way of people during this period.

The earlier decades of the 20^th century were therefore of significance for the history o media. The period saw the rise of the newspaper to a dominant state in the media industry until new forms of communication were later invented. The results of the apogee of the newspaper press in the first half of the 20^th century can therefore be said to have resulted in the growth of mass media.

Works Cited

Curran, J and Seaton, J. Power without Responsibility: The Press and Broadcasting in Britain: UK; Routledge, 2003.

Crisell, A. An Introductory History of British Broadcasting: UK; Routledge, 2002.

Engel, M. Tickle the Public: One Hundred Years of the Popular Press: New York; Phoenix, 1996.

Payne, G. History of Journalism in the United States: New York; D. Appleton and Company, 2007.

Routledge, J. Chapters in the History of Popular Progress: Chiefly in Relation to the Freedom of the Press and Trial by Jury: Kessinger Publishing, LLC, 2008.

Williams, K. Get Me a Murder a Day! A History of Mass Communication in Britain: Arnold, 1998.

Abstract

Traditional and modern media forms are important in the enhancement of communication (Center for Media literacy, 2011). They are essential in eliciting social change and promoting knowledge acquisition. Different media forms target different audiences, and their popularity differs in relation to the type of information being transmitted. Print, broadcast, and digital media forms ensure that information is communicated at the local, national, and international levels. Newspapers and magazines are types of media that have been in existence for decades. In addition, the book industry also promotes the transfer of knowledge and information. The aim of the current research is to analyze the role of the media and assess the importance of newspapers, books, and magazines as media forms.

How, what, and why we use the media

The primary role of any type of media is the transfer of information. Fog (2013) acknowledges that the media keeps the public updated on issues occurring on local and global scales. Moreover, globalization and advancement in technology has enhanced the role of the media and hastened information transfer. There are various types of media, and they range from traditional to modern digital forms. The print form is the oldest type of media in which information is printed on a medium.

Examples include newspapers, magazines, and journals, among others. Although the popularity of print media has reduced drastically over the decade, a significant number of people still read newspapers and magazines. Broadcast media encompasses radio and television forms, which are still popular throughout the world (Center for Media literacy, 2011). Some of the most famous television networks in the United States include ABC, CBS, and NBC, among others. The broadcast media has been in existence for over 50 years and has been pivotal in transmitting information about sports, politics, weather, and the economy.

Fog (2013) notes that modern digital media has overshadowed the print and broadcast media. Digital media enables the transfer of information on digital platforms such as phones, computers, and IPads. The information can be easily copied and downloaded. Additionally, the information is transmitted faster in comparison to the analog forms. Presently, social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, and Myspace have become the most popular digital forms of communication among the youth. Social networking enables people to interact and communicate faster and more effectively.

According to UNESCO (2014), the media plays a critical role in the transmission of information regarding issues happening throughout the world. It ensures that the public is constantly updated on important social, economic, and political issues. The society relies on the media for information, which is important at the local and international levels. In addition, the media is educative as it plays a role in the transfer of knowledge to the public.

Media forms such as the televisions and newspapers mostly focus on those topics that are likely to provoke public debate. Such issues could be economic or political. UNESCO (2014) also notes that political issues communicated through the media determine the political course taken by leaders of various governments. The mass media acts as a watchdog and keeps the government in check with regard to the use of public funds and effective leadership.

In this regard, Dwivedi and Pandey (2013) indicate that the mass media shapes the economic and political agenda of the nation. It ensures that the public acquires information about certain issues that are important in society. In this respect, people become more knowledgeable and updated on important issues affecting them. In addition, people are able to devise ways in which various issues within the community are developed or improved to enhance their lives. In regard to governance, the presence of media enables the communities to develop ways in which the lives of the people are improved (UNESCO, 2014).

Fog (2013) acknowledges the role of the media in shaping culture. An example is a popular culture, which was popularized through televisions, magazines, and newspapers. As a result, the culture was assimilated by various groups in the United States and continues to be popular until today. Dwivedi and Pandey (2013) note that the culture of society is shaped according to what the media deems right. An example is the fashion trend, which is adopted depending on what the media represents and deems fashionable. Additionally, the media also popularized the hip-hop culture, and it became part of the cultural identity of African Americans.

Advertisements in magazines and newspapers also tend to shape the behavior and culture of society. Fog (2013) indicates that the media has played a major role in the adoption of western culture and values by other nations. Media channels such as Disney have played a crucial part in shaping the values and attitudes of children. Specifically, children depend on these channels for knowledge on what is right or wrong in the society.

There is a likelihood that the images transmitted by the media enhance sedentary lifestyles and materialistic lives. Since the society is majorly dependent on the media for knowledge and information, it is possible for people to adopt the values presented by the media. Such cultural adaptation is expected to have both negative and positive impacts on the lives of the people. Negative, because it can lead to the loss of an individuals culture and the adaptation of a different culture.

Positive, because the media is likely to instill constructive values and beliefs among individuals in the society. In summary, the media is an integral part of the modern society and shapes its culture and perspectives. The dependency of the society on the media for information ensures the success and popularity of the various types of media and promotes knowledge and literacy.

How, what, and why the book industry is important

Stockar (2006) indicates that the book industry has been in existence for many centuries and has played a crucial part in the promotion of knowledge. The book industry consists of many subsectors that enhance knowledge in different disciplines. Some of the disciplines include; education, art, childrens books, religion, fashion and design, history, and climate. Different books have different formatting and color depending on the kind of messages being transmitted (Pearson, 2012).

An example is educational books, which consist majorly of black texts and limited images. On the contrary, children books contain colorful images that enhance their learning capabilities. Metzger (2009) indicates that the industry has been undergoing transformation over the recent decade to incorporate advancement in technologies. As a result, e-books have been developed to meet the demands of the digital era. Moreover, there have been shifts in the global production and distribution of books as many multinational companies join the industry. Therefore, the industry has been making millions of dollars annually and expanding despite the decline in production of printed media.

This is evident in the case of a company like Amazon, which makes billions of dollars annually from book sales. Stockar (2006) indicates that the existence of the education sector has played a vital role in promoting the survival of the book industry. Provided there is demand for books in the academic arena, they will always exist. Additionally, novels have made a significant impact in the book industry and novelists have been the main source of success in the industry. This is because the readers have their favorite authors and would do anything to read anything written by them.

Pearson (2012) reports that the ability of books to promote knowledge is the reason why the book industry is still a success after many years. Thus, the importance of the book industry lies on the impact that the books have on the lives of individuals. Books promote learning. Learning is a vital process in the lives of human beings as it boosts human development. This could explain why books have been present since ancient civilization.

They act as source of information that is transferred throughout history. Perhaps this is why one can read about ancient civilizations such as the Mesopotamia today. Metzger (2009) recognizes the importance of the book industry in improving the verbal abilities of individuals. Children are introduced to books at tender ages to enable them become better communicators (Stockar, 2006). The books also ensure that children improve on their pronunciation and vocabularies.

According to Stockar (2006), reading books makes people knowledgeable and smarter. This is true in the case of educational books used in school as they offer an outstanding wealth of knowledge. Academic books are based on evidence-based research and hence assist individuals to gain more knowledge on various topics. As a result, they promote the creation of exceptional professionals in the employment sector. Books are important in learning about our culture and history. In this view, future generations are able to learn and understand how and why their culture developed. Thus, they promote cultural pride in the society and enable the transfer of cultural values from one generation to another.

Metzger (2009) acknowledges the importance of books in entertainment. Books are fun to read and guarantee that time is better managed especially by young people. Books are more thrilling than modern mass media forms. In this regard, books promote the reduction of stress and encourage relaxation among the readers. They tend to provide solutions to various issues that affect the personal and public lives of individuals.

