By Halle Fukawa
Copy Editor

The year 2019 has proven to be the Golden Era of online media, as nearly any book, movie, or piece of information can be easily accessed on the internet. In today’s fast-paced, convenience-driven world, the news is no exception to this growing trend. Despite the increase in online news coverage and the subsequent decline in demand for physical newspapers, the public needs to rely on the printed paper, as opposed to gaining all of their information online.

Physical newspapers are a way of filtering important information from the rest. Looking up a definition or a song title is much easier with online search engines, however, when it comes to political or world affairs, consumers find it difficult to focus on the important topic when it is surrounded by a magnitude of smaller stories.
Stanton Communications Inc. stated, “[Opposed to online news], the editors’ conscious and thoughtful decisions place each story on the page.”
This means that consumers can open the paper and immediately see the most important story that happened the day, week, or month before without the stress of pop-up ads or celebrity gossip.
According to the Pew Research Center as of October, “58 percent of adults rely on social media for their news.”
However, platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have proven to be untrustworthy, as the freedom to publish extends to anyone with a keyboard.
During the 2016 Presidential Election, fake news stories spread like wildfire online, as nearly 23 percent of adults found that the news they shared with others was untrue, according to the Pew Research Center.
The Guardian stated that, even if news hits social media platforms before a physical newspaper is released, “readers of the next day’s paper may not be surprised by the story born from [what the internet said], but they do want to know if it was really true, and what it means for them.”
Because top newspapers adhere to rigorous ethical guidelines, readers can enjoy knowing that the stories they are receiving are relevant and accurate, even if it is not their first time hearing the story.
Despite all of the internet’s immediate coverage and expansive range of sources, there is still something to be said about the physical paper. Nothing quite matches the weight and finality of an actual newspaper. From world renowned foreign newsletters to local student-run publications, printed newspapers offer a unique experience that will not be trumped by the internet any time soon.