Despite the infinite choice and ease of access afforded by online news sources, here is the counter-intuitive argument that the best way to inform yourself in the current information environment is to dedicate time to reading a hard copy newspaper. This is not to say that information gleaned this way should not be supplemented with other media, only that a hard copy newspaper is the ideal news foundation.
There are three main reasons that developing the habit of reading hard copy is the best way to become and remain well-informed:
- By choosing a hard copy, you are dedicating yourself to the pursuit of information. You have blocked out X time to do it, and you are committing to “news acquisition” as an end in itself, not a peripheral activity. You will not be interrupted with notifications or otherwise be tempted to check other options. On-line, it’s easy to become distracted and hard to stick to your decision to inform yourself.
- No slideshows or video. You are forced into reading comprehension and, thus, even deeper immersion.
- The amount you contend with is finite. You are not led into click after click on related or unrelated themes. (You can always search them later). You have X amount of info in front of you to read, skip, skim, or save for later.
There is nothing wrong with online news sources, but the best foundation to being well-informed is investment in reading a newspaper.