An example is motivational books, which help readers to improve on some challenging aspects of their lives. Religious books also offer spiritual guidance and motivation to the readers. The solutions provided by these books tend to shape lives and provide guidance on issues that are difficult to deal with. In reference to Metzger (2009), books are used by entrepreneurs to make them exceptional leaders. This is because they provide them with information on how to deal with their employees and motivate them better. Some of the books contain information that helps in creating strong images and maintaining positive attitudes toward leadership.

As aforementioned, the most important aspect of the book industry is broadening knowledge. This knowledge ensures better communication between individuals (Stockar, 2006). Additionally, a persons personality is judged by his or her ability to communicate to others indicating that books are a critical part of life. Conversely, poor communication has limitations as it creates a poor impression.

In conclusion, it is clear that the book industry plays a pivotal role in the lives of human beings. In the absence of books, the industry would not have the impact that it has today. Thus, the importance of the book industry can only be assessed through analyzing the role of books in the society. In summary, it is clear that books are a form of media as their sole purpose is to promote communication and enhance knowledge.

How, what, and why reading newspapers at homes is important

Hansen (2015) explains that newspapers are forms of print media that have been around for decades. This form of media provides a host of solutions on salient issues in the society. Thus, most homes buy newspapers on a daily basis to ensure that they are always updated on these issues. The front page of the newspaper determines whether the readers will buy it or not. This explains why major newspaper agencies such as the New York Times concentrate on headlines which are controversial or are likely to elicit massive public debate.

In the United States, there are daily and weekly newspapers. In specific, there are almost 1700 daily newspapers, which are read by approximately 114 million individuals. Moreover, the newspapers are mostly published twice daily. They cover local, national, and international issues that relate to politics, economy, and social aspects. This sector is competitive and the publishers work hard to have the best headlines to ensure that their newspapers are the best.

Weekly newspapers usually target residential populations near cities or rural regions. Unlike the daily newspapers, the weekly forms majorly focus on issues affecting the target communities. Examples of the most famous newspapers include; USA Today, Times of London, and The Guardian among others. The delivery of message in these newspapers determines the kind of readers that they have. UNCP (2014) notes that newspapers cover topics that include politics, entertainment, education, and sports.

People buy newspapers in their homes despite the presence of broadcast and digital media forms. According to the University of Victoria (2015), newspapers are affordable and are crucial in promoting literacy among individuals. This is because they play a role in educating, informing, and entertaining people. They also act as mediums that inform the population about the actions of the government. As a result of the diversity of topics presented in the newspapers, they are popular among the young and the old.

Similar to the role of books, newspapers promote efficient use of language and communication. Hansen (2015) states that this form of media promotes critical thinking as it enables the readers to question the integrity of the information published. This is particularly evident during political campaigns and issues that relate to the reliability of the government. The University of Victoria (2015) indicates that newspapers have a universal presentation in which the information is first outlined, and the details explained in later pages. The headlines enable the readers to determine whether they want to read the newspaper or not.

The presence of newspapers in homes can also provoke healthy debates among family members. Moreover, individuals are able to compare the information on the newspapers with reports from the television, radio, or the internet. Hansen (2015) explains that newspapers are crucial in the dissemination of information regarding significant issues in the society. In this view, they are able to change individuals attitudes about various matters.

They also improve reading habits and enhance comprehension of political and economic topics that may not be well understood through other media forms. As a result of the advancement of digital media, newspapers are now available in electronic forms. This has increased the number of readers and the accessibility of newspapers. In conclusion, newspapers are a form of traditional media and continue to be popular after many decades.

How, what and why the magazine is decrying

Unlike newspapers, magazines provide a more comprehensive analysis of a particular topic. The University of Victoria (2015) states that the publishing process of magazines is lengthy in comparison to that of newspapers. Moreover, this form of media has editorial calendars that give a schedule of the issues planned on an annual basis. The magazines focus on different issues depending on the emphasis of the publishing companies.

Some magazines for example, focus on lifestyle while others concentrate on cooking or sports. The editors of magazines should ensure that the materials published are worth reading and capture the interest of the readers. Despite the contribution of these media forms in the promotion of trends and values, they have been less significant in comparison to other types of media. This is because they are expensive to print and publish and most companies cannot afford the costs. However, such limitations are slowly being eliminated by the presence of digital media. The popularity of magazines has declined throughout history (UNCP, 2014).

The increased popularity of digital media, development of the film industry, and advancement of digital technology are some of the aspects speculated to cause a decline in the popularity of magazines. Despite these limitations, there are three unique characteristics of these media forms that explain their existence in the modern society. First, they easily adapt to changes in social and lifestyle patterns. Second, advanced technology has pushed their publishing cost down.

Lastly, readers tend to be attached to specific magazines and hence continue to buy them despite the decline in popularity. The editors and publishers of magazines have been known to transform their contents depending on the preferences of the audience. Additionally, they undertake research to determine the issues that are deemed interesting or important by majority of the readers. This could explain why magazines take longer to publish in comparison to newspapers.

Lazare (2014) acknowledges that various magazines have been critiqued in the past due their covers and content. Some of the most common accusations include over sexualization of the images. In this view, such images impact negatively on the readers and limit the popularity of the magazines. UNCP (2014) explains that some magazines unlike newspapers present explicit images of male and female models. Such images tend to have negative influence of the lives of young people.

The pictures of slim female models on the covers have been one of the major causes of criticism toward these forms of media. Such images tend to depict the society as being more acceptable of young and thin women in comparison to plus sized females. In addition, young people grow up believing the contents of the magazines. This can affect their self-esteem in cases where they do not resemble the images presented. According to Lazare (2014), these media forms have been accused of creating unrealistic standards that the society is required to live up to.

The magazine publishing companies have constantly faced lawsuits due to their negative portrayal of celebrities and other influential personalities. Additionally, most of the images portrayed in these forms appear too perfect, which is unlikely to be the case in real life. However, it is important to note that the negative publicity is majorly directed toward fashion and lifestyle magazines.

Despite the negative portrayal of the magazines, they have played a significant role in shaping the culture of the society. In reference to Lazare (2014), entertainment magazines have transformed the mainstream journalism and increased the number of readers. Additionally, they tend to cover many aspects that are also presented in other media forms. Readers also buy these magazines to understand the lives of popular celebrities in the society.

One of the most common entertainment magazines is the Cosmopolitan, which has been successful for several decades due to the number of fans addicted to its contents. UNCP (2014) notes that the development of teen magazines has presented a platform that young people can relate with. As a result of the nature of some mainstream magazines with regard to their negative images, teen magazines have been developed to provide positive information that enhances the lives of young people.

The influence on younger audiences promotes the survival and popularity of the media form. The availability of different forms of magazines ensures that the interests of different readers are met (University of Victoria, 2015). An example is the sports magazine, which is popular among sports lovers. Educational magazines also promote the transmission of knowledge and language abilities among the readers. Based on this assessment, it is clear that different types of magazines play different roles among the audiences and elicit different responses.

Despite the setbacks in the past, the success of the magazine industry today is an indication that this form of media will overcome other challenges in the future. It is therefore safe to conclude that magazines like other forms of media are important as they enhance communication and educate the readers about various issues that affect them.

References

Center for Media literacy. (2011). 20 Important reasons to study the media. Web.

Dwivedi, P. K., & Pandey, I. (2013). Role of the media in social awareness. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1(1), 67-70. Web.

Fog , A. (2013). The supposed and the real role of mass media in modern democracy. Web.

Hansen, F. (2015). Perceived instrumentality and value importance of newspaper information. Web.

Lazare, S. (2014). TIME Magazine criticized for malicious anti-teacher cover. Web.

Metzger, C. (2009). Books as history: The importance of books beyond their texts (review). Web.

Pearson, D. (2012). Books as history: The importance of books beyond their texts. London: The British Library and Oak Press. Web.

Stockar, D. v. (2006). The importance of literacy and books in children development. Web.

UNCP. (2014). Print Media . Web.

UNESCO. (2014). Free media contribute to good governance, empowerment and eradicating poverty. Web.

University of Victoria. (2015). Books, journals, newspapers, magazines. Web.

A large percentage of newspapers in the UK are held amongst five billionaires.

Ownership and Control

The Daily Mail is one of the top five largest circulating newspapers in England. Statistics presented by the Audit Bureau of Circulation show The Daily Mail has an average per issue print circulation of 1,136,247 (Abc.org.uk, 2019). ‘The Daily Mail is said to have 3.4 million daily readers’ (Dmgmedia.co.uk, 2019). It is published in London and set out as a tabloid newspaper. Cambridge dictionary defines a tabloid as ‘ a type of popular newspaper with small pages that has many pictures and short reports’. As a result of the type of format, this style is deemed less sophisticated in comparison to broadsheet newspapers. The Daily Mail is owned by a media company known as the DMG Media. It not only owns The Daily Mail but also The Mail on Sunday, Mail Online, Metro and Metro.co.uk. On the other hand, The Times is another daily newspaper published in London but differs from The Daily Mail in the way it is set out as it uses a broadsheet format. Broadsheet newspapers are printed out on a large sheet rather than compact ones which make it appear more sophisticated. The Times is owned by Rupert Murdoch (Albionmill.org.uk, 2019) who also owns The Sun. The problem with a media company or individuals controlling various newspapers is that the views presented would tend to be biased and favour the owner’s views or political stance. For example, The Daily Mail and The Times are known to favour conservative views which most likely means that it is reflecting the opinions of those who own and control it.

Target Audience

Every newspaper has a target audience their content is caters towards. For tabloids such as The Daily Mail, their content is most likely going to be catered towards conservatives and people who are in the working class. This form of print tends to have multiple pictures and bold eye-catching phrases which would attract the attention of their readers. The newspapers also consist of a well-rounded range of topics. Therefore, it would have celebrity news, international news as well as politics. Tabloids also use language that is easy to understand which also make them generally less formal than broadsheet newspapers. Whereas, The Times which also supports conservative views is associated with people who fall within the higher class. Therefore, their language is more formal and sophisticated in comparison to tabloids. Broadsheet newspapers also have less pictures and more information on politics and news. The older generation which are accustomed to this style of newspaper and information would tend to go for newspapers such as The Times.

Funding

Newspapers in the UK need a source of revenue in order to fund themselves. In terms of print newspapers, they generally tend to get revenue through advertising and cover prices. As newspapers have an idea of who their targeted audience are, advertisers could cater their ads to things they know the readers would enjoy. Advertisers also select certain popular newspapers that they know would be able to drive their readers to purchase those products being advertised or drive people to come to the stores being advertised. For example, a newspaper that is known to be read by mostly the older generation might have a good number of coupons which they know the readers may cut out to use in supermarkets and other places. Newspapers could also increase cover prices in order to make up for money being lost elsewhere. As the world is evolving and the internet is becoming more prominent, newspapers need to put this into consideration and evolve with the world too. Therefore, many of the newspapers today not only have printed media but also have a digital presence. This is an advantage as newspapers can generate more income this way. In Gillian Doyle’s Journal, he mentions that the MD of Commercial at NI pointed out “creating content is expensive” (Doyle, G. 2013). This is very important because newspapers must find ways through their digital platforms to make revenue to help support the expensive nature of their content. Digitally, newspapers could get their source of revenue through subscriptions, advertising, sales, events and so much more.

Finding the value: press operations

In general, the critical time for press operations is the fixed run time. Papers per hour output is limited by the speed of a press and the number of presses. The number and type of press is difficult and costly to alter.

Remaining opportunities inside press operations involve eliminating any barriers to maximum sustainable speed. The value of each stop and start, each edition change, or once weekly collect run, should be assessed versus its total cost to the supply chain.

Potential summary—press operations

Overall Potential Rating—Odd production days and unnecessary edition

breaks can add time and cost to the supply chain. However, unless all current final production runs deliver directly to stackers rather than to the mailroom for additional processing, value can best be derived from other areas of the newspaper supply chain.

Finding the value — packaging operations

Packaging and Mailroom process, flow, and timing are the keystone to huge potential cost gains to the total supply chain, especially for newspapers unable to increase value at other links in the chain. Speed and accuracy during the final production process are the typical focus for packaging and mailroom management. A broader view of the interactions between packaging and the downstream supply chain can add dramatic value to the entire system.

Strategy, equipment, advertisers, history, page count, draw, building configuration, available resources. All factor into how and when a mailroom operates. The most important value packaging operations bring to the supply chain is balance.

The mailroom must balance the restrictions of the fixed processes before it with the fixed time window behind it. Each newspaper’s situation and solution are necessarily unique; however, the key considerations remain constant.

Key considerations—packaging operations

Bottleneck

Is the packaging operation slowing down the supply chain? The fastest piece of production equipment for a newspaper is the press. If this rate of production is slowed by any downstream mailroom processing, the value of this activity versus its alternatives must be measured and balanced in terms of cost, speed, and accuracy.

Workflow

The packaging link in the supply chain controls the work flow not only for itself, but for each downstream element in the supply chain. It is especially key to ensure that packaging improvements translate through distribution. Faster in one area of the supply chain does not necessarily add time, reduce cost, or build balance.

Package design, count, timing, and handling must act to balance workflow for packaging and distribution to achieve the lowest possible cost.

Mailroom headcount and shifts, packaging equipment type and quantity, handling methods, storage needs, distribution operations management needs, vehicle type and number, driver type, count, and shifting, carrier count and route length—all of these factors must balance for maximum gain.

Each newspaper will have different needs and priorities, requiring a customized model and considerations; however, the focal point for this balance is the largest cost in the system, the human resource availability and prevailing wages in the local market place.

• Will more daylight shifts improve my pool of resources? My wage base?
• Are new DOT restrictions on part-time driving hours placing the operation at legal risk?
• Are hourly rates at a premium due to short shifts?
• Can fewer, better scheduled employees perform the same tasks for less cost more accurately and efficiently?
• Can full-time wages, turnover rates, training needs, worker’s comp claim rates, and productivity offset the cost of benefits?

Analysis of the ideal packaging operations for any newspaper involves balancing packaging and distribution operations for maximum gain to the system.

While time critical operations can yield the most noticeable impact, workflow for both packaging and distribution can also be improved by proper integration of pre-packaged product into the entire supply chain workflow.

Finding the value —distribution operations

Distribution operations for most newspapers are reactive. They receive product by time “x” and must complete operations by time “y”. All delays in earlier supply chain links must be compensated for by distribution, or the consumer suffers.

These parameters can dramatically be altered by changes up stream in the supply chain, but solutions inside the distribution link can still bring broad value to the overall cost of the newspaper supply chain.

In order to assess the potential for improvement within a newspaper’s distribution operations, the activity must be divided into two parts: Bulk Distribution and Carrier Distribution. In some cases, these areas must also be subdivided by home delivery and single copy. Newspaper treatment of each subset of distribution will dictate the applicability of value considerations.

Key considerations—distribution

Compliance & Risk

• Recent changes to D.O.T. hours of service regulations have exposed many newspapers to the risk of non-compliance from part-time drivers.
• In order to simplify driver hiring, many newspapers use trucks rated below 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. At the very most, these trucks can haul 10,000 pounds worth of product. (For newspapers, this means five (5) pallets, ten (10) carts, or about 350 bundles).
• Tail-Loading the practice of placing smaller straight truck loads onto the tail of the bed to speed unloading. This practice, combined with light springs and single rear axles, leads to the dangerous situation of headlights projecting too high on outbound loads, and too low on return.
• The combination of an illegal driver, an overweight truck, and an accident can be extremely costly.

Information is the thread that binds the entire newspaper supply chain. Newspapers have historically been leaders in information exchange process and technology inside the walls of the production facility.

Unfortunately, this technology and process usually leaves distribution with a printout. Because each newspaper has different strategies, needs, and priorities, information is the key to improvement within the distribution link of the supply chain. Until recently, only two measurements were common or necessary within newspaper distribution: 1) Did the job get done? ,and 2) Did they meet budget? Further integration of the information flow was simply too costly to be warranted.

The best place to start is bulk distribution, where first-rate data, combined with measurements to form management information, can yield fast results. Starting at this point makes the information set manageable. This first step also allows experience with what type of information will be most valuable when considering an expansion of measurement inside the distribution link.

Tying it together — supply chain integration

While individual value can be gained from examining each link in the newspaper supply chain, the real value is in the big picture.

Basic news paper supply chain

Balancing time and workflow across the supply chain will yield the largest results. The key to unlocking this potential is the availability of information. While efficient, system wide information capture will take time and a step-by-step approach, gains will be realized each step of the way. A dynamic cost and process flow model of the newspaper supply chain will be essential in keeping pace with changing needs and demands within the newspaper industry.

The procedure of the project

1. Company assigned me the areas for daily visit.
2. Visit at assigned area to meet customers.
3. Tell them about the schemes of the company regarding newspaper and magazines.
4. Take the feedback of the customers about the newspaper they are already reading.
5. Booked the order of the customers if they are interested in any scheme.
6. Renewal the order of the existing customers.
7. Making daily report of the competitor’s strength and weaknesses.
8. Note down the complaints and views of the customers
9. I did residential and corporate calling for magazines and newspaper subscriptions.
10. The Times of India participated in an expo organized at J W Mariott hotel in Chandigarh. We put a stall for Times of India newspaper and magazines subscription. It was a direct Marketing for Magazines.

Seven secrets.

The seven secrets of successful selling can be summarized as follows:

1. Know your customer
2. Know your product
3. Know the process of production, manufacture and distribution
4. Know your costs
5. Know your competitive edge
6. Know the communication process
7. Know yourself

Simply put the process of successful marketing stems from sound knowledge, good products, innovative distribution channels and successful communication processes. Very often potential customers may be grouped together to form market sectors or segments. It is important for the marketer to be able to identify how different sectors of the market vary from each other, and how the different requirements of each sector may be targeted using specific selling techniques.

1. Know your customer

The customer may be an end user, a processor or a manufacturer. The marketer must have an understanding of the requirements of each end user, processor, and manufacturer and in terms of:

• Product quality specifications
• Product volume
• Product appearance and finish
• Product supply consistency

Understanding the needs of the customer requires the marketer to develop empathy and trust for the customers business and I or personal requirements. This has been recently termed, ‘relationship marketing. ‘ A marketer with a similar product and an established relationship with the customer have a distinct competitive advantage.

2. Know your product

In order to successfully market a product or service, the seller must be able to define the benefits of the products over those of the opposition’s products. Benefits are different to advantages in that benefits relate to the specific needs of the individual customer, rather than the strengths of one product over another.

The seller should also have a comprehensive knowledge of the disadvantages of their products in particular processing or utilization situations (for example, the use of untreated pine products in exposed situations as opposed to treated products). The better the marketer knows and understands the product and its idiosyncrasies, the greater the level of service afforded to the customer, and the more trust created between the parties.

3. Know the process

Getting the product to the customer can be one of the more trying exercises for the marketer. The marketer of farm forestry products should possess some knowledge of the species, site, silvicultural harvesting techniques, sawing, processes, transportation and distribution required for the product to get into the hands of the customer. The more information that the marketer has to assist the customer in the decision making process, the greater the chance of the sale.

4. Know your costs

Without understanding the fixed and variable costs of production, it is difficult to successfully plan for profitability and sustainability of production. Consequently the marketer must place a sufficient margin on the product to cover the costs of all processes and Labour, whilst remaining competitive in the marketplace. Understanding the costs and desired profitability level will also allow some flexibility in the marketplace, should a situation of price warring occur.

5. Know your competitive edge

The greater the understanding of the marketing chain and the product, the more likely the relative strengths may be ascertained. The strengths or competitive advantages commonly relate to price, product, positioning, perception and process. In the traditionally conservative timber industry, competitive strengths are achieved through proximity to the resource, ease of harvesting and processing and proximity to marketplace.

6. Know the communication process

Some customers enjoy regular contact from marketers, whereas other customers prefer to be in control of the event. It is important for the marketer to understand the preferences of the customer, to know how often the customer prefers to receive information and through which media. For example, using current technology, it is possible to sell products using photographs and text on a website. However, this may only attract business from a certain sector of the market.

7. Know yourself

It is extremely difficult to sell products and services that one doesn’t believe in or doesn’t understand. It is also difficult to sell products if one does not believe in oneself! To be a successful marketer, appraise your own strengths and weak-nesses in order to present the selling opportunity to your customer in a way that works for you. This will usually occur in a situation where all parties are comfortable and relaxed, able to understand and relate to each other’s situations and requirements. It’s fun, enjoy it.

Consumer behavior and marketing strategy

The study of consumers helps firms and organizations improve. Their marketing strategies by understanding issue such as how

• The psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different alternatives (e.g., brands, products).
• The psychology of how the consumers is influenced by his or her environment (e.g. culture, family, signs, media).
• The behavior of consumers while shopping or making other marketing decisions.
• Limitations in consumer knowledge or information processing abilities influence decisions and marketing outcome.
• How consumer motivation and decision strategies differ between products that differ in their level of importance of interest that they entail for the consumer.
• Behavior occurs either for the individual, or in the context of a group (e.g., friends’ influence what kinds of clothes a person wears) or an organization (people on the job make decisions as to which products the firm should use).
• Consumer behavior involves the use and disposal of products as well as the study of how they are purchased. Product use is often of great interest to the marketer, because this may influence how a product is best positioned or how we can encourage increased consumption. Since many environmental problems result from product disposal (e.g., motor oil being sent into sewage systems to save the recycling fee, or garbage piling up at landfills) this is also an area of interest.
• Consumer behavior involves services and ideas as well as tangible products.
• How marketers can adapt and improve their marketing campaigns and marketing strategies to more effectively reach the consumer.

Understanding these issues helps us adapt our strategies by taking the consumer into consideration. For example, by understanding that a number of different messages compete for our potential customers’ attention, we learn that to be effective, advertisements must usually be repeated extensively. We also learn that consumers will sometimes be persuaded more by, logical arguments, but at other times will be persuaded more by emotional or symbolic appeals. By understanding the consumer, we will be able to make a more informed decision as to which strategy to employ.

One ‘official” definition of consumer behaviour is ‘The study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society.’

Four main application of consumer behaviour:

The most obvious is for marketing strategy-i.e., for making better marketing campaigns. For example, by understanding that consumers are more receptive to food advertising when they are hungry, we learn to schedule snack advertisements late in the afternoon. By understanding that new products are usually initially adopted by a few consumers and only spread later, and then only gallfly, to the rest of the population, we learn that

1. companies that introduce new products must be well financed so that they can stay afloat until their products become a commercial success and
2. it is important to please initial customers, since they will in turn influence many subsequent customers’ brand choices.

There are several units in the market that can be analyzed. Our main thrust in this course is the consumer. However, we will also need to analyze our own firm’s strengths and weaknesses and those of competing firms. To assess a competing firm’s potential threat; we need to examine its assets (e.g., technology, market knowledge, and awareness of its brands) against pressures it faces from the market. Finally, we need to assess conditions (the marketing environment). For example, although we may have developed a product that offers great appeal for consumers, a recession may cut demand dramatically.

Data collection

After defining the problem and deciding about the sample and its size we need to collect data to further carry out our report work. The gathering of data may range from a simple observation at one location to a grandiose survey of multinational corporations at sites in different parts of the world. The main method of data collection adopted here are-

Primary data collection

Primary data are those data, which is originally collected. This methodology is used for the proximity to the truth and control over errors. These are several methods of primary data collection like questionnaire, interview, observation etc. The method used by researcher is Questionnaire.

It is considered as the heart of survey operations and therefore should be very carefully constructed. It consists of a number of questions printed or typed in a definite order which is filled by the respondents on their own. A good questionnaire should be comparatively short and simple and the sequence shall be from easy the difficult ones.

Media is the way in which mass communication and information is spread to the public, and in today’s society, it is spread through broadcasting, journalism, the internet, and so much more. However, the ways of mass communication have changed over the past 150 years. Media is ever-changing and evolving to fit the status quo of society, and it has been since its beginning.

Media does many different things for us as humans. For one, it fulfills us with entertainment. It is used as a platform for ideas, imagery, and can be used as a way of escaping the everyday world. We can also obtain information and education through the vast sources of media. Today, we see weekly newspapers and news on television being broadcasted daily, all of which bringing us forms of entertainment and information.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, one of the main ways that news and media was spread was through the newspaper. In the mid to late 19th century, papers like The New York Times, The London Daily Mail, and The New York Tribune were being printed throughout the United States. At this time, 3,000 weekly papers and 400 daily papers were available for the American public. At this time, the newspaper was one of the biggest sources of media.

In 1896, The London Daily was launched as a national paper, started by Alfred Harmsworth. This paper was priced very low, making it easily available for most of the nation. In 1919, Joseph Patterson started the first American tabloid known as the New York Daily News which covered topics about sex and sensationalism. During the early 20th century, American newspapers reached an all time high. Over 2,000 daily papers and over 14,000 weekly papers were printed. However, they declined slowly after this peak while circulation still rose.

During the 1920s and 1930s, competition between papers began to bring new ideas to the companies. Comic strips, crossword puzzles, and other activities were put into these papers to increase interest and sale. Due to the increase of newspapers, large corporations and chains began to buy and take control over large chains. In the second half of the 20th century, readers began to grow tired and dissatisfied with the newspapers, most notably the young readers. This dissatisfaction lead to a ‘diverse underground, or alternative’, press.

In 1955, the Village Voice began publishing in New York City. This new press sought new approaches to the media world to appeal to the younger readers by adding trade, ethnic, and religious ideas to their papers. This appealed to a different type of the American population and gave them a new interest in the newspaper.

Another big step in the history of media was the invention of the radio. Guglielmo Marconi was the first person to prove that a radio could be used for communication. In Italy in 1895, he sent and received the first recorded radio signal. Marconi also sent the first wireless signal across the English Channel as well, which marked the first message sent and received by a radio telegraph. This allowed for communication across long distances possible.

Soon, early in the 20th century, the radio rose to an explosive fame. Radios were cheaper than telephones and very easily available in the 1920s. The radio allowed for a large number of individuals to listen to the same event or speaker at one time. Calvin Coolidge gave his pre election speech and it reached over 20 million people through radio broadcasting. The radio also brought a huge boom for advertisers who had a large number of listeners at their feet. A 20th century advertising consultant claimed that radios were “a glorious opportunity for the advertising man to spread his sales propaganda” because of “a countless audience, sympathetic, pleasure seeking, enthusiastic, curious, interested, approachable in the privacy of their homes”.

One huge thing about the radio was that it was free. Radio shows and broadcasters made money by selling various amounts of air time to advertisers. By the end of the 1920s, some advertisers paid over $100,000 in air time advertisements alone.

Post World War II in the United States brought an era of prosperity, which then led to a new groundbreaking platform of media we use to this day: television. About 17,000 televisions found homes in the United States in 1946. However, in only 7 years, two-thirds of the American homes had at least one television set. Broadcasted television and news quickly became the leading media platform.

In 1963, a poll taken across the nation showed that more people relied on their home television to receive news than newspapers. The broadcasted news through radio and television had such a grip on American society that newspaper companies adapted to overcome the lack of interest in their companies. Print media was durable and could be used at any time, and once an American purchased a newspaper or magazine, they could read it at their leisure.

The publication of media took an extreme change with the invention of cable television. In the very beginning of television, viewers had only a few programs to choose from. However, cable television allowed for a large variety of channel choices tailored to your interests. In 1975, 93% of all television viewing was controlled by three main networks. From the beginning of television to around the mid 1990s, television viewing was dominated by these three big networks. By 2004, this number dropped to 28.4% due to the invention of cable television. In February of 1996, the United States Government passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which was “an attempt to foster competition by deregulating the industry… that actually resulted in many mergers and buyouts that left most of the control of the broadcast spectrum in the hands of a few large corporations”. The Federal Communications Commission soon loosened regulations even more, and in 2003, they allowed for a single company to own 45% of a single market.

Today, media is seen and used through many different platforms. Newspapers are still being used to this day, and radio shows broadcast news all across the country. However, there is a relatively new form of media that has gripped the nation in an explosive fashion: social media. According to a study done by pewresearch.com, one out of every five American adults claim to get their news through social media. In 2017, the amount of Americans who obtained their news through social media was about the same as the amount of Americans who obtained their news from newspapers and radio news.

Media plays several key roles in our society, including entertaining the public along with providing a platform of imagination. Media, if used correctly, can inform and educate its viewers and help serve the public through means of discussion and evaluating important issues and topics. Based on the evolution of media throughout history, as time goes on, media evolves to fit the needs of society.

Essay on Newspaper in English (225 words)

The newspaper, often fondly referred to as the “morning friend,” plays an indispensable role in our daily lives. Born out of the necessity for communication, newspapers have evolved over centuries, metamorphosing from simple handwritten news sheets to today’s digital versions. With the advent of Gutenberg’s printing press in the 15th century, mass production of newspapers became possible, sparking the spread of information like wildfire and igniting a revolution that fundamentally changed the world.

Even in our era of digitalization, where social media platforms and news apps rule the roost, the charm and utility of newspapers remain undeniable. They serve as a vibrant forum for expression, disseminating news and reflecting societal sentiments while also playing a vital role in the democratic processes of various nations. They not only inform us about political happenings, local affairs, and global events but also enrich our knowledge with various features on science, literature, culture, and sports.

A newspaper’s power lies in its ability to shape public opinion, make us think, question, and learn. It bridges the gap between the government and the people, providing a platform for dialogue and discussions. The ink of a newspaper is a silent yet potent weapon against societal ills, fostering transparency, accountability, and ultimately, empowerment. The newspaper is a sentinel of truth, an archive of our times, and a testament to our shared human experience.

Newspaper Essay 1 (100 words)

Newspapers hold a pivotal role in modern society. An intriguing blend of news, opinions, advertisements, and entertainment, they are a window to the world, broadening our perspectives and keeping us informed. They span various topics, from politics, economics, and sports to culture, science, and technology, catering to diverse reader interests.

Newspapers don’t merely narrate events; they provide context and analysis, fostering informed conversations and debates. They’re instrumental in shaping public opinion and promoting democratic values. Moreover, they serve as historical records, documenting humanity’s journey through time. Even in the digital age, the newspaper’s significance remains undiminished, a testament to its enduring appeal.

Newspaper Essay 2 (200 words)

The newspaper, a symbol of enlightenment and progress, is an integral part of our everyday lives. It offers a rich amalgamation of news, entertainment, opinions, and insights, mirroring the dynamic society we live in. The importance of newspapers extends beyond their primary role as information disseminators.

Newspapers act as a platform for dialogue, encouraging critical thinking and facilitating informed discussions. They are essential for democracies, highlighting governmental actions, holding authorities accountable, and giving voice to the voiceless.

Additionally, newspapers cater to a wide spectrum of interests. They cover sports, business, technology, arts, culture, and more, satisfying the diverse curiosity of their readers. They also provide a space for advertisements, helping businesses reach potential customers, thereby fueling economic growth.

Moreover, newspapers serve as a chronicle of our times. They document historical events, societal changes, and scientific advancements, creating an invaluable archive for future generations.

Despite the digital revolution, the importance of newspapers remains undiminished. They have adapted to the times, offering online versions and mobile apps, ensuring their accessibility to the digitally inclined audience.

In summary, the newspaper is more than a compilation of news and features. It reflects our society, a catalyst for change, and an enduring beacon of knowledge and understanding.

Newspaper Essay 3 (300 words)

The newspaper, a timeless emblem of civilization, plays a multifaceted role in society. It is a rich tapestry of news, thoughts and opinions, features, and advertisements woven together to provide a comprehensive snapshot of our world.

Newspapers are, foremost, sources of information. They keep us abreast of political happenings, economic trends, technological advancements, and cultural shifts locally and globally. They provide objective reporting, insightful analyses, and thought-provoking editorials, enabling us to understand complex issues, form informed opinions, and engage in meaningful discussions. In a world where fake news and misinformation can proliferate, credible newspapers’ integrity and thorough fact-checking are invaluable.

Newspapers also function as a platform for public dialogue. They amplify voices, spotlight issues, and invite debates, strengthening democratic processes. Newspapers play a crucial role in promoting accountability by scrutinizing governmental actions and fostering transparency. Their investigative reports often unearth hidden truths, catalyzing change and upholding justice.

Furthermore, newspapers cater to varied reader interests. Sports enthusiasts pore over match reports, business professionals peruse economic news, technology buffs explore the latest innovation, and culture aficionados delight in arts and literature pieces. Newspapers thus serve as an intellectual buffet, enriching our knowledge in countless domains.

Equally important is the role of newspapers in advertising. They connect businesses with potential consumers, fueling economic growth. Newspaper ads reach a broad audience, from job seekers to property buyers, from event goers to shoppers, proving their versatility and effectiveness.

Finally, newspapers are historical records. They encapsulate our journey, capturing events big and small and preserving them for posterity. They are silent witnesses to history, recounting our past and informing our future.

In the age of digital media, newspapers have evolved, making their content accessible through online editions and mobile apps. Yet, they have managed to retain their essence, commitment to truth, and devotion to public service. 

Newspaper Essay 4 (400 words)

A quintessential part of our daily routines, the newspaper is a vital link between the individual and the larger world. Despite the advent of digital media, the importance of newspapers remains undiminished, emphasizing their multifaceted roles in society.

Foremost, newspapers are the conduits of information. They keep us updated with an array of news – political developments, economic trends, scientific breakthroughs, and social issues, to name a few. They provide us with in-depth analyses, comprehensive coverage, and expert insights, demystifying complex issues and enriching our understanding of the world. In a society where information is power, newspapers are a democratic tool accessible to all.

Newspapers also play a pivotal role in shaping public opinion. Through their editorials, opinion pieces, and letters to the editor, they encourage intellectual exchange, critical thinking, and public discourse. By shedding light on government actions, policies, and legislation, newspapers foster transparency and hold authorities accountable. They often serve as a watchdog, protecting the public interest and promoting democratic values.

Moreover, newspapers cater to a wide spectrum of interests and preferences. Whether you are a sports enthusiast, a culture aficionado, a business professional, or a technology geek, there’s something for everyone in a newspaper. They educate, entertain, inspire, and provoke thought, enhancing our intellectual and cultural lives.

Newspapers also serve as a powerful advertising platform. From small local businesses to multinational corporations, from job vacancies to real estate, newspapers connect sellers with potential buyers. They stimulate economic activity, support local businesses, and inform consumers about products, services, and opportunities.

Importantly, newspapers are historical records. They chronicle our collective journey, document events, capture societal transformations, and create an archive for future generations. They weave the story of our times, becoming a historical narrative that can inform, inspire, and educate future societies.

As we progress in the digital age, newspapers have embraced change. They have evolved to offer digital versions, integrating multimedia elements, interactive features, and real-time updates. Despite this evolution, the essence of newspapers – the commitment to truth, the responsibility towards the public, and the role as a societal mirror – remains untouched.

In essence, the newspaper is much more than just a source of daily news. It is a societal institution, a catalyst for change, a guardian of democracy, a reflection of our times, and a chronicle of our collective journey. Despite the rapid digitalization, the newspaper continues to hold its ground, proving its resilience, relevance, and enduring appeal.

Newspaper Essay 5 (500 words)

Introduction

A vital component of human society for ages has been the lowly newspaper, which serves as both a knowledge bank and a messenger of information. The substance and importance of the newspaper have not changed, despite the fact that modern technology has totally changed how we access and consume news.

History of Newspapers

The origins of newspapers trace back to ancient Rome, where Acta Diurna, or daily acts, were posted in public places. However, the format we recognize as a newspaper today came into being with the advent of Gutenberg’s printing press in the 15th century. This innovation paved the way for mass production and distribution of news, democratizing access to information.

Over time, newspapers evolved, reflecting societal, political, and technological changes. In the 17th and 18th centuries, newspapers were instrumental in shaping public opinion and political discourse. The 19th century saw the rise of the penny press, making newspapers affordable and accessible to a broader audience. In the 20th century, newspapers underwent further transformations, incorporating photos, color printing, and diversified content.

Importance of Newspaper

Newspapers perform various roles in society. They keep us informed about local, national, and global events, provide context and analysis, and foster informed conversations. They shape public opinion, promoting democratic values and encouraging civic participation.

Newspapers also serve as a platform for expression. Journalists, columnists, and readers use this medium to share views, challenge ideas, and catalyze change. They spotlight issues, scrutinize authorities, and protect public interest, upholding the tenets of a free press.

Beyond news and opinions, newspapers cater to diverse reader interests. They cover topics like sports, culture, science, fashion, and business, providing a broad intellectual buffet. Additionally, newspapers play a critical role in advertising, connecting businesses and consumers, and promoting economic growth.

Finally, newspapers are historical records. They capture our journey through time, document changes, and preserve them for posterity.

Newspaper and other Media

While digital media and television have transformed the media landscape, newspapers maintain their unique appeal. They offer depth, analysis, and perspective, often missing in fast-paced digital news. Newspapers have also adapted to digitalization, offering online versions, incorporating multimedia content, and reaching out to audiences on various platforms.

However, despite these adaptations, newspapers face challenges. The ubiquity of free online news and the decline in print advertising revenues have put pressure on traditional newspapers. The challenge for newspapers lies in leveraging their strengths – credibility, depth, and journalistic integrity – while innovating to remain relevant in the digital era.

Conclusion

In conclusion, newspapers, despite their challenges, remain a crucial part of our media landscape. They embody democratic ideals, stimulate intellectual engagement, foster societal dialogue, and serve as an archival record of our times. As they navigate the digital transformation, their enduring value lies in their commitment to truth, public service, and journalistic excellence. While their form may evolve, their essence – as carriers of news, shapers of opinion, and mirrors of society – will endure. The newspaper, therefore, is not just a daily read but a testament to our shared human experience.

Newspaper Essay 6 (600 words)

Introduction

The newspaper, a powerful source of information and conduit of public opinion, holds an irreplaceable place in our daily lives. Despite the surge of digital media, the newspaper’s distinctive role and relevance persist. As a chronicle of history, a facilitator of dialogue, and a defender of democracy, the newspaper’s multi-dimensional purpose transcends the confines of just being a news disseminator. In the face of rapidly evolving technologies, the traditional newspaper adapts, embodying resilience and reinforcing its importance in our society.

Why Do We Read Newspapers?

We read newspapers for a myriad of reasons. They inform us about the world, providing a comprehensive report of local, national, and global events. Newspapers offer a detailed analysis of news, enabling us to understand complex issues, see different perspectives, and engage in informed discussions.

They cater to a wide spectrum of interests. Be it politics, business, sports, technology, fashion, or culture, newspapers cover a variety of topics, satisfying the diverse curiosity of readers. They also entertain us with features like comic strips, crosswords, and horoscopes.

Newspapers also serve as a platform for expression. Through opinion pieces, letters to the editor, essays, and comment sections, they facilitate the exchange of views, encouraging critical thinking and civic engagement.

Moreover, newspapers are an advertising medium. They link businesses with potential consumers, stimulating economic activity and supporting local enterprises.

Finally, newspapers hold sentimental value for many. The tactile experience of flipping through pages, the aroma of freshly printed newsprint, and the ritual of morning reading create a unique charm, often missed in digital reading.

The Significance of Modern Newspapers

In today’s fast-paced world, the significance of newspapers extends beyond their traditional roles. They represent the checks and balances of a democratic society, scrutinizing government actions, uncovering hidden truths, and holding power to account.

Newspapers foster transparency and promote democratic values. They are often the harbingers of social change, spotlighting issues, sparking debates, and influencing policy-making.

They also serve as an educational tool. Schools and colleges often use newspaper articles to stimulate discussion, enhance critical thinking, and foster media literacy among students.

Additionally, newspapers are historical records. They document our times, archiving events and societal shifts for future generations. They stand as a testament to our collective experience and a narrative thread weaving the tapestry of human history.

Modern Media and Newspapers

With the rise of digital media, the dynamics of news consumption have changed dramatically. News websites, social media platforms, and news apps offer real-time updates, multimedia content, and personalized news feeds. However, they also grapple with issues like fake news, sensationalism, and information overload.

Newspapers, in contrast, offer credibility, depth, and context. Their rigorous fact-checking, editorial standards, and commitment to journalistic integrity set them apart from many digital news sources.

Despite these strengths, newspapers face challenges. The shift from print to digital has impacted their revenue models. The younger generation’s preference for digital content poses another challenge. To address these, newspapers have embraced digitalization, offering e-papers, integrating interactive features, and using social media for wider reach.

Conclusion

In conclusion, newspapers, in their print or digital forms, remain a cornerstone of our information ecosystem. They fulfill various roles – as a news source, an opinion shaper, a societal mirror, and a historical chronicle. They embody the principles of a free press, uphold democratic values, and enhance our intellectual life.

In the face of digital transformation, newspapers must leverage their strengths – depth, credibility, and journalistic excellence – while adapting to new technologies and audience preferences. As long as they remain committed to truth, transparency, and public service, newspapers will continue to hold their ground, underscoring their enduring relevance and appeal.

Abstract

Determinant how to identify and locate or newspaper/ magazine in an e-database is a challenging problem to many people who use online search engines to access and read the articles, making it an important problem in academic research because the volume of the item to search through increases each day. To address the problem, this study used both qualitative and quantitative research paradigms, with the qualitative research dependent on a systematic review of literature on how to create a search statement, the necessary components of the search statement, basic and advanced searches, and how database features enable accurate searchers to be done.

The quantitative paradigm was based on an SPSS version 20 analysis of questionnaire responses received from different subjects. The results showed that a search statement consisting of three concepts, features of the search databases, and the use of basic and advanced searches consisting of ley words, concatenated words, and indexing were necessary to optimize the search results to identify and locate newspaper/magazine in an e-database.

Introduction

The volume of materials such as magazines in e-databases continues to increase each day, making it difficult to search and locate a magazine or related article time consuming and a complex task (Brill, 2001). Despite the availability of articles and other related content easily accessible on electronic databases that are accessible on the web, many of the users wanting to interrogate and locate such articles on the electronic databases do not know the definite rules that one can use to access an article of one’s choice but conduct such searches randomly using search engines of any choice. An additional challenge and complexity arise because most of the people searching for the article of interest do not know the electronic databases they could find the article of interest (Kozlowski & Panda, 2002).

However, research has shown that a variety of searching techniques exists with the most recommended being to browse for the article without any specific rules, which later is followed by a specific search for the article in the electronic database of one’s choice and most probable target that leads to an advanced search strategy (Doyle, 2007). The rationale is that most of the electronic databases contain different materials in electronic format and each database has its own contents that are generally described on the home page of the electronic database. However, the skills and knowledge of how the search strategies work has not been explored, leading to the question of how possible it is to identify and located in an electronic database?

Research objectives

1. To investigate how to create a search statement using keywords.
2. Investigate how to utilize database features.
3. How to carry out basic and advanced searches.

Literature Review

Introduction

This literature review is a summary of the findings of different authors on how to identify and locate a newspaper/magazine in e- databases based on different search techniques, use of search statements, keywords, how to utilize database feature, and the how-to conduct basic and advanced database search techniques.

Creating a search statement

Research studies by Doyle, S. (2007) and other authors in academia have shown that when deciding to search in an electronic database for a Newspaper/Magazine it is important for one to create a search statement. A search statement is important because computers do not think but must be supplied with certain keywords to enable the computer to search and locate the article on the e-datable. It has been established that the search statement is difficult to make and one can be successful in creating a search statement by first identifying the main idea or the article/magazine to search for.

Here, the search statement is a better way of searching for an article because it consists of the terms that are used to define the article by combining them to create the title that is used to search for the article. Researchers such as Knight (2002) have proposed that when creating a search statement, it is important to minimize the number of words and optimize the number of titles being searched. Here, the search statement is used to query the e-database by utilizing its search engine. Here, it is important to note that the search statement must work in an environment consisting of two components, the datasets and the interface used to access the data.

The data, in this case, is the e-article or magazine that is in the electronic form being searched for in the database and the interface can either be unique to the search being conducted or designed to work on general search strategies. However, it is important to consider the access privileges and rights when trying to access a specific database because some e-databases limit access to those who have not signed up (Mitchell, Davidson, Branch & Lysiak, 2001).

Interfaces

Research articles show that different interfaces share similar features while others do not and that depends on the type of database and the search engine being used to search for an article. Here, the first step is to break the search statement into keywords and concepts. It is possible to describe the article being searched for into many words because, in English, there are numerous words that are over 500, 000. In addition, research shows that different search statements enable the search engine to retrieve information differently. Each search statement is efficient on its own and can be made more efficient by integrating it with search indexes.

Search indexes provide are based on a search strategy that depends on the author or the title of the magazine being searched for in the electronic database. In addition, the search statement can be designed to enable a specific search for a magazine based on the title of the topic of interest. Indexing is another strategy that is used to locate an article or magazine in an electronic database. For example, the REND LAKE College has over 22 electronic databases to search for items and it has two types of indexes. The Electronic Indexes is done through subscriptions and can be used to search online sources based on EBSCOhost and Serials Solutions (Ngai, 2003).

Among the strategies used to make the search, the statement is to break the title or the search statement into key words and concepts and ensure that some possible natural key words can be used to search for an article. Other researchers suggest that the concept you create should not be more than three words. Further suggestions show that when doing the search using the keywords and concepts, it is important to avoid small words such as what, are, the and those words that are connected with time such as sometimes, always, perhaps, and often. In addition, words that show the relation between items such as effects, lead to, increases need to be avoided when creating a search statement.

For instance, when searching for a magazine with information on the effects of media on bullying among children, the key identifiable concepts include children, bullying, and media. It is important when creating concepts to be able to develop synonyms for each key concept besides including spelling variants for example behavior & behavior, and singular/plural variants, for example, goose & geese. Such an approach creates key words and concepts that enable the search engine to retrieve items related to the keywords used to identify and locate a magazine in an electronic database. A typical example is illustrated in figure 1 below.

Some research results show that it is possible to sue one search term to yield good results. However, without using the correct search statement, it is possible for the search engine to generate many related results. ‘

On the other hand, the words that describe the concept of the words used to locate and identify the item being searched for include narrowing the search that is contained in the magazine or newspaper. For example, one might be interested in searching for a magazine or a newspaper that has the title “The Influence of Advertising on Incidents of Anorexia”. The main concepts of the title of the paper include “advertising and anorexia”.

Here, the main thing is to concentrate on the central focus of the idea being searched for by limiting the search statement to just a few words. It is possible to make the search more complex and incorporate different items to search for. However, in such a situation, it is recommended that the search be made in such a way by trimming the number of keywords in the search statement. Researchers argue that when creating the search statement, it is crucial to avoid using adverbs, verbs, and articles, conjunctions, and pronouns. The use of words such as ‘of’, ‘an’ and ‘the’ should be avoided.

AND, OR, NOT components

Basically, the advanced search technique has three components that play a significant role in the search for an item and include a combination or use of the AND, OR, NOT. Here, the elements of AND, OR, NOT can be used separately or used by combining them in a search statement and that depends on the length of the search statement and its complexity.

It is important to consider using Boolean statements such as AND, OR, NOT when the need arises to combine two or more statements into a single statement. In addition, it is evident that when the search combines different statements with the AND, OR, NOT, the number of hits increases significantly. However, a significant difference exists among the use of ‘AND’ and OR, and the search results depend on the term used to combine two search statements together. For instance, it has been demonstrated that when ‘OR’ is used to create the search statement, it is possible to increase the number of hits as compared when using ‘AND’ to create the search statements.

It is important when conducting the search to include and use a search strategy that factors the use of keywords logically arranged together to achieve the goals of the advanced search. Here, the logical arrangement of the item or words leads to a logical relationship that leads to the retrieval of magazines that are in the same category as the one being searched for. However, it is inappropriate to use long strings that make the search meaningless.

Sometimes if the title of the magazine is known, it is easy to locate by using its title. Once the title has been established, it is important to search for the online Catalogue of the magazine if the article is in the database. However, it is important to note that some abbreviations can be used for the title of the magazine or newspaper being searched for. Once the magazine has been established to be in the catalog of items to look for, it is searched using its title or some items in the newspaper or magazine.

How to utilize database features

Depending on the database features, it is imperative to note that sometimes the search results can either be satisfactory or not. The database interface dictates the strategy to use when locating an item in the database such as using parenthesis and to create the required logical relationship by clear use of multiple search boxes as shown in figure 3.

The search strategies showed in figure 3 clarify the logical operators that are used to combine the search words. To make the search more predictable, it is necessary to use multiple boxes as shown in figure 3. On the other hand, it has been suggested that a specific interface has to be used that provides better prediction of the logical operators used and the strings and keywords used to create the search statement.

For instance, to search for a newspaper that discusses music and music education, it is necessary to be specific on which database to search. In the case of music education, because the keywords here are education and music, it is necessary to search first for the database with the magazines on music education. An example could be the ERIC search: music education. Once on that database, the search can be extended to “music education”, which narrows down the search to the magazine that discusses music education. Here, the database has been located and many magazines can be retrieved with the same results.

Basic and advanced searches

A search is conducted in only one field using the basic search technique based on a predetermined search strategy. In most cases, the strategy benefits one who wants to determine the size of the database and the volume of magazines on the database that are relevant to the search problem. In addition, the search technique provides the foundation for generating different search strategies especially when the title of the item being searched for is known.

Advanced search

The advanced search function has been shown to be more specific and to give more control to the user. According to Altschul, Gish, Miller, Myers, and Lipman (1990), the strategy enables a more refined search using key words that are combined to make a search statement. It is possible to search for multiple items in multiple databases to access the designated item. In most cases when the basic search has retrieved a large collection of articles, the advanced search provides the capability to narrow down the search to particular items. The strategy is useful when searching for an item with the name of the author.

Altschul et al. (1990) argue that it is possible to add the search limits before the search for the item of interest is commenced. Such an approach reduces the time required for the search to be executed and such limits have been established to be effective especially when the search item is not known. One of the strategies to use is to limit the language and the document type as illustrated in figure 5 below.

According to Mead, Sit, Rogers, Jamieson, and Rousseau (2000), in context, Figure 6 shows the advanced search strategies that demonstrate how most interfaces are used for advanced searches indicates that most search history of what had been searched before is saved to lighten the work of searching again for the item. It is important to treat such searches as adjunct workspaces that enable a search to be concentrated on different search techniques (Phillips, 2001). In addition, the results for each facet are saved to improve future results when a new search is conducted on similar items. In figure 5, the history of search facets has been utilized to expand the search for the article of interest by finding the relevant item via keyword searching.

Research Methodology

The study was based on quantitative and qualitative approaches where the qualitative approach was based on content analysis and the quantitative approach was based on the use of numerical data that was analyzed using the SPSS software to determine the percentage responses for the items used to collect the data from the respondents (Veit & Gould, 2009). The benefits of using the qualitative paradigm include the ability to articulate how to collect a detailed analysis of the information in the research area and enabled the researcher to avoid making pre-judgments.

On the other hand, the quantitative analysis enabled the researcher to test and validate the results based on existing information, collect and provide an accurate representation of the findings, and enabled the quick collection of data and information from the respondents

Findings and Analysis

Table 1.

The results represented in table 1 of the study shows that most of the respondents strongly agreed that they first create a search statement before they start to search for an article in the electronic database. Here, 31.8% strongly agree with the idea of creating a search statement and 26.1% agree with the idea of a search statement. In addition, those who agreed on the use of a search statement had used it before and successfully located the item they were searching for. On the other hand, those who disagreed that a search statement was necessary to locate a magazine on the electronic database constituted 63%.

Table 2.

Table 2 shows the responses as percentages of those who strongly agreed and those who disagreed that search statement should be refined before it is used to identify and locate an article or item on the electronic database. The responses show that 64% disagreed that the search statement has to be refined before it is used to locate and identify a document on the electronic database. However, the reason could be that most of the respondents on the issue of refining a search statement might not be aware of the need to refine the statement of might not have done it before, or was not aware that by refining the search, it could be possible to reduce the volume of articles retrieved.

Table 3.

Table 3 shows the responses of those asked about the use of database features to locate a newspaper on the electronic database, with 77.7% agreeing that the features were crucial in narrowing the search to a particular newspaper.

Table 4.

Table 4 shows the responses to the use of basic and advanced searches to locate an item in the database. The majority of the responses who account for over 77% agreed that when an advanced search is done preceded by a basic search, the results are likely to be very accurate.

Discussion

The results of the study indicate that most of the respondents (57.9%) agreed that when searching for an article in the electronic database, it was necessary to create a search statement with the necessary elements with the key words necessary to enable the computer to search for the article. In addition, the key words enable the computer to optimize the search results in identifying the correct item being searched for. On the other hand, it was noted that the search engine features were critical in narrowing a search to a specific item that can be indexed to make the search more specific. The use of basic and advanced searches increases the precision nature of the search because it consists of concatenating words that make the search to locate and identify a newspaper more accurate.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it was established that to accurately locate and identify a newspaper or magazine in an electronic database, it was necessary for the search to be executed based on the keywords defined in the search statement. In addition, the search strategy consists of three key concepts that are categorized into concepts 1, concepts 2, and concepts 3 and each concept narrows the search to a specific item, optimizing the search by reducing the search volume and increasing the accuracy of the target search. In addition, the study established that indexing and using of concatenating terms such as based on the scope of the study to include terms such as ‘AND’, NOT’ OR makes the search more accurate.

